Module 1: Financial Analysis & Planning
Welcome to Module 1! This module takes you from reading raw financial data to producing investor-ready summaries through seven hands-on lessons.
What You'll Build
By the end of this module, you'll have:
- Analyzed real financial statements and identified key metrics
- Built a complete 12-month budget projection
- Stress-tested your assumptions with multi-scenario modeling
- Compared planned vs. actual performance with variance analysis
- Created polished financial summaries for different audiences
Lesson Overview
| Lesson | Skill | Real-World Application |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Introduction | Setting up your financial analysis workspace |
| 1.2 | Reading Financial Data | Understanding any P&L, balance sheet, or cash flow statement |
| 1.3 | Building a Budget | Creating projections your team can actually use |
| 1.4 | Scenario Planning | Preparing for best-case, worst-case, and everything between |
| 1.5 | Variance Analysis | Explaining why results differ from the plan |
| 1.6 | Financial Summaries | Communicating numbers to investors and leadership |
| 1.7 | Wrap-up | Building your ongoing financial toolkit |
How to Take This Module
- Open your AI assistant with the course folder loaded
- Start with lesson 1.1 and work through sequentially
- Each lesson builds on the previous one
- Complete the exercises — the hands-on practice is where the learning happens
Time Commitment
- Total time: 2-3 hours
- Per lesson: 15-25 minutes
- Flexible: Stop and resume anytime
Ready? Start with lesson 1.1 to set up your financial context and get oriented.