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Business Acumen Course (1 day)
Managers who understand how the business makes money and make decisions that improve the whole company's numbers, not just their own department's.
Many capable managers can run their department but cannot say what the company's profit margin is, how their decisions show up in the financial statements or which numbers the board watches. That gap leads to decisions that look sensible locally and hurt the business overall. This business acumen course gives middle and senior managers the big picture: how the organisation makes money, how to read the numbers, and how to judge risk and opportunity.
In one practical day, delegates work through the questions every manager should be able to answer – what earns the money, what last year's sales and costs were, and what margin the business makes. They learn to read an income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement and a handful of key ratios, choose KPIs that measure what matters, and apply a simple risk and critical-thinking process to real business decisions.
Case studies use South African realities – load-shedding, exchange-rate swings, interest-rate changes and tight cash flow – so the thinking transfers straight back to work. Delegates bring their own company's figures where possible and leave with a list of the numbers they will track and a personal action plan.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Managers who connect departmental decisions to profit and cash
- Better-quality proposals, budgets and business cases
- KPIs that measure what matters instead of what is easy to count
- Earlier recognition of risks and growth opportunities
For your delegates
- Confidence reading the three main financial statements
- A short list of the numbers to know about your own business
- A simple process for weighing risk and making decisions
- The language to discuss performance credibly with finance and executives
What delegates will be able to do
- Explain how a decision in one area affects other departments and the business as a whole
- Answer the core questions about how their company makes money: revenue drivers, sales, costs and margins
- Read an income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement and explain the difference between profit and cash
- Calculate and interpret basic ratios such as gross margin, net margin and the current ratio
- Select KPIs that are clearly defined, measurable and linked to business goals
- Assess internal and external risks and decide when to adjust, continue or stop a course of action
- Apply a four-step critical-thinking process to a business decision
- Identify the financial levers within their control – people, communication, process and goal alignment
Who should attend
Middle and senior managers, department heads and specialists moving into management who need a sound commercial understanding of the business. It suits operational, technical, HR and sales managers who are not finance specialists but are expected to manage budgets, propose investments and contribute to strategy.
Course outline
Day 1 – Seeing and managing the whole business
Seeing the big picture
- Short-term and long-term relationships with customers and suppliers
- How one department's decision affects the others
- Spotting growth opportunities
- Being deliberate about decisions
- Case study: a cost saving that cost the business more
How your company makes money
- What earns the money: products, services and customers
- Last year's sales and where they came from
- Gross and net profit margin
- Fixed and variable costs
- The questions every manager should be able to answer
Financial literacy for managers
- Assets, liabilities and equity in plain language
- The income statement
- The balance sheet
- The cash flow statement – and why profitable businesses still run out of cash
- Key ratios: margins, current ratio, debtor days and return on investment
- Practice: reading a sample set of statements
KPIs and financial levers
- Defining the area, the criteria and the measure for each KPI
- Leading and lagging indicators
- Presenting KPIs to management
- Levers you control: investing in people, communication, process improvement and goal alignment
Risk and critical thinking
- Continuous assessment of internal and external factors
- South African risks: power supply, exchange rate, interest rates and regulation
- Making adjustments and corrections
- Knowing when to push ahead and when to stop
- A four-step decision process: question, organise, evaluate, decide
Acumen in management and continuous learning
- Business acumen in talent, change, asset and organisational management
- Reviewing past decisions and spotting blind spots
- Treating problems as learning opportunities
- Personal action plan and evaluation
How it is delivered
One day, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20; examples tailored to your sector on request. Workbook, sample financial statements, case studies and a personal action plan included. Delegates need a calculator. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
★★★★★ 4.8 on Google from 790+ reviews · word-for-word quotes from signed letters of reference, from clients on this and/or related BOTI courses
“The training was practical, engaging and relevant to our workplace environment, providing participants with valuable knowledge and practical skills that could be applied in their respective roles.”
“The facilitator was excellent and took time to ensure that the employee understood the content and was able to apply the learning in order to develop the portfolio of evidence.”
“The facilitator who conducted the training was professional and tailored both the schedule and environment to ensure that learners had a safe space to share authentic, real-life experiences”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa; we can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Do delegates need a finance background?
No. The course starts from first principles and uses plain language. It is designed for managers who are not accountants but need to understand and use the numbers.
Can we use our own company's figures?
Yes. For in-house groups the facilitator can work with your own management accounts or annual financial statements, treated confidentially. Otherwise a realistic sample company is used.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
Related courses
Ask a consultant for a written quote
A BOTI consultant emails you a written quote, usually within 15 minutes (Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00). After hours, we reply on the next working day. To speak to someone now, call 011 882 8853.
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