This course is preparatory for careers and future studies in business, finance, and management.  Small Business Finance assumes no prior background in finance or quantitative methods; it will cover the analysis of financial statements and the use of ratio analysis to interpret how well a company has performed; operational levers that affect company performance; and the cost of raising money (cost of capital) in debt markets and in equity (stock) markets.  The program endeavors to engender financial intelligence, and quantitative reasoning using everyday business situations (case studies) as a way to uncover what is real, to "look through" nicely ordered numbers for clues to potential problems, interpret, and convey financial data clearly, concisely, and accurately.  Excel is used for assignments, and in so doing, the complexities of calculations should not be an impediment to learning and will allow students to concentrate on analytical thinking.  Practical applications will include the time value of money, problems with financial statements, vertical and horizontal analysis, ratio analysis, profitability, break-even analysis, forecasting, pro-forma financial statements, working capital management, effective rate of return, cash flow analysis, and forecasting, techniques of capital budgeting, and risk management

The course will provide tools to guide understanding of "What the Numbers Really Mean," the essentials of finance for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and managers.  We will discover why liquidity is not the same as profitability, and why cash is so important to a business.  We will study how investments made in a business add value to the business, and how to manage working capital to improve a company’s cash flow and profitability.  Data analysis is pervasive in business as a way of limiting risk and forecasting in an uncertain world.  In this respect, business analysis forms analytical bridges across diverse fields of business, and assist in tackling complex business problems.