Finance for Non-Finance Managers
Overview
Ever find yourself nodding along in meetings when finance is mentioned, only to glance down at a spreadsheet with a sense of dread? You’re not alone—and this one-day course is designed to change that. Finance for Non-Finance Managers cuts through the jargon to give you practical, usable financial knowledge, empowering you to take control of your decisions and contribute more confidently at every level of your organisation. With a focus on real-world application, this session strips back the complexity and shows you that finance isn’t just for accountants—it’s a powerful tool every manager can master.
Through expert-led discussion, interactive examples and hands-on exercises, you’ll gain clarity on key financial documents, explore how to manage costs effectively, and uncover the hidden impact your day-to-day decisions have on business performance. Whether you’re looking to make more informed choices, hold your own in budget reviews, or simply feel less reliant on your finance team, this course is your gateway to financial fluency.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the structure and purpose of financial statements
- Recognise the relationship between income, costs, and business performance
- Use financial information to support strategic and operational decisions
- Identify and interpret key metrics like depreciation, margins, and mark-ups
- Distinguish between capital and operational expenditure
- Gain confidence in analysing financial reports and statements
- Improve communication with finance professionals
- Access and assess your organisation’s or competitors’ financial health
- Make decisions rooted in financial awareness, not guesswork
- Demystify finance and realise that it’s a skill you can master too
Testimonials
Zahoor has the ability to simplify Finance for those who find it a great challenge. I speak for myself and my learners to whom Zahoor delivered Finance workshops to. Zahoor is able to capture and maintain the learners attention in a manner I’ve not seen before within this subject. As a result the learners were able to produce great showcases for their portfolio and understand more about their departmental budgets, monitor them effectively and make suggestions of where value for money could be achieved further.
CX – ITEC Training
Zahoor is a great communicator. He was really clear and worked at a great pace and covered everything we needed. He continuously asked us if we had any questions, was flexible in how we communicated with him (eg. via chat or verbally), provided good breaks and timings and managed expectations well from the outset.
EHG – Transport for London
Brilliant. One of the best trainers I’ve worked with. Positive attitude, very good knowledge, ability to share it was on exceptional level, engaging with audience and the best part is – he made everyone feel secure on this training so we could say what we wanted freely and he referred to it always with respect, relevant examples, comments and business cases. I would re-join this course again frankly speaking. For attitude I would give him 11.
TG, Fujitsu
Agenda
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Welcome and Introductions
- Overview of the day, objectives, and format
- Participant introductions and expectations
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Session 1: Introduction to Finance
- Why finance matters in every role
- Understanding key financial terms: revenue, profit, assets, liabilities, equity, etc.
- The role of finance in business success
- Interactive poll or quiz on financial jargon
- Why finance matters in every role
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Break
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Session 2: Understanding Financial Statements
- Balance Sheet: what it shows and how to read it
- Profit & Loss (Income Statement): measuring performance
- Cash Flow Statement: understanding liquidity
- How the three statements connect
- Practical walkthrough of a simplified set of statements
- Balance Sheet: what it shows and how to read it
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Session 3: Profit vs. Cash – Spotting the Difference
- Why cash-rich companies can still post losses, and vice versa
- What affects profit vs. what affects cash
- Understanding the risks of focusing on one without the other
- Key considerations for budget holders
- Scenario-based discussion: What would you do in this situation?
- Why cash-rich companies can still post losses, and vice versa
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Lunch
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Session 4: Financial Ratios Demystified
- Introduction to key financial ratios: liquidity, profitability, efficiency
- How ratios help interpret performance beyond raw numbers
- Applying ratios to real-life decision-making
- Mini-exercise: Match the ratio to the insight it provides
- Introduction to key financial ratios: liquidity, profitability, efficiency
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Break
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Q&A and Open Discussion
- Revisit learning outcomes
- Participant questions and clarification of concepts
- Discussion: how will you apply this knowledge back at work?
- Revisit learning outcomes
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Break
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Wrap-Up and Close
- Key takeaways
- Feedback and next steps
- Thank you and course close
*Programme subject to change
- Key takeaways
Get in Touch
Book Now
- Public Sector £550 + VAT
- Private Sector £620 + VAT
- Voluntary Sector £480 + VAT
Trainer
Zahoor Bargir
Zahoor is a personable and versatile finance trainer who is experienced in delivering training that is interactive, effective and fun. A qualified accountant by profession, he has worked as a consultant and manager in numerous sectors before specialising as a trainer.
He has worked at companies like PwC, Diageo and UNICEF, as well as start-ups and other SMEs. Experience of working in different industries has made it easier for him to tailor his training to people working in a variety of sectors.
Having worked with such an array of companies, Zahoor has developed a knack for communicating complex techniques into their core component parts. He is, therefore, passionate about helping others see the simplicity in the numbers and what they mean.
