SBDC Intermediate Financial Management
SBDC Intermediate Financial Management
Participants will learn how the three core financial statements—the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement—work together to tell the full story of a business’s financial health.
Over four sessions, participants will build skills in (1) understanding and applying financial statements, (2) financial analysis and interpretation, (3) budgeting and profit planning, and (4) cash flow planning and management.
Through practical examples, case studies, and hands-on exercises, you’ll strengthen your ability to interpret financial results, identify strengths and red flags, and connect day-to-day operations to long-term outcomes.
In this session, you will:
Interpret the three core financial statements—income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
Assess a business’s financial position and performance by identifying key indicators related to liquidity, profitability, efficiency, leverage, and growth capacity.
Analyze financial statements using practical tools, including trend analysis, common-size analysis, benchmarking, and financial ratio analysis, to support informed decision-making.
Evaluate profitability drivers such as pricing, cost structure, gross margin, operating expenses, and contribution margin—and understand how management choices impact results.
Develop and use budgets for sales, expenses, profit, and cash flow to support planning, control, and strategic goal-setting.
Apply profit planning techniques to identify opportunities for improving margins, controlling costs, and strengthening overall financial performance.
Differentiate between profit and cash flow and explain why profitable businesses can still experience cash shortages.
Forecast and manage cash flow by analyzing cash inflows and outflows, understanding the cash conversion cycle, and identifying timing-related risks.
Manage working capital more effectively by evaluating accounts receivable, inventory, payables, and debt levels.
Use financial information to communicate more effectively with accountants, lenders, investors, and other advisors, and to support financing and growth decisions.
This course does NOT:
Replace the need for professional advisors
Teach bookkeeping, recordkeeping, or accounting software
Provide personalized financial, legal, or investment advice
Discuss tax planning or tax compliance
Focus on advanced accounting theory or CPA-level technical standards
Dates: Tuesdays
November 3, 2026
November 10, 2026
November 17, 2026
SKIP November 24, 2026 (Thanksgiving week)
December 1, 2026
Time: 9:00 am – noon CST
Location: Live Virtual
NOTE: This course is designed for business owners, managers, and key team members who already have some familiarity with financial statements and want to use them more effectively to guide decision-making, planning, and growth. If you are brand new to financial statements, our Introduction to Financial Management course may be a better starting point.
Accounting is the language of business—but financial management is how you use that language to run your business with intention. This intermediate-level course moves beyond basic definitions to focus on understanding, analyzing, and applying financial information to improve performance, manage risk, and plan for the future.