Mastering Business Essentials: Finance

Finance makes the world go around. It helps to raise money for new companies, allocate capital to projects, and provide loans to credit-worthy industries. Finance is also the glue that holds companies together – in charge of the annual budgeting and forecasting processes; when the FP&A department sends you an email, you should respond. Finance is way to assess projects by factoring in the estimates of future cash flows, the risks, timeframe, alternatives, and making smart decisions about money. Any competent executive – whether in Marketing, Sales, Technology, or HR – needs to know that finance basics. Learn the top 20 concepts simply: Time value of money, NPV, DCF, IRR, Comps, discount rate, WACC.

Even if you are not a finance-major, you need to know the basics. You need to be able to hold a conversation about finance without losing your cool. Finally, learn the basics of personal finance. Earn money, save, invest, and enjoy.