Business and Finance

1. Financial Knowledge

• Key Topics:
  1. Understanding financial statements (e.g., balance sheet, income statement).
  2. Financial ratios and metrics like P/E ratio, gross profit margin, and asset turnover.
  3. Basic valuation techniques (e.g., Dividend Discount Model, CAPM).
  4. The time value of money and its applications.
  5. Risk types: market risk, credit risk, and liquidity risk.
  6. Familiarity with financial instruments like bonds, options, and callable securities.
• Skills:
  1. Ability to calculate ratios and interpret financial data.
  2. Understanding the purpose and structure of financial models.

2. Business Fundamentals

• Key Topics:
  1. Strategic frameworks like SWOT analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, and the BCG matrix.
  2. Business structures (e.g., LLC, partnerships, corporations).
  3. Product lifecycle stages and strategies (e.g., differentiation, cost leadership).
  4. Marketing concepts such as pricing strategies and CRM (Customer Relationship Management).
  5. Corporate governance principles.
• Skills:
  1. Analyzing case studies for practical application of strategies.
  2. Understanding organizational goals and decision-making processes.

3. Economics Basics

• Key Topics:
  1. Inflation measurement tools like CPI.
  2. Supply and demand fundamentals.
  3. Economic principles like Say’s Law and Keynesian theory.
  4. Understanding fiscal and monetary policy impacts.
• Skills:
  1. Relating economic indicators to business performance.
  2. Interpreting market trends and their financial implications.

4. Project and Operations Management

• Key Topics:
  1. Concepts of lean management and Six Sigma.
  2. Project planning tools like critical path analysis.
  3. Integration strategies (vertical and horizontal).
• Skills:
  1. Breaking down processes for optimization.
  2. Identifying risks and inefficiencies in operations.

5. Investment and Portfolio Management

• Key Topics:
  1. Diversification, risk-return trade-off, and portfolio management principles.
  2. ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) factors in investments.
  3. Basics of hedge funds and valuation of financial assets.
• Skills:
  1. Evaluating investment opportunities using financial models.
  2. Applying metrics like WACC and beta to assess risks.