Week 9: Finance

The ninth session began with a discussion about the financial considerations that must be considered when beginning a small business or establishing an enterprise. The differences in cash demands between start-up ventures and established enterprises was also covered during the session. Students became familiar with potential sources of funding and the class discussed the role government plays in encouraging and supporting funding for different types of businesses.

During the session, students also reviewed the basics of cash-flow forecasting and the development of profit and loss accounts in preparation for the venture they would undertake as part of planning their own enterprise with their groups. Students worked within their groups for the remainder of the session to consider what costs would be associated with the event they would organize for their second assignment. They also had the opportunity to ask questions of the instructor and strategize within their group how they would successfully forecast and track their cash flows.

Because the students had previously undertaken finance lessons in another module, a challenge for this session was to make the material interesting and keep the students engaged. Since the activities were all applied to a business venture they were currently undertaking, the students were able to link the activities to their second assignment, thus giving the material a fresh spin and keeping the students engaged throughout the session. 

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Click here to view the lecture slides.