Entrepreneurial Finance

Course Introduction

This Oxford Management Centre Entrepreneurial Finance training course will take you to the place where the messy and exciting world of entrepreneurship and business innovation meets the well organised and no-nonsense world of investors, capital markets and financial analysts. These two worlds could hardly be more different and to the entrepreneur the highly disciplined world of finance may seem unattractive. But in today’s world, where competition is fierce for both customers and capital, the success of any venture depends not only on a source of good ideas; it relies on access to financial investors prepared to take a calculated risk on the entrepreneur’s dreams.

This training course provides an essential practical briefing for the non-financial entrepreneur and business manager, as well as an invaluable refresher for finance professionals, in to the methodology, skills and techniques involved in capital financing, business investment decision making and shareholder value management.

This training course will highlight:

• The essentials of business strategy and entrepreneurship
• The structure and meaning of financial reports
• How to use powerful financial analysis and forecasting tools
• Principles of business funding and capital structure
• The key to successful business investment and capital allocation

Objectives

The training course has been designed to provide you with the most up to date knowledge and practical financial skills required in funding, building and managing a competitive business.

By the end of this Oxford Management Centre training course you will have learned to:

• Understand how to build and defend a winning business model
• Analyse and interpret published financial reports
• Apply tested techniques to manage and improve cash flow and profit
• Use powerful tools for financial forecasting
• Make informed funding, investment and capital allocation decisions

Training Methodology

The training course will be structured as a highly participative workshop with formal presentations, case studies and interactive worked examples. Relevant examples and case studies are provided to illustrate the application of each of the topics covered and opportunities are provided to learn and apply the key entrepreneurial finance principles using practical examples and exercises.

Organisational Impact

The organisation will benefit from the development and practical application of skills in entrepreneurial finance that will deliver benefits in raised awareness of key business finance issues and improved decision-making. The organisation will specifically benefit from:

• Developed skills in analysing and interpreting financial statements
• Practical application of strategies to improve cash flow and profit
• Raised level of awareness of business funding sources
• Development of useful forecasting and modelling skills
• Improved capital investment appraisal skills

Personal Impact

Participants will benefit from updated knowledge and applied practical skills in entrepreneurship and corporate finance. These skills will allow delegates to make a greater contribution to the important financial decision-making processes in their organisation, at the same time enhancing their own career development potential.

Specific benefits from the training course will include:

• Up-to-date thinking on strategy and business model development
• Development of advanced skills in financial analysis and interpretation
• Application of practical skills in forecasting and financial modelling
• Briefing on sources of finance and capital market operations
• Practical skills in investment appraisal and business valuation methods

Who Should Attend?

This training course would be highly relevant to all of those advising or involved in starting-up, building and managing a successful stand-alone or divisional business enterprise either in the private sector and public / governmental sector, but will greatly benefit:

• Entrepreneurs
• Head office team members
• Strategy and planning team members
• Finance professionals
• Investment analysts
• Bank investment team members

Course Outline

Day 1 

Competitive Strategy and Entrepreneurship

Day 2

Business Finance Essentials

Day 3

Financial forecasting and modelling

Day 4

Principles of investment decision-making

Day 5

Managing shareholder value