Finance Essentials for Professionals

Integrate an understanding of financial concepts into your decision-making process to enable yourself to make well-informed choices.

Description

This one-day program is designed to demystify finance for professionals by building practical financial literacy and business acumen that can be applied to more informed, confident decision making at work.

Rather than focusing on formulas or technical accounting detail, participants engage with finance through real-world business scenarios that illustrate how everyday decisions translate into financial outcomes. Participants explore how money flows through an organization, how costs and pricing affect profitability, and how leaders and teams evaluate opportunities using clear, accessible financial tools. Throughout the day, participants will work through a variety of applied examples making the content relevant regardless of role or background.

Audience

This program is ideal for professionals seeking to strengthen their financial understanding and contribute more effectively to organizational decision-making.

Outcome

Participants will walk away with these skills:

  • Translate business activities into financial outcomes
  • Read and interpret basic financial statements, including the Income Statement and Balance Sheet for organizational performance understanding
  • Distinguish between profit and cash flow and explain how cash moves through an operating cycle
  • Understand the impact of pricing, costs, and operational decisions on profitability
  • Use essential financial ratios to assess performance, identify trends, and cash flow health
  • Apply margin, breakeven, and ROI-based thinking to support more informed day-to-day decisions

 

Build Your Own Certificate

Business professionals need a variety of skills and tools to complement their diverse industries and achieve their unique success. Build a certificate from our large list of offerings to match your exact needs!

Description

XLC is proud to offer all working professionals the ability to build their own custom certificate programs by choosing four unique one-day programs that target their specific needs. Participants can focus on business acumen tools, communication skills, or any combination in between! No matter what the selected one-day programs are, professionals will learn and gain tools and skills that can be immediately incorporated into their professional and personal lives.

One-Day Program Options:
Participants select 4 one-day programs offered within the same semester.

Audience

Professionals at any level who want a customized solution for their challenges, obstacles, and areas of improvement.

Venue

Cintas Center
1624 Musketeer Drive
Cincinnati, 45207 United States
+ Google Map
Phone
513-745-1094

Business Acumen Certificate

XLC’s Business Acumen Certificate gives you skills to manage with a strategy that is understood and can be implemented at all levels, along with a strong foundation of how business operates, makes money, and sustains profitable growth.

You will learn tools to effectively manage and engage the workforce. You will gain knowledge in planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the activities of an organization in order to satisfy customers’ needs.

Participants must attend 4 of the following one-day programs within the same semester:

Description

Creative Problem Solving:
This highly-interactive, fun, and fast-paced session provides a framework for understanding and applying tools to meet real business needs. You will walk away from this session with increased confidence to generate creative ideas, techniques to recognize/replace unproductive thinking patterns, and a methodology to foster creative potential and innovation.

Effective Decision Making:
In this fast-paced world, a person’s and their team’s effectiveness in getting things done at work depends on decision-making. How a person manages their time, what meetings they go to, and the work their team focuses on are all based on effective decision-making methods. In this one-day program, participants will explore various ways and methods to make decisions as both an individual and as a leader. Then, the program will focus on how to build a culture of effective decision-making within an organization. Real-world examples and interactive activities will guide discussions and showcase examples of great and not-so-great decision-making skills.

Executing Business Strategy:
In this program, you will learn how to define a business strategy and communicate it to peers, supervisors, and reports. Once participants can capture the elements of a strategy, they will explore the strategy’s execution. Creating a cohesive and comprehensive strategic plan will be guided by the OGSM method while also referencing other approaches. Filled with small and large group exercises, case studies, and concrete examples, participants will be able to immediately identify and advance their organization’s strategy.

Finance Essentials for Professionals:
In this one-day program, you will develop an understanding of key financial documents, how to interpret them, and why they are important. Financial terms and calculations will be explained in a way that makes sense for non-financial business professionals. Finally, you will also be challenged to apply what you learn in class by analyzing how your work and your decisions are related to the overall performance of the company.

Navigating Change at All Levels:
Navigating Change at All Levels goes beyond identifying what change is needed, it explores how change affects people and how individuals at any level can contribute to successful outcomes. This program equips participants with practical tools to assess and manage change, understand their role in the change process, and build action plans to overcome challenges and achieve results.

Storytelling with Data:
Data provides the foundation for making smart and appropriate choices in many contexts. However, it is not unusual for managers to be overwhelmed by the amount of available data within their organization and the marketplace. This session focuses on identifying the relevant business objective or question, assessing what data is needed, and understanding the target audience. Then, participants will discover how to utilize the most applicable data to tell a compelling story that positively impacts the right business choices and outcomes. Participants will also explore the interpretation of data and ensure that data is used accurately and completely.

Time Management and Productivity:
This program aims to provide practical tips, tools, and strategies to help individuals approach their use of time wisely and help managers lead their teams more effectively. Oftentimes, procrastination sets in because a certain task seems daunting or emotionally taxing. Participants will explore ways to manage their energy and mindsets to aid in their productivity. Finally, the program will discuss how accountability is created between managers and their teams, among colleagues, and within oneself.

Audience

Professionals at any level who want to increase their business acumen.

Venue

Cintas Center
1624 Musketeer Drive
Cincinnati, 45207 United States
+ Google Map
Phone
513-745-1094