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Basics of Business Accounting
Rating: 4.6 out of 5(1,583 ratings)
5,128 students

Basics of Business Accounting

A practical introduction to accounting, financial statements, and business decision-making
Last updated 5/2026
English

What you'll learn

  • The ability to understand and interpret financial statements
  • Balance Sheets, Income Statements, Cash Flow Statements and Statements of Owners' Equity
  • The fundamentals of accrual accounting
  • Key accounting concepts such as Depreciation, the Fundamental Accounting Equation, Revenue Recognition, Assets, Liabilities, and much more.
  • Terminology like SG&A, Amortization, Unearned Revenue, Current and Non- Current Liabilities, Fixed Assets, and much more.

Course content

1 section27 lectures2h 35m total length
  • Introduction4:39

    An introduction to the Basics of Business Accounting

  • Getting Started2:09

    An overview of the entire series

  • The Economic Entity Principle4:01

    Explain the nature of economic entities and why understanding them is critical t the foundation of accounting.

  • The Balance Sheet, Pt 112:22

    An introduction to balance sheets including explanations of assets, liabilities, and owners' equity, and a special section on unearned revenue.

  • The Balance Sheet, Pt 21:52

    Start building a Balance Sheet.

  • The Balance Sheet, Pt 37:46

    An explanation of the Fundamental Accounting Equation

  • The Double Entry Bookkeeping System3:17

    Meet the Luca Pacioli, and learn why he's honored with the moniker "The Father of Accounting".

  • The Double Entry Bookkeeping System Explained (Optional Video)10:08

    A further explanation of debits, credits and the double entry bookkeeping system.

  • The Balance Sheet, Pt 39:30

    An explanation and examples of current and non-current assets.

  • Depreciation and Amortization7:11

    What are depreciation and amortization, how are they alike, and how are they different.

  • The Balance Sheet, Pt 42:40

    Wrapping up the assets side of the balance sheet.

  • The Balance Sheet, Pt 53:59

    An explanation and examples of current and non-current liabilities.

  • The Balance Sheet, Pt 614:05

    An explanation of the owners' equity portion f the balance sheet, and a look at an actual balance sheet from a publicly held company.

  • Balance Sheets
  • The Income Statement, Pt 16:24

    What the heck is an Income Statement?  The answer to that burning question, and much, much more.

  • The Income Statement, Pt 28:25

    Net Sales, COGS, SG&A, Depreciation expense and more.

  • The Income Statement, Pt 33:54

    Other Income, Gain/Loss, EBIT, net interest and more.

  • The Income Statement, Pt 49:09

    Common-sized statements, net earnings and interpreting Income Statements.

  • The Income Statement
  • The Cash Flow Statement, Pt 11:47

    CASH.  Where is came from and where it went.

  • The Cash Flow Statement, Pt 26:58

    The connection between the Income Statement and the Balance Sheet.

  • The Cash Flow Statement, Pt 32:32

    Building an Income Statement: Operating, Investing and Financing.

  • The Cash Flow Statement, Pt 45:13

    Cash from operating activities.

  • The Cash Flow Statement, Pt 51:43

    Cash from investing activities.

  • The Cash Flow Statement, Pt 64:10

    Cash from financing activities.

  • The Cash Flow Statement
  • The Statement of Owners' Equity10:36

    The Statement of Owners' Equity: How changes to the owners' equity portion of the balance sheet are tracked.

  • Where to go from here?4:42

    Resources to aid your further education in accounting principles and practice

  • Conclusion3:00
  • Bonus Lecture3:15

Requirements

  • Basic math skills
  • General knowledge of service or manufacturing organizations
  • Analytical approach to problem solving
  • Desire to learn the fundamentals of business accounting

Description

Basics of Business Accounting introduces the essential accounting and financial concepts that drive business decision-making in virtually every industry.

Designed for non-finance professionals, this course explains accounting in practical, straightforward language without assuming prior accounting experience. Whether you work in manufacturing, engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, project management, or general business, understanding accounting fundamentals can dramatically improve your ability to make informed business decisions.

Throughout this course, you will learn how to understand, interpret, and apply the Four Main Financial Statements:

  • Balance Sheet

  • Income Statement

  • Cash Flow Statement

  • Statement of Owners’ Equity

You will also learn foundational accounting concepts including:

  • The Fundamental Accounting Equation

  • Accrual Accounting

  • Revenue Recognition

  • Depreciation and Amortization

  • Assets and Liabilities

  • Cash Flow

  • Double-Entry Accounting Fundamentals

  • Current vs. Non-Current Assets and Liabilities

  • SG&A and other common financial terminology

This course was built specifically for professionals who need accounting literacy, not necessarily a career in accounting. The goal is to help you become more confident reading financial information, communicating with finance teams, and understanding the business impact of operational and management decisions.

Whether you are reviewing budgets, managing projects, evaluating performance metrics, supporting operational improvements, or preparing for leadership responsibilities, a working understanding of accounting is an essential professional skill.

The course is taught through clear voice-over presentations, practical explanations, visual examples, and quizzes designed to reinforce learning without unnecessary complexity.

Read what students have said about Basics of Business Accounting:

  • "Ray has done a great job by teaching a robust approach to accounting that has ranged from its history to practical development and application." - Dion B.

  • "Using simple real life example to teach accounting to a non-accounting audience" - Anish J.

  • "This class was very good. Love the balance sheet and income statement. Thank you so much for your time." - Leavon R.

  • "It's a good review of accounting basics. A good refresher from my accounting class from years ago." - Kris S.

  • "For someone who has very little experience, the material is presented in a way that is very easy to understand." - Laura H.

  • "I really enjoyed this class. Ray makes understanding concepts which I typically struggle with seem easy. I would highly recommend taking this class if you want to learn the basics of accounting." - Deanna G.

When you enrolled in Basics of Business Accounting, you get LIFETIME ACCESS to the course contents, including any lectures or content I might add in the future, and Q&A access to the instructor through the Udemy platform.

If you are ready to start building practical accounting and financial literacy skills that support better business decision-making, then enroll today and get started.

Who this course is for:

  • Manufacturing Engineers, Quality Engineers, Industrial Engineers, Process Engineers, Reliability Engineers
  • Operations Managers, Production Supervisors, Plant Managers, Manufacturing Managers, Engineering Managers
  • Continuous Improvement Specialists, Lean Six Sigma Practitioners, Supply Chain Analysts, Purchasing Managers, Production Planners
  • Project Managers, Program Managers, Operations Analysts, Business Analysts, Cost Analysts
  • Maintenance Managers, Technical Team Leaders, Manufacturing Supervisors, Operations Supervisors, Quality Managers
  • Small Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Technical Sales Professionals, MBA Students, Non-Finance Managers