Leadership & Management

Business Acumen for Non-Financial Leaders

Leaders make better decisions when they understand how the business makes money. This course builds business acumen for managers without a finance background: reading financial statements, understanding profitability and cash flow, evaluating investments, linking operational decisions to financial results and speaking the language of senior leadership.

5 days Classroom or live online English

Smart Horizon Certified - Global Leadership Consultants

Take the course details with you.

Download the full standard outline: why attend, methodology, objectives, audience, competencies, the daily outline and current plans.

Download course PDF

Why attend

From knowledge to real-world impact.

Managers who understand the numbers win more support for their ideas. You will gain the financial confidence to contribute to business decisions.

Workplace challenges

Professional Problems This Course Is Designed to Solve

The programme explores practical approaches to the following challenges. Results depend on how the learning is applied in your organisation.

Difficulty translating subject knowledge into practical workplace decisions.
Inconsistent approaches to the activities covered in the course outline.
Lack of a structured plan for applying and reviewing new skills.

Course methodology

How you will learn.

Business simulation, financial statement exercises, case studies and decision workshops.

Course objectives

What you'll take away.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Understand how organisations create value
Read income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements
Analyse profitability and cost drivers
Evaluate investments and business cases
Link operational decisions to financial outcomes
Communicate in financial terms with senior leaders

Target audience

Who should attend.

This course is suitable for:

Managers without finance training
Technical and operational leaders
Sales and marketing managers
Project managers
HR and support function leaders

Target competencies

Capabilities you will build.

Participants will develop competencies in:

Financial literacy
Commercial thinking
Investment evaluation
Cost management
Business communication

Course outline

Your learning journey.

A focused, practical outline with time to explore, apply and reflect.

Day 1How Businesses Make Money

09:00–10:08Business models
10:08–11:00Revenue, cost and profit
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Revenue, cost and profit (continued)
11:45–12:53Value creation
12:53–14:00Business simulation round 1

Day 2Financial Statements

09:00–10:08Income statement
10:08–11:00Balance sheet
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Balance sheet (continued)
11:45–12:53Cash flow statement
12:53–14:00Exercise: reading a company report

Day 3Profitability and Costs

09:00–10:08Margins and ratios
10:08–11:00Fixed and variable costs
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Fixed and variable costs (continued)
11:45–12:53Break-even analysis
12:53–14:00Simulation round 2

Day 4Investments

09:00–10:08Business cases
10:08–11:00Payback, NPV and IRR in plain terms
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Payback, NPV and IRR in plain terms (continued)
11:45–12:53Risk in investments
12:53–14:00Workshop

Day 5Making Better Decisions

09:00–10:08Operational levers and results
10:08–11:00Presenting to finance
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Presenting to finance (continued)
11:45–12:53Personal action plan
12:53–14:00Simulation final round

The timings provided are estimates and may vary depending on the number of participants and the discussions taking place during the sessions. They are indicative only and do not constitute a binding commitment.

Dates & venues

Find a session that works for you.

Confirmed dates accept registration requests. Tentative dates are enquiry only.

Good to know

A few things to know.

How is the course delivered?

Our classroom programmes combine facilitated discussion, case studies, exercises and reflection. The precise format will be confirmed before enrolment.

Can you deliver this programme for our team?

Yes, you can enquire about a tailored programme. Share your goals, group size and preferred dates with our learning team.

Will I receive a certificate?

Participants who complete the programme receive a Smart Horizon UK certificate of attendance. Smart Horizon UK programmes are not externally accredited and do not award a professional qualification, licence or designation. Where a course title or outline refers to a professional certification (for example, AACE International's Certified Cost Professional), the programme supports learning and preparation only; the credential itself is awarded solely by the relevant professional body under its own application and examination requirements.

What should I confirm before booking travel?

Please confirm the session, exact venue, accessibility arrangements, fees and any visa requirements with the team before arranging travel. Tentative dates are not confirmed sessions.

Keep exploring

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The full course agenda and dates are available above. Use the session links in Dates & venues to choose a session. Registration and quotation forms require JavaScript; you can also contact our learning team directly.