Fundamentals of Financial Analysis

Whether you're a newbie or have an MBA in Finance, you'll FINALLY "get" the big picture.

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Whether you’re a complete newbie or a seasoned MBA


When You Can Speak the Language of Finance, You Give Yourself an Unfair Advantage in Your Career

When you can not only read financial statements, but provide recommendations, you give yourself unfair advantage in the workplace.

It’s an advantage that can lead to confidence, praise, and promotions. This brand-new course from Leila Gharani of XelPlus will equip you with these critical skills – even if you’ve never taken a single finance or accounting class.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve never had formal training and you think you’re unqualified to analyze financial statements.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re working for an employer, run your own business, or you’re an investor.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a CPA or a finance professional who’s been at this for decades.

Upping your game when it comes to analyzing finances is a critical skill. When you not only understand how money is created, how it flows, and how it multiplies, but can also give recommendations
 you give yourself one of the most valuable – and lucrative -- skills in the world.

Warren Buffett said it best:

“The best investment you can make, is an investment in yourself. The more you learn, the more you’ll earn."

– Warren Buffett.

Imagine any goal you want to achieve:

  • Getting a job as a financial analyst
  • Moving up the corporate ladder
  • Deciding on an investment opportunity
  • Negotiating a loan
  • Finding new opportunities for your clients (and landing betters ones)
  • Starting your own business

If you can’t look at a financial statement and immediately get the story it’s trying to tell you, the likelihood you’ll achieve any of these goals is far too low.

Here at XelPlus, we refuse to let any of our students pursue these goals so ill-equipped.

But what if things were different? What if you could read a financial statement with the same ease you read a menu at your local restaurant?

What if you could not only see the numbers, but understand the story they’re trying to tell you?

Do you think your chances of achieve any these goals will improve?

Of course they will.

When you speak the language of finance, doors open.

Here’s the thing: Anybody can learn to read and analyze financial statements. So then why do so many people struggle in this area?

It’s typically because they’re held back by one of these common myths:

"I took over the Controlling Department and as leader for this department I am also more involved in M&A. After completing the course, I feel a lot more comfortable regarding the explanation of Excel-Formulas and their usage... and also about explaining the financial indicators. I specifically loved the important ratios to analyze financial statements and the explanations for variance and standard deviation. The course brings Finance to life!"

- Chris Rupp

"I was missing many details before I started with the course. I'm now able to make financial statements along with many excel functions."

- Mohamed Mamdouh

"Fantastic course. Great for anyone looking to understand Finance and Accounting or review difficult concepts. I have taken 3 of Leila's courses in the past two years. No other teacher presents difficult concepts in such a straight-forward manner. I recommend all my friends follow Leila and learn from her."

- Rusch Mauzy

3 Common Myths about Financial Analysis

Myth #1 – “I’m not qualified”

The nice thing about money is that it doesn’t care about your background. If you hold a paper bill in your hand, it doesn’t care where you were born, where you went to school, or how much training you’ve had.

All that matters is the decision you make about where to spend (or not spend) that dollar.

If you look at your company’s P&L and discover an urgent problem, do you think your boss will care about your college degree?

Do you need a finance degree to warn your friend that their hot new stock tip is a bad idea?

You don’t need to have the right qualifications or a special diploma to make better decisions about money. It’s about understanding and interpreting the numbers.

Myth #2 – “I don’t work in the finance department”

It’s a myth that you must work in finance to study financial analysis.

Here at XelPlus, my online training company, we attract students from all different professions.

Our ranks are full of:

  • Engineers
  • Lawyers
  • Administrators
  • Researchers
  • Military personnel
  • Software developers
  • HR professionals
  • Management consultants

The list goes on and on.

And yes, we have the “usual suspects” of accountants, controllers, financial analysts, and CFO’s in our student roster, too.

But what does each of these students have in common? For each of them, understanding finances is critical to their career growth.

It’s hard to think of a profession where you wouldn’t benefit from being more financially savvy.

Myth #3 – “There’s nothing new for me to learn”

Be careful because this is a dangerous mindset to adopt. Trust me, I’ve been there before.

After achieving my master’s degree in economics, there were times when I got comfortable. There were times when I stopped pushing myself to learn more. When I failed to explore the unknown.

Each time, I was reminded – often harshly -- of how much I have yet to learn. Even though I run an Excel-based YouTube channel with over 1 million subscribers, I still push myself to learn more. Learning never ends.

Maybe you’re reading this message as a seasoned financial pro. You’ve put in the years and already understand more about finance than 99% of the population.

I’m not going to pretend every module in our new course will be a revelation to you. Much of it will be old material you grasped long ago.

But no matter our skillset, isn’t it wise to occasionally go back and review its basics? Isn’t it likely there were one or two things you missed?

Plus, the tools are always getting better. I’m willing to bet we’ve found some nifty Excel tricks you haven’t yet discovered.

Remember, there is always more to learn. And you never know what even a single new insight will unlock.

Introducing Our Newest Course

Specifically Designed to Help You Analyze Financial Statements Like a Pro (Even if You’re Not One)

Our newest (and highly-awaited) course from XelPlus, called Fundamentals of Financial Analysis, will give you the skills needed to reach the next level in your career.

This no-fluff, easy-to-follow online course will help you:

  • Develop X-Ray vision into your company’s finances, allowing you to see what’s going on behind the scenes
  • Spot oncoming financial emergencies before they happen
  • Predict where your company will be months and even years down the road
  • Use ratios to quickly gauge the health of your company
  • Decide whether to say “yes” or “no” to that new investment opportunity
  • Speak with your higher-ups about finances, impressing them with your fluency (they may even begin asking you questions)
  • Better manage your household finances, leaving you with more money for savings (and fun vacations)

It doesn’t matter if you’ve never read a book or taken a class on finance.

This new course will make you more fluent and more capable in one of our society’s most important arenas – the area of finance & money.

Watch the short video below to see if enrolling in this course makes sense for you.

"I can sum up this course in one word, EXCELLENT! I think this course was a great balance of many different aspects of finance. I came into the course thinking it was a focus on accounting, but it covered so many topics. The course was like taking a mini–Harvard MBA course. I feel that your teaching method was perfect for me; explain, demonstrate and have me practice. I think I learned more in this course than any other course I have taken. It is hard for me to describe how great this course is. I think any person in Finance or in any Business position will come away from this course with a tremendous improvement in knowledge and it will improve the value they will bring to their position."

- Den Constant

"I am a Finance Director with over 20 years of global experience in large multinational companies. I love the clarity and the sequencing of the subjects! I feel very "refreshed" and confident in terms of the finance basics that have been covered, and am excited to start saving hours of manual work thanks to some of the new Excel techniques that I have learnt."

- Remco Heinsdijk

5 Levels to Understanding Financial Analysis


Your Instructor


Leila Gharani
Leila Gharani

My courses & tutorials are for ambitious beginners and professionals who want to upgrade their data analysis skills. If you hate doing things manually, you’ll love my approach.

I don’t just want to show you solutions to specific problems, but to teach you to find solutions to ALL your future data analysis problems.

On my YouTube channel, I share Office Productivity tips & tricks based on questions I get from our online community & professionals at my training sessions.

I am a Certified Microsoft Excel Expert and was given the Microsoft MVP award in 2017. I have over 15 years of experience implementing and training users on Management Information Systems of different sizes and nature - these include SAP BW and Oracle HFM.

My background is: Masters in Economics, Economist, Consultant, Oracle HFM Accounting Systems Expert & Project Manager. My passion is teaching and solving difficult Excel problems. I am also addicted to learning and enjoy taking online courses on a variety of topics.

I founded my online learning company, XelPlus, in 2015. Our aim is to help you gain the knowledge you need so you can create useful tools, solve problems and get more done.

Let's start now.


Which skill do you want to learn most?

In the list below, you’ll find some of the most useful finance skills. If these aren’t yet old habit, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you master them when you follow our course’s over-the-shoulder, step-by-step tutorials.

  • How to reconcile the flow of financial transactions from journal entries to a trial balance
  • How to create and read the main financial statements and how they link
  • How to calculate metrics and ratios to judge financial performance
  • How to improve cash flow by managing your working capital
  • How to prepare Excel so you spend less time doing setup and more time gathering insights
  • How to apply theoretical time value of money concepts to real world projects so you make better decisions
  • Proven techniques for preparing sound forecasts and budgets

But that’s only a taste of what’s included. You can see the entire curriculum below:

 

Course Curriculum



But our comprehensive lessons are only part of what makes this course unique.

We’ve included a few special additions to make sure this isn’t just another online course that collects dust on your computer.

Beam Me Up, Scotty!
Jump into the Topic You Need –
Fast

As a Star Trek fan, I was always in awe at the transporter technology. It blew my mind how Captain Kirk could locate a spot on a nearby planet, then instantly transport his team to that exact location.

I want your experience inside our new course to be just as instantaneous.

Thanks to a new tool we created here in our XelPlus “laboratory,” now, when you want to find a topic, you can do so instantly.

We’ve gone through every second of every lesson and pulled out the key words & topics. Then, we created an interactive agenda which allows to quickly locate exactly what you’re looking for.

Once you find your topic, it’s simply a matter of saying “Beam me up!” (not actually required). Click the link and you’ll instantly be transported to the correct lesson and timestamp.

No more wasting hours searching. Find what you need, then get back to work.

Save Time with These Cheat Sheets

Your workday moves fast. Sometimes you don’t even have a minute to spare. That’s why you’ll love these brand new cheat sheets.

Keep these right beside you at your desk. They may even get more use than your smartphone.

🎁 BONUS: Power Query Mini-Course

You know the saying: “Garbage in, Garbage out.”

The truth is, you can only be confident in your financial statements if you’re confident in the data you feed into them. And if you’re like many people, you’re working with *loads* of financial data.

Enter Power Query. This Excel tool is the best way to clean and organize your data. When you get the hang of Power Query, you’ll win back hours of precious time.

You’ll get our Power Query mini-course as a bonus for enrolling in Fundamentals of Financial Analysis. It will get you started using the tool. You’ll also work with real-world examples of using Power Query to clean accounting and financial data coming from SAP and other common data sources.

(Available 30 days after enrolling)

NEW! Earn CPD credits

I’m excited to announce this course is CPD certified (8 CPD hours). When you complete this course, you’ll have the option to claim your CPD credits. You’ll see the official CPD stamp on your course certificate.

The Continuing Professional Development is a top global accreditation, trusted by companies and industries worldwide.

If CPD credits can help in your career, this isn’t a course to skip.

Get a Certificate of Completion

When you finish the course, you’ll get a certificate of completion. You can send it to your boss, upload it to LinkedIn, or just add it to your own person library of learning achievements.

Ask yourself...

What would even a small improvement in your financial skills be worth over your next five, ten, even twenty years?

How much would having a financial leg up mean for your career?

No, you don’t need to get an MBA and spend $100,000 to learn the most valuable financial analysis skills.

You can learn them from the comfort of your own home. Best of all, you can learn them for a one-time investment of only $179 (ex. VAT).

You'll get:

  • The confidence and rewards that come from being financially savvy
  • Access to our entire 18-module course
  • Lifetime access, so you’re never in a rush to complete a lesson
  • The “Beam Me Up Scotty” topic transporter to quickly find what you need
  • Our collection of financial analysis cheat sheets to keep at your desk
  • Workbooks to help you work through the problems in the videos
  • A comment section to get your questions answered by our staff (how awesome is that?)
  • Credits for CPD
  • English Captions so you can easily follow along each video
  • Quizzes to track how well you understand the concepts
  • Challenges to test your financial brain (move over, Lumosity)
  • The bonus mini-course on Power Query to combine and clean data with ease

You have everything in that list for just $179 (excluding VAT). And again, you never lose access. You can see what a great deal this is.

Ready to take advantage? Click the button below and enroll now.

You can be watching the first lesson in less than five minutes.

 

Is this course right for me?

If you want to learn how to easily apply financial concepts to your daily life, make smart investment decisions, and advance your career or business, Fundamentals in Financial Analysis is for you. Our ideal students fall into one of these categories:

Ambitious Beginners

Is your dream to start a career in corporate finance or the financial services industry? Whether you're a newbie to finance or at the beginning of your career, Fundamentals in Financial Analysis will make sure you get started the right way.

Established Professionals

If you’re ready to deepen your financial knowhow, master new Excel techniques, and advance on the career path, Fundamentals in Financial Analysis will teach you how to fully leverage the language of business.

Can You Afford Not to Have Financial Skills?

Take two people, identical in every way -- except one.

They were born in the same place, went to the same school, and even have the same job at the same company.

The difference? One person committed to studying the world finance, while the other constantly put it off. Who do you think will be ahead in their careers ten years down the road?

If you don’t learn financial analysis from me, please, learn these skills somewhere.

But in this message, I think I’ve made a good argument why our new course is THE best place to get the financial education you need and deserve. Especially given the price and the potential ROI you can achieve.

See you inside the course!

- Leila

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

When does the course start and finish?

You’ll take this course on your own time. It is a completely self-paced online course – so you decide when you start and when you finish.

How long do I have access to the course?

How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.

What if I am unhappy with the course?

We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

What if I have questions about the lessons? Can I get those answered?

Yes! Most online courses leave you on your own, but not here at XelPlus.

We have a team of helpful teaching assistants (TA’s) ready to answer your questions about each lesson. Below each lesson, you’ll find a comment section where you can ask a question about the topic. Our TA’s will chime in and do their best to help you.

I’m a beginner. Will this course be too difficult for me?

Not at all! You can start slow, learning the basis, and then step up your knowledge from there.

If you’re a beginner, I recommend you begin with these lessons:

  • Accounting Core Principles
  • Types of financial statements
  • The Beach Business case study (see how these principles work in the real world)
  • Cash vs. Accrual accounting

Don’t try to bite off everything at once. Master these fundamentals first, and then you’ll have the skill and confidence to move into the more “ninja” topics.

I’m a seasoned pro and already understand the fundamentals. Will I learn anything new?

Good for you! It’s not easy to make it that far in the world of accounting and finance. You’ve clearly worked long and hard to get to this point.

Yes, this course will still benefit you. For two main reasons


First, it’s always a good idea to review the fundamentals. Think back to when you were a beginner and everything was new. Was it possible there was something you missed because you were so overwhelmed with the new information?

This is your chance to go back to the basics, now armed with your experienced eye, and see the basics in a new light.

Second, there is plenty of advanced material for you to chew on. Try these on for size


  • Calculating Payback Period
  • Compound Annual Growth Rate vs. AAGR
  • Mastering Excel’s powerful SUMPRODUCT function
  • Regression analysis

How long do I need to devote to this? I’m extremely busy at work.

Ah, I get it. When I was a project manager in the Finance Department at the paper company, I was working 50 hour weeks. I barely had time for family & fun, let alone spending more time at the computer learning.

First, it’s important to look at the big picture. One hour spent learning a faster way to compile data or generate reports can save you dozens or even hundreds of hours over the course of your career.

Don’t look at this course as an extra time burden. Look at it as a way of giving time back to your future self.

If you’re busy right now, block off just 1-2 hours per week. Surely you can find that in your schedule.

Then look at your calendar. If you have a lighter month coming up, make that “learning month.” Block it off now so nothing takes its place. You might even label this block “Invest in my future self.”

During that lighter time, you might devote 5 to 10 hours per week to doing the course & practicing the new techniques.

Again, each hour spent getting better at financial analysis will yield you at least triple that in your future work.

Any other questions?

Send us an email to [email protected] and a member of my team will get back to you ASAP.

Get started now!