468 Practical Accounting courses

Duration 2 Days 12 CPD hours Overview What's New in This Guide? Automatic Payment Reminders for open customer invoices Ability to automatically include the PO# (purchase order number) to Invoice Emails Able to combine multiple emails which allows you to attach multiple sales or purchasing documents to a single email Quickly locate a company file using the new company file search feature Smart Help is an improved search experience that includes access to live experts through messaging and call back options This course covers all features that are in QuickBooks Pro and Premier 2020 and prepares you for the QuickBooks Certified User exam. This course combines all topics in the two 1 day courses ?Get Started with QuickBooks 2020 for Windows? and ?Keep Going with QuickBooks 2020 for Windows?. First-time QuickBooks users will learn the basic features of the software. Experienced QuickBooks users will quickly learn the new features and functionality of QuickBooks 2020. Getting Started Starting QuickBooks Setting QuickBooks Preferences Components of the QuickBooks Operating Environment Using QuickBooks Help Identifying Common Business Terms Exiting QuickBooks Setting Up a Company Creating a QuickBooks Company Using the Chart of Accounts Working with Lists Creating Company Lists Working with the Customers & Jobs List Working with the Employees List Working with the Vendors List Working with the Item List Working with Other Lists Managing Lists Setting Up Inventory Entering Inventory Ordering Inventory Receiving Inventory Paying for Inventory Manually Adjusting Inventory Selling Your Product Creating Product Invoices Applying Credit to Invoices Emailing Invoices Setting Price Levels Creating Sales Receipts Invoicing for Services Setting Up a Service Item Changing the Invoice Format Creating a Service Invoice Editing an Invoice Voiding an Invoice Deleting an Invoice Entering Statement Charges Creating Billing Statements Processing Payments Displaying the Open Invoices Report Using the Income Tracker Receiving Payments for Invoices Making Deposits Handling Bounced Checks Working with Bank Accounts Writing a QuickBooks Check Voiding a QuickBooks Check Using Bank Account Registers Entering a Handwritten Check Transferring Funds Between Accounts Reconciling Checking Accounts Entering and Paying Bills Handling Expenses Using QuickBooks for Accounts Payable Using the Bill Tracker Entering Bills Paying Bills Entering Vendor Credit Memorizing Transactions Entering a New Memorized Transaction Editing a Memorized Transaction Deleting a Memorized Transaction Grouping Memorized Transactions Using a Memorized Transaction Printing the Memorized Transaction List Customizing Forms Creating a Custom Template Modifying a Template Printing Forms Using Other QuickBooks Accounts Other QuickBooks Account Types Working with Credit Card Transactions Working with Fixed Assets Working with Long-Term Liability Accounts Using the Loan Manager Creating Reports Working with QuickReports Working with Preset Reports Sharing Reports Exporting Reports to Microsoft Excel Printing Reports Creating Graphs Creating QuickInsight Graphs Using QuickZoom with Graphs Working with the Sales Graph Customizing Graphs Printing Graphs Tracking and Paying Sales Tax Using Sales Tax in QuickBooks Setting Up Tax Rates and Agencies Indicating Who and What Gets Taxed Applying Tax to Each Sale Determining What You Owe Paying Your Tax Agencies Preparing Payroll with QuickBooks Using Payroll Tracking Setting Up for Payroll Setting Up Employee Payroll Information Setting Up a Payroll Schedule Writing a Payroll Check Printing Paycheck Stubs Tracking Your Tax Liabilities Paying Payroll Taxes Preparing Payroll Tax Forms Using the EasyStep Interview Using the EasyStep Interview Using Online Banking Setting Up an Internet Connection Setting Up Bank Feeds for Accounts Viewing, Downloading, and Adding Online Transactions Creating Online Payments Transferring Funds Online Canceling Online Payments Managing Company Files Using QuickBooks in Multi-user Mode Setting Up Users and Passwords Setting a Closing Date Sharing Files with an Accountant Updating QuickBooks Backing Up and Restoring a Company File Condensing a Company File Estimating, Time Tracking, and Job Costing Creating Job Estimates Creating an Invoice from an Estimate Displaying Reports for Estimates Updating the Job Status Tracking Time Displaying Reports for Time Tracking Tracking Vehicle Mileage Displaying Vehicle Mileage Reports Displaying Other Job Reports Writing Letters Using the Letters and Envelopes Wizard Customizing Letter Templates

This course is designed specifically to help improve your collection rates. The UK's leading trainer in the subject uses practical examples and case studies to show how to use debt collection techniques that really work. This programme will help participants to: Understand debtors and communicate with them effectively Improve their telephone and writing skills Appreciate the key legal issues Track down 'gone-aways' Improve their collection rates 1 Giving credit and collecting debts The benefits when you get it right The cost of getting it wrong 2 Analysing yourself The importance of making the right 'first impression' Assessing your own personal communication style and how this affects your results How do you (or might you) look in the debtor's eyes? What would you like to change? 3 Analysing your debtors Types of debtorThe delaying debtorThe genuine debtorThe cashflow or hardship problem debtorThe ones who never intended to pay Spot the most common reasons and excuses for non-payment - and learn how to deal with them 4 Understanding debt recovery and the law Data protection issues County Court suing enforcement methods Human rights and debt recovery Retention of title matters 5 Telephone skills for debt recovery A 7-point plan which works every time Learning by example: listening to and analysing some pre-recorded (or live) collection callsWhat was done well?What should have been done differently?Did the collector recognise opportunities?Did the collector create opportunities where seemingly none existed?Did the collector negotiate well or not at all? 6 Writing skills for debt recovery Key phrases to avoid What to include A sample letter which gets results in over 90% of cases 7 Tracking down the 'gone aways' A unique debtor-tracing plan Why spend money on external tracers when you can find those 'gone away' debtors for yourself? 8 Course review The traps to avoid Key personal learning points

Businesses that don't control their costs don't stay in business. How well are you doing? Is everyone in your organisation sufficiently aware of costs, managing them effectively and maximising opportunities to reduce them? If there is scope for improvement, this course will help get you back on track. It will demonstrate that cost reduction is so much more than cost control and cost cutting. True cost management is about being aware of costs, seeking to reduce them through good design and efficient operating practices whilst taking continuing action on overspending. This course will develop the participants' skills in: Being aware of costs at all times Seeking cost reduction from the start (including life-cycle costing) Appraising projects / production to identify and take out risk Understanding real budgeting Using techniques such as ZBB and ABC where appropriate Ensuring cost reports lead to action Managing a cost reduction process that delivers Benefits to the organisation will include: Identification of cost reduction and business improvement opportunities Better reporting and ownership of costs Greater awareness and control of everyday costs 1 Introduction - the cost management process The risks of poor cost control Capital and revenue costs The importance of cost awareness The importance of cost reduction Cost management - the key aspects How to build a cost management and control process checklist for your areas of responsibility 2 Cost removal - taking out costs Cost awareness Costs of poor design / poor processes Value engineering Removing redundant costs 3 The need for commercial, technical and financial appraisals Understand the problems before cash is committed and costs incurred Making the effort to identify commercial and technical risk The time value of money - DCF techniques for long term projects Cost models for production processes and projects Costing models - project appraisals The use of spreadsheets to identify sensitivity and risk How to focus on risk management 4 Budgeting - proper budgeting challenges costs The philosophy of the business - are costs an issue? The importance of having the right culture The need for detailed business objectives Budgetary control measures Designing budget reports - for action 5 Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) - the principles Much more than starting with a clean sheet of paper What ZBB can achieve The concept of decision packages - to challenge business methods and costs Only necessary costs should be incurred A review of an operating budget - demonstrating what ZBB challenges and the costs it may lead to being taken out 6 Awareness of overheads and other costs Definitions of cost - direct and indirect Dealing with overheads - what is meant by allocation, absorption or apportionment? The apparent and real problems with overheads Different ways of dealing with overheads Review of overhead allocation methods and accounting and reporting issues 7 Overheads and product costing Activity-based costing (ABC) - the principles Where and how the ABC approach may be helpful Know the 'true' cost of a product or a project Should you be in business? Will you stay in business? Identifying weaknesses in a traditional overhead allocation How ABC will help improve product or service costing Identifying which products and activities should be developed and which abandoned 8 Cost reduction culture The need for cost reports What measures can be used to identify over-spends as early as possible Cost control performance measures and ratios 9 Design of cost control reports Reports should lead to action and deliver Selecting cost control measures which can be acted upon Practice in designing action reports 10 Course summary - developing your own cost action plan Group and individual action plans will be prepared with a view to participants identifying their cost risks areas and the techniques which can be immediately applied to improve costing and reduce costs

Where should management effort be directed? In controlling costs and ensuring proper engineering in live projects? - yes, of course, but true cost control comes by understanding, eliminating and minimising risk prior to a business committing any funds. This course studies the stages required for practical financial and business appraisals of projects and capital expenditure. This course has two primary objectives: To impart the knowledge and skills required to ensure as risk-free as possible expenditure of that scarce resource, cash - the investors', governments' or shareholders' money must not be squandered To improve the quality of the appraisal process in the widest sense - demonstrating how the process of project and capital expenditure appraisal can be used to dramatically improve cost control and deliver as risk-free as possible expenditure As a result of the course, participants will be able to: Understand the economics of appraisal Be in control of their projects from the start Understand the economics of their projects - and devise the most appropriate mode Carry out sensitivity analysis and identify risk Improve their methods of appraisal and approach Focus on the risk areas and take out risk and control costs before they over-run The benefits of attending this course will be demonstrable from day one. Thorough appraisals and risk assessment follow through to success in project management and detailed cost control and project management. 1 Introduction Why appraise? Taking risk out of investment The short- and long-term results of not appraising business expenditure 2 Developing an appraisal process The process - overall and stage-by-stage objectives Understand business and technical risks Manage resources and time Do you invest enough time and effort at this stage? Take out the risks - control costs before you are committed to contracts and action Checklists 3 Appraisal arithmetic Review of the arithmetic of appraisalThe time value of moneyThe effects of different interest or required ratesThe effects of inflation (or deflation) in prices and costs Understanding the economics of appraisal is essential 4 Appraisal measures Meaning and use of appraisal measures Identifying the most appropriate measures for your particular business Payback Discounted cash flow measures - NPV and IRR Other measures - FW, AW, Profitability Index The meaning of the measures and their application in practice 5 Cost benefit analysis The effect on decision-making of more intangible benefits Cost benefit analysis Ensuring costs are genuine Measuring intangible benefits Environmental issues Consideration of intangible benefits in the appraisal decision-making process 6 Developing appropriate models Developing models - examples of spreadsheet models and measures for many different situations Modelling investment opportunities - summarising outcomes Sensitivity analysis - identifying, quantifying and taking out risk 7 Developing an appraisal process The process - managing risk from the outset Using the process in risk management, negotiating and project management Take out risk by thoroughly knowing your project - developing your own process

What do engineers and project managers need to know of finance? 'Nothing - leave it to the accountants!' No, no, no! Engineers must be conversant with the terminology and statements that accountants use. Technical expertise in projects, service delivery, production or other areas can only really be harnessed if the managers understand the accounting and reporting that drives businesses. This course gives the necessary understanding to project, production and technical managers. It develops their skills in understanding financial and management accounting. Accountants may not always like it but a major part of their work is to be the 'servants of business' and to gather, compile and present your figures. So you must understand the figures - they belong to you, your processes or projects. There are many reasons for maintaining accurate accounts. This course focuses on the strategic issues (those over-used words) - what figures reveal about the drivers of business and what they reveal about the day-to-day issues that accountants bother you with. The course will enhance your understanding of finance and of the accounting issues which affect your projects, production and technical areas of business. This course will help you: Understand the business world in figures - make sense of what the accountants are telling you Appreciate what drives business - and how this affects your role in your part of the business Relate your activities to the success of the business - through figures Gain the skills to advance in management - financial awareness is a 'must have' if you are to progress in your career 1 What do accountants do? The finance function, types of accountant, financial v management accounting and the treasury function Understanding the role of the finance function and how the information you provide may be used 2 The basic financial statements Balance sheets and income statements (P&L accounts) What they are, what they contain and above all what they can reveal - how to read them The accounting process - from transactions to financial statements What underpins the statements - accounting systems and internal controls 3 Why be in business - from a financial perspective The driving forces behind financial information Performance measures - profitability, asset utilisation, sales and throughput, managing capital expenditure 4 Accounting rules - accounting standards Accounting concepts and the accounting rules: accruals, 'going concern' - substance over form and other 'desirable qualities' Accruals - why the timing of a transaction is so important to the finance function Depreciation and amortisation - the concepts and practice Accounting standards - the role of International Financial Reporting Standards 5 Cash The importance of cash flow - working capital management Cash flow statements - monitoring overall cash flows Raising cash - levels of borrowing, gearing Spending cash - an outline of capital expenditure appraisal 6 Budgeting Why budget? - good and bad practice Determining why budgets play a key role and should not be simply an annual ritual Justifying your budgets - the link between the strategic plan and day-to-day budgeting - alignment of company culture Budgets as motivators - the importance of the right culture Techniques to improve budgeting - whether day-to-day or capital budgeting 7 Costing The type and detail of costing very much depends on your business - eg, manufacturing piston rings is quite different from the construction of a power plant Issues with overhead allocation Accounting for R&D 8 Reading financial statements Annual financial statements - why they are produced, what's in them and what you should look for Learning what a set of accounts reveals about a company's current situation, profitability and future prospects 9 Performance measurement - analytical reviews and ratio analysis ROI/ROCE Profitability, margins and cost control Sales - asset turnover Efficiency (asset / stock turnover, debtor / creditor days) 'City' measures Investment (interest / dividend cover, earnings per share, dividend yield)

Finance doesn't have to be a puzzle. And if you want to get anywhere with your career, it had better not be! Whatever your role, you have an impact on the financial wellbeing of the organisation you work for, whether you've got specific financial responsibilities or not. This thoroughly practical, fun and enjoyable one-day workshop will help unpuzzle finance for you. It's an ideal opportunity to master the terminology, get to grips with the concepts, learn how 'the finance department' works and understand the part you play. This course will help participants: Appreciate the role and importance of Finance within organisations Be able to recognise and describe some of the common items and jargon used Identify the elements of the Profit & Loss and the Balance Sheet Understand cashflow Make better decisions Manage budgets 1 Introduction Expectations Terminology Key financial principlesAccrualsConsistencyPrudenceGoing concern 2 The three main financial statements Profit & Loss accountIncomeCost of salesGross profitAdministrative expenses ('overheads')Net profit/(loss) for the financial year (the 'bottom line')P&L format Balance SheetTerminologyFixed AssetsCurrent AssetsCurrent LiabilitiesLong-term LiabilitiesCapitalB/S format Cashflow Statement Financial and management information systems 3 Budgets and forecasts Why budget? Types of budget - incremental or zero-based Budgeting for costs - fixed and variable Budgeting for income An eight point plan for budgeting for your department Case study: Small Brother Ltd Problems and solutions 4 Accruals Accruals - what and why? Prepayments 5 Open forum

An insightful, enjoyable and experiential programme to help you analyse data and information and make a balanced decision based upon sound commercial reasoning. It will enable you to identify options, make decisions and take actions based on a thorough analysis combined with instinct and intuition to make a positive effect on profitability. This programme will help you: Identify ways to analyse data and sort relevant from irrelevant information Develop analytical and numerate thinking, and consider the financial implications of a decision Make decisions based on sound commercial reasoning - a mix of intuition and analysis Select from a range of tools to analyse a situation and apply these effectively Understand how costs and profits are calculated Use tried-and-tested techniques to manage and control your budgets Appreciate the fundamentals of financial analysis Focus on the bottom line Identify the basics of capital investment appraisal for your business Evaluate results and seek opportunities for improvement to your business 1 The commercial environment What do shareholders and investors want? What do managers want? Profit v non-profit organisations Investor expectations 2 Financial and non-financial information Risk and reward considerations Drivers of commercial decisions 3 Running a business A practical exercise to bring financial statements to life Different stakeholder interests in a business The impact and consequences of decisions on financial statements 4 Where do I make a difference to the organisation? How can I contribute to an improved business performance? Key performance indicators - measuring the right things A 'balanced scorecard' approach - it's not all about money! 5 A 'balanced scorecard' approach Analysing and reviewing my contribution to the business direction What is the current focus of my commercial decisions? Developing the business in the right way - getting the balance right! Where should/could it be in the future? Do my decisions support the overall vision and strategy? 6 Making commercial decisions Left-brain and right-brain thinking Convergent and divergent thinking Analysis and instinct Interactive case study exercise - emotional and rational decisions Reflection - what is my style of making decisions 7 Let's consider the customer! Identifying target markets Differentiating propositions and products Customer service considerations Marketing considerations and initiatives Pricing strategies and considerations 8 Strategic analysis The external environment The internal environment LEPEST analysis SWOT analysis Forecasting Group activity - analysing markets and the competition How do these improve your decisions? 9 Comparing performance Analysing key financial ratios Ways to compare performance and results Break-even analysis 10 Profit and loss accounts and budgeting Managing income and expenditure The budgeting process How does this link to the profit and loss account? Managing and controlling a cost centre/budget The role of the finance department Different ways of budgeting Incremental budgeting Zero-based budgeting 11 Understanding the balance sheet Purpose of balance sheets Understanding and navigating the content What does a balance sheet tell you? How do you affect your balance sheet? Links to the profit and loss account A practical team exercise that brings financial statements to life 12 Business decisions exercise How does this improve your decisions? A practical exercise to apply new knowledge and bring commercial thinking to to life The impact and consequences of decisions on financial statements 13 Working capital Why is this important? The importance of keeping cash flowing Business decisions that affect cash Calculating profit 14 Capital investment appraisal Capex v Opex Payback Return on investment The future value of money The concept of hurdle rate 15 Lessons learned and action planning So what? Recap and consolidation of learning The decisions that I need to consider Actions to achieve my plan

No-one in business will succeed if they are not financially literate - and no business will succeed without financially-literate people. This is the ideal programme for managers and others who don't have a financial qualification or background but who nonetheless need a greater understanding of the financial management disciplines essential to your organisation. This course will give the participants a sound understanding of financial reports, measures and techniques to make them even more effective in their roles. It will enable participants to: Overcome the barrier of the accountants' strange language Deal confidently with financial colleagues Improve their understanding of your organisation's finance function Radically improve their planning and budgeting skills Be much more aware of the impact of their decisions on the profitability of your organisation Enhance their role in the organisation Boost their confidence and career development 1 Review of the principal financial statements What each statement containsOutlineDetail Not just what the statements contain but what they mean Balance sheets and P&L accounts (income statements) Cash flow statements Detailed terminology and interpretation Types of fixed asset - tangible, etc. Working capital, equity, gearing 2 The 'rules' - Accounting Standards, concepts and conventions Fundamental or 'bedrock' accounting concepts Detailed accounting concepts and conventions What depreciation means The importance of stock, inventory and work in progress values Accounting policies that most affect reporting and results The importance of accounting standards and IFRS 3 Where the figures come from Accounting records Assets / liabilities, Income / expenditure General / nominal ledgers Need for internal controls 'Sarbox' and related issues 4 Managing the budget process Have clear objectives, remit, responsibilities and time schedule The business plan Links with corporate strategy The budget cycle Links with company culture Budgeting methods'New' budgetingZero-based budgets Reviewing budgets Responding to the figures The need for appropriate accounting and reporting systems 5 What are costs? How to account for them Cost definitions Full / absorption costing Overheads - overhead allocation or absorption Activity based costing Marginal costing / break-even - use in planning 6 Who does what? A review of what different types of accountant do Financial accounting Management accounting Treasury function Activities and terms 7 How the statements can be interpreted What published accounts contain Analytical review (ratio analysis) Return on capital employed, margins and profitability Making assets work - asset turnover Fixed assets, debtor, stock turnover Responding to figures EBIT, EBITEDIA, eps and other analysts' measure 8 Other key issues Creative accounting Accounting for groups Intangible assets - brand names Company valuations Fixed assets / leased assets / off-balance sheet finance