Business
Finance
Accounting
The Complete Introduction To Accounting and Finance
4.4 (856 ratings)
Course Ratings are calculated from individual students’ ratings and a variety of other signals, like age of rating and reliability, to ensure that they reflect course quality fairly and accurately.
6,619 students enrolled

The Complete Introduction To Accounting and Finance

The Original Course on Accounting & Finance! It's easy once you know the basics. Learn introductory accounting & finance
Bestseller
4.4 (856 ratings)
Course Ratings are calculated from individual students’ ratings and a variety of other signals, like age of rating and reliability, to ensure that they reflect course quality fairly and accurately.
6,619 students enrolled
Created by Chris Benjamin, MBA & CFO
Last updated 7/2020
English
English [Auto], Indonesian [Auto], 4 more
  • Italian [Auto]
  • Polish [Auto]
  • Romanian [Auto]
  • Thai [Auto]
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The Complete Introduction To Accounting and Finance
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This course includes
  • 7.5 hours on-demand video
  • 1 article
  • 84 downloadable resources
  • Full lifetime access
  • Access on mobile and TV
  • Assignments
  • Certificate of Completion
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What you'll learn
  • Learn From A Top Rated Instructor Who Has Been Teaching On Udemy Since 2013 and Taught Over 100,000 Students!
  • Understand Basic Accounting Concepts
  • Accounting Terminology
  • Accounting Fundamentals
  • The Audit Process
  • The Accounting Cycle
  • Debits and Credits
  • Accounts Receivable
  • Accounts Payable
  • Forecasting and Budgeting
  • Interpreting Financial Statements
  • Balance Sheets
  • Income Statements
  • Statement of Cash Flows
  • Inventory Accounting and Cost Accounting
  • Waterfall Reporting
  • How to Raise Funds For Your Business
  • The IPO Process
  • Exit Strategies
Requirements
  • Desire to learn accounting & finance
  • Access to Excel or other spreadsheet program
  • Passion to empower yourself with knowledge
  • Commitment to learning
Description

Are You An Entrepreneur or Small Business Owner?

Does Accounting Seem Overwhelming? 

Do Numbers And Financial Reports Confuse You?

Would You Like To Learn Accounting & Finance in a Fun & Easy Way?

If You Answered "Yes" To Any Of The Above, Look No Further.  This Is The Course For You!

*** Updated in July 2020 with new content! ***

Enroll today and join the 100,000+ successful students I have taught as a Top Rated Udemy instructor!

Three reasons to TAKE THIS COURSE right now:

  1. You get lifetime access to lectures, including all new lectures, assignments, quizzes and downloads I add

  2. You can ask me questions and see me respond to every single one of them thoroughly!  This is an interactive course!

  3. You will are being taught by a professional with a proven track record of success!

  4. Bonus reason: Udemy has a 30 day 100% no questions asked money back guarantee!

Recent review:

"Excellent course! I was looking for an introductory course to accounting and finance as I am an investor in early stage startups, and accounting/finance always seems to be an area which is confusing for founders. Chris Benjamin definitely has used his real world experience and education to create a course which teaches entrepreneurs and startups everything they should know from the start about accounting and finance. Kudos!" - JT Lexington, Maven Capital


What Do You & I Cover In This Course?

This course teaches entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses all things business accounting and entrepreneurial finance related, A to Z.  Starting with an introduction to accounting concepts, we move into financial reports and how to create them, understand them and analyze them.  Bookkeepers, Accountants, CFO's and Business Owners alike would all benefit from this course. 

Next, we learn about budgeting and forecasting.  Next we discuss growing your company, how to understand and analyze it using non conventional reports. 

After growing your company, we talk about raising capital and what is involved and avenues you can take.  One section is devoted to the initial public offering process and the timing, costs and best business practices involved.

Last, we discuss exit strategies and how to give your investors and yourself a payoff for your hard work.

This course is truly a start to finish of accounting and finance.  At over 12 hours long, I wanted to make sure you will feel empowered and educated after taking the course. 


I Will Help You Throughout The Course!

At any point during the course if you are confused or need clarification, send me a message! I'm here to help YOU the student, and I love interacting with you.  I've been in accounting & finance over 20 years and can most likely answer your question. 

I have also included a copy of my ebook "Fund Your Startup by Chris Benjamin" which you will find as a download in the last lecture.  Learn your options for funding, where to find investors, how to wow them, and lastly the must do steps to successful funding!


*** CLICK "BUY NOW" AND LEARN FINANCE & ACCOUNTING EASILY FROM AN ACCOUNTING EXPERT ***



About The Instructor

Chris Benjamin, MBA & CFO is a seasoned professional with over 25 years experience in accounting and finance.  Having spent the first 10 years of my career in corporate settings with both large and small companies, I learned a lot about the accounting process, managing accounting departments, financial reporting, external reporting to board of directors and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and working with external auditors.  

The following 10+ years I decided to go into CFO Consulting, working with growing companies and bringing CFO level experience to companies.  I help implement proper best business practices in accounting and finance, consult on implementation of accounting systems, implementing accounting procedures, while also still fulfilling the CFO roll for many of my clients which includes financial reporting, auditing, working with investors, financial analysis and much more.  

Thank you for signing up for this course on Udemy. I look forward to being your instructor for this course and many more!

Chris Benjamin, Instructor, CFO & MBA


Who this course is for:
  • Startups
  • Small Business
  • Entrepreneurs
  • CEO's
  • CFO's
  • Accountants
  • Bookkeeper
  • And anyone else who wants to learn more about accounting and finance
Featured review
Cheryl Erickson
Cheryl Erickson ( 257 courses, 44 reviews )
a year ago
Basic accounting and how to read the reports were necessary, but learning about forecasting and budgeting made me realize what was important in the future. I have a good idea now on what I need to explore further and also how to use the accounting reports.
Course content
Expand all 80 lectures 08:24:42
+ – Introduction to the Course
3 lectures 28:23
Accounting and Finance for Startups introductory video.  Learn about your instructor Chris Benjamin from Rogue CFO Consulting, what topics will be covered, and the goals of the course. 
Introduction to the Course
Preview 07:57
Udemy Course Review System
02:09
Excel Basics - Formatting, Reports and Charts
18:17
+ – Accounting 101
9 lectures 01:30:30
A worksheet which the student should print out before reviewing the section.  Contains important terminology, a section for notes, 3 questions related to the section, and an area to write down questions to ask the teacher.
Section 2 Worksheet
1 page
The common accounting and finance terms used in the business world are discussed and defined.
Terminology
17:23
The fundamentals of accounting are debits and credits.  Learn the typical classification of financial report items, experience some examples and also learn when the debits and credits may reverse.
Debits & Credits
05:37
A discussion about current and long term assets and the defining features of each.
Assets
Preview 06:43
The liability section of the Balance Sheet is discussed, breaking out current and long term liabilities, the types of sub categories that fall under these headings, and what type of transactions would be considered liabilities.  
Liabilities
07:29
A discussion of the multiple line items in the Equity section of a balance sheet, how the P&L is tied to the Equity Section through Retained Earnings, how to classify company buy-back of stock, and what the Equity section represents to owners. 
Equity
20:01
A discussion of the types of revenue, how it is generated, and the associated direct costs whether they are goods or services. 
Revenue & Cost of Revenue
08:46
A discussion of the classification of expenses, how they are usually broken out on a financial statement, and other possibilities for major groupings of expenses beyond the standard ones. 
Expenses
08:29
A discussion about fixed assets, intangible assets, and how to properly depreciate and amortize the cost of them over their useful life.  
Accounting for Fixed & Intangible Assets
16:02
+ – Cost Accounting - Inventory
7 lectures 41:01
A worksheet which the student should print out before reviewing the section.  Contains important terminology, a section for notes, 3 questions related to the section, and an area to write down questions to ask the teacher.
Section 3 Worksheet
1 page
An introduction to cost accounting, its purpose, and its components. 
Introduction to Cost Accounting
Preview 06:47
A description of what is direct labor, how it is calculated and how it is applied to the total cost of a finished good, along with a few examples.
Direct Labor
07:09
A discussion of direct materials, how the costs are determined as well as standard costing for materials. 
Direct Materials
06:07
A discussion of what are overhead costs, how to accumulate them and how to then allocate them as part of cost accounting. 
Overhead & Indirect Costs
08:02
A discussion of how inventory moves through the system and balance sheet, how to best track it, and how to verify your physical inventory to your accounting software count. 
Inventory Accounting
12:56
A simple summary of cost accounting - 3 major areas of input create the final cost for the finished good.
Summary of Inventory Accounting
1 page
+ – Financial Statement Preparation
6 lectures 32:41
A worksheet which the student should print out before reviewing the section.  Contains important terminology, a section for notes, 3 questions related to the section, and an area to write down questions to ask the teacher.
Section 4 Worksheet
1 page
A description of how to prepare a balance sheet, the header, sections and what periods to compare.
Balance Sheet Preparation
08:07
A discussion of the income statement, the sections included, and how to best present the report.
Income Statement Prepartion
06:37
A discussion of how to prepare a statement of cash flows, the main categories, the types of transactions which would impact the statement of cash flows, and some best business practices. 
Statement of Cash Flows Preparation
12:28
A discussion of the Statement of Equity, how to prepare, the main sections, and its purposes. 
Statement of Equity Preparation
05:29
Sample financial statements for a public company.  The sample is from BSQR (Bsquare Corporation) which can be found on the Securities and Exchange Commissions website under the EDGAR system, where all public companies file their reports and financials.  Note that BSQR has both service and software sales, much like the examples in the course. 
Sample of Completed Financial Statements
4 pages
+ – Analyzing Financial Statements
5 lectures 28:39
A worksheet which the student should print out before reviewing the section.  Contains important terminology, a section for notes, 3 questions related to the section, and an area to write down questions to ask the teacher.
Section 5 Worksheet
1 page
A discussion of the sections of the Balance Sheet, how to think of them from an analysis perspective, and various ratios you can use to interpret the numbers. 
Balance Sheet Analysis
11:06
A discussion of how to analyze an Income Statement section by section, as well as using ratios to analyze. 
Income Statement Analysis
12:00
A discussion of how to use the information on the Statement of Cash Flow for analysis as well as what ratio analysis can be performed. 
Statement of Cash Flow Analysis
05:33
A list of common financial statement analysis ratios.
Summary of Financial Ratios
1 page
+ – Audited Financials
6 lectures 20:07
A worksheet which the student should print out before reviewing the section.  Contains important terminology, a section for notes, 3 questions related to the section, and an area to write down questions to ask the teacher.
Section 6 Worksheet
1 page
A discussion of what to consider and how to go about hiring an audit firm. 
How to Hire an Audit Firm
06:47
A discussion of how a company audit works from the auditors perspective, their requirements and what their job is as independent auditors. 
From the Auditors Perspective
05:08
A discussion of how a typical audit engagement works, the items requested, as well as both onsite and post audit information. 
The Audit Process
08:12
Sample Prepared by Client List
4 pages
A sample of an audit letter issued after the auditor has completed.  
Sample Auditor Letter
1 page
+ – Additional Financial Reporting
7 lectures 20:52
A worksheet which the student should print out before reviewing the section.  Contains important terminology, a section for notes, 3 questions related to the section, and an area to write down questions to ask the teacher.
Section 7 Worksheet
1 page
A discussion of the Waterfall Report and its uses in startup and small businesses
Waterfall Reports
05:27
Review of Waterfall Report
05:07
Sample of a Waterfall report, showing the original budget line, along with a revised line for January after the actual results have come in.  This allows for you to see how you revised each months forecast based on actual results.  This cascades downwards for each subsequent month. 
Sample Waterfall Report
1 page
An overview of a budget vs. actual report, its purpose and the format. 
Budget to Actual Results
04:19
Review of Budget to Actual
05:59
A sample comparison of actual results to the budget, along with the variance shown. 
Sample Budget to Actual
1 page
+ – Budgets and Forecasts
8 lectures 46:39
A worksheet which the student should print out before reviewing the section.  Contains important terminology, a section for notes, 3 questions related to the section, and an area to write down questions to ask the teacher.
Section 8 Worksheet
1 page
A discussion of budgeting concepts to consider when building a budget. 
Budgeting General Concepts
08:36
A discussion of how to build a proper Assumptions tab & link it to the financials you are building in your budget or forecast. 
Assumptions
06:25
A discussion of the best business practices when doing an income statement forecast and what logic to build into each section on the report. 
Income Statement Forecasting
07:51
A discussion of how to forecast the Balance Sheet. 
Balance Sheet Forecasting
05:42
A discussion about the proper way to forecast a Statement of Cashflow. 
Statement of Cash Flow Forecasting
06:06
Review of Forecast
Preview 11:59
A sample financial model, with each tab broken out as its own PDF file.  This would be a typical forecast/model that includes a central Assumptions Tab, with all other financial reports being driven by the assumptions. Note that this forecast was done for 3 years. 
Sample Forecast
3 pages
+ – Raising Capital
12 lectures 46:32
A worksheet which the student should print out before reviewing the section.  Contains important terminology, a section for notes, 3 questions related to the section, and an area to write down questions to ask the teacher.
Section 9 Worksheet
1 page
A discussion of where to begin the process to raising capital for your company, what documents to prepare and where to think about looking for potential investors. 
Where to Begin
07:38
A discussion about the methods to calculate valuation, how each of them works, and what is best for a small business or startup. 
How to Determine Valuation
07:52
A sample valuation done for a company to show possible investors what the companies estimated valuation was.  
Sample of a Valuation Report
3 pages
A discussion of different ways to find potential investors, as well as a discussion of pitfalls to avoid. 
Avenues to Potential Investors
09:09
A discussion of the process which is typical to raise capital from start to finish. 
The Investment Process
07:45
The Investment Process Overview
1 page
A discussion of best business practices when presenting to potential investors, as well as some potential pitfalls to avoid. 
Presenting to Investors
Preview 05:34
The most important slides to include in your investor presentation
Investor Presentation Template
13 pages
A discussion of Term Sheets, what standard terms are usually included, things to watch for, and recommendations on how to negotiate a term sheet. 
Term Sheets
Preview 04:16
An example of a full Term Sheet used by investors.
Term Sheet Sample
17 pages
A discussion of what to consider after your company receives funding.  Board meetings, additional reporting and the capitalization table are discussed.
Post-Funding: What to Consider
04:18
+ – Exit Strategies
6 lectures 25:43
A worksheet which the student should print out before reviewing the section.  Contains important terminology, a section for notes, 3 questions related to the section, and an area to write down questions to ask the teacher.
Section 10 Worksheet
1 page
A summary and introduction of the various exit strategies which will be discussed individually. 
Types of Exit Stratgies
Preview 03:36
Exit Strategies Overview
3 pages
A discussion of what a merger and an acquisition are, when they are most appropriate, and some examples. 
Mergers and Acquisitions
Preview 09:30
A discussion of a Management Buyout, how it works and why a company would use this as an exit strategy. 
Management Buy Out
Preview 06:10
A discussion of what a secondary market is, how they operate, and their purpose in exit strategies. 
Secondary Markets
06:27