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Free Business Finance Course

Name: Business Finance Foundations
Rating: 4.56 (4714 reviews)

Business Finance Foundations

4.56 Beginner level 3.75 learning hrs 133.1K+ Learners

Learn business finance fundamentals, like accounting terms, financial statements, profit and loss statements and cash flow analysis. Join this free business finance course to better interpret business and make financial decisions.

Instructor:

Dr. C P Gupta

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Skills you will gain

Finance Manager Responsibilities Understanding

Financial Decision-Making

Accounting Fundamentals and Transaction Recording

Balance Sheet Preparation and Analysis

Profit and Loss Account Interpretation

Cash Flow Statement Management

Key Highlights

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About this course

This free business finance course gives you a practical foundation in how financial decisions support business performance. You’ll learn the role of a finance manager, core accounting vocabulary, and how accounting is used in a business context to record and interpret transactions. The course also teaches accounting transactions through examples, helping you understand how financial activity is captured and reported. As you progress, you’ll build the skills to read and interpret key financial statements with more clarity and confidence.

You’ll also learn how to analyze the balance sheet, including both assets and liabilities, using Tata Steel as a real company example. The course covers the Profit and Loss Statement and the Cash Flow Statement, including operating, investing, and financing cash flows, so you can understand how a business earns money, manages obligations, and tracks cash movement. By the end of the online business finance course, you’ll be able to understand core financial statements, interpret business performance more effectively, and make better-informed decisions in finance, business, or management roles.

Stand out with an industry-recognized certificate

Start learning

10,000+ certificates claimed, get yours today!

Get noticed by top recruiters

Share on professional channels

Globally recognised

Land your dream job

Course outline

Business Finance Overview – Role of a Finance Manager

Learn the basic responsibilities of a finance manager. This session will walk you through the financial decisions that must be made in order for a firm to run smoothly.

Accounting Vocabulary

In this session, you will become familiar with accounting and its various terms from different perspectives.

Accounting – seen through Business Lens

Understand Accounting and its users in detail. The session will also walk you through the requirements that must be observed when recording transactions in financial statements.

Examples of Accounting Transactions

Understand accounting transactions with a variety of examples in this session. Find out how these transactions will be documented as well.

Balance Sheet of Tata Steel - Asset Side

The session will explain what a balance sheet is and how it works. After you've mastered the fundamentals, you'll be guided through Tata Steel Limited's Balance Sheet to help you grasp the concept. This session will be completely focused on the Asset side of the Balance Sheet.

Balance Sheet of Tata Steel - Liabilities side

This session will lead you to the liabilities section of the balance sheet. With the use of an actual Tata Steel Limited balance sheet, the components will be described. Learn to distinguish between current and noncurrent liabilities.

Profit & Loss Statement

Having understood the Balance sheet, let's move toward the Profit & Loss Account, which is another type of financial statement crucial for the companies. Understand what a Profit & Loss Account is, its components, exceptional items, and how it works.

Cash Flow Statement

You will understand the meaning of “cash flow statement” at the beginning of this module. This module will also take you through its various components, like Cash Flow from Operating Activities, Investing Activities, and Financing Activities, before presenting a sample Cash Flow Statement for your understanding.

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Business Finance Foundations

4.56

3.75 Hours

Beginner

133.1K+ learners enrolled so far

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Trusted by 10 Million+ Learners globally

4.6

4.89

4.94

4.7

Learner reviews of the Free Courses

4.56

★★★★

★ ☆

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73%

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19%

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Mahima Tharani

5.0

★★★★ ★

“Continuous Learning and Growth in Finance”

Business finance involves managing the financial activities of a company, including planning, raising funds, managing investments, and ensuring the business remains financially healthy. It covers various areas like accounting, budgeting, forecasting, investments, and risk management. Financial Planning and Analysis involves budgeting, forecasting, and analyzing financial performance to make informed business decisions. Investment Management includes decisions related to investing company funds to generate returns, including managing stocks, bonds, or other assets.

Vaishnavi Patil

5.0

★★★★ ★

India

“Business Finance Foundation and Balance Sheet”

The Business Finance Foundation course was highly informative, especially in terms of accounting vocabulary, balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and cash flow statements. The clear explanations and practical examples made complex concepts accessible. However, more depth on advanced topics could enhance learning for those with some background in finance.

Bernalyn T. Contreras

5.0

★★★★ ★

Philippines

“Deep Understanding in Finance and Accounting”

It helps students to understand topics they don't quite grasp. The learning material was complete, precise, and easy to understand. The instructor has a clear and loud voice, aiding comprehension. The quizzes and assignments help learners assess their learning throughout the discussion.

Nina Sofia C. Songco

5.0

★★★★ ★

Philippines

“Business Finance Foundation Covers Many Topics”

This lecture helps me understand more about financial statements and their components. Although there are areas for improvement in explanations, I can say that I've learned a lot. It would be helpful if the materials in the videos were provided.

Amina Hazoor Ahmed

5.0

★★★★ ★

“Quality of Instructional Materials”

The clarity of the course material: I found the explanations and examples clear and easy to understand. The practical application of concepts: The course provided real-world scenarios that helped me apply what I learned. The quality of the instructional materials: The textbooks, videos, and other resources were valuable and well-organized.

P PONDINESH

5.0

★★★★ ★

India

“Easily Understandable and Easy to Learn”

The three main types of financial statements are the balance sheet, the income statement, and the cash flow statement. These three statements together show the assets and liabilities of a business, revenues, and costs, as well as its cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities.

Angela Batanes

5.0

★★★★ ★

Philippines

“Easy to Follow Financial Insights”

This course entitled "Business Finance Foundation" has taught me a lot about accounting and finance. It enhanced my understanding of the key concepts regarding this course.

Sumeet Gulia

4.0

★★★ ★ ☆

India

“Knowledge of Financial Statements”

Key Highlights: Clear and Engaging Content: The instructors do an excellent job of breaking down complex financial concepts into simple, digestible explanations. Every lecture is concise and to the point, making it easy to stay engaged throughout the course. Practical Examples: The course is filled with real-world examples, which helped me connect theory to practical applications. The inclusion of case studies gave me the confidence to analyze financial statements for actual businesses. Step-by-Step Guidance: I appreciated the step-by-step approach used to explain the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. The detailed breakdown of each component helped me grasp how they interconnect and reflect the financial health of a company. Interactive Quizzes & Assignments: The quizzes and assignments provided at the end of each module allowed me to test my knowledge and solidify what I had learned. The feedback on assignments was timely and constructive.

celine tong

5.0

★★★★ ★

Singapore

“Engaging and Informative Session for Beginners”

I really appreciated how this course was structured. The curriculum was clear and easy to follow, making it accessible for beginners like me who are eager to learn more about this topic. The combination of well-crafted quizzes, in-depth learning materials, and the instructor's insights helped me grasp complex concepts with ease. The practical examples provided were particularly helpful in understanding how to apply what I learned in real-world scenarios.

AKSHAY TOMAR (MANU)

5.0

★★★★ ★

India

“Business Finance Foundations by Great Learning”

Flexible and Convenient Learning. This course was exactly what I needed! The flexibility to learn at my own pace was perfect for my busy schedule. The platform was easy to navigate, and the material was engaging from start to finish. I appreciated the balance between theory and practical exercises. The certification at the end is a great addition to my resume, and I feel ready to take on new challenges. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone looking to learn new skills while managing a busy life.

Our course instructor

Dr. C P Gupta

Finance

Management Expert

133.1K+ Learners

1 Courses

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I receive a certificate upon completing this free course?

Yes, upon successful completion of the course and payment of the certificate fee, you will receive a completion certificate that you can add to your resume.

Is this course free?

Yes, you may enroll in the course and access the course content for free. However, if you wish to obtain a certificate upon completion, a non-refundable fee is applicable.

What will I learn in this free business finance course?

In this course, you will learn how business finance supports everyday company decisions, what a finance manager does, how accounting terms are used in context, how transactions are recorded, and how to read core financial statements. The curriculum also covers the balance sheet, profit and loss statement, and cash flow statement.

Is this business finance course online free, good for someone without a finance background?

Yes. The course is beginner-level and starts with finance basics, accounting vocabulary, and foundational transaction concepts before moving into financial statements.

If I want to learn business finance online free, how much time should I set aside?

This course contains 3.75 hours of self-paced learning content.

What topics are covered in this course?

The modules covered in this business finance course online free are:

Business Finance Overview – Role of a Finance Manager
Accounting Vocabulary
Accounting – seen through Business Lens
Examples of Accounting Transactions
Balance Sheet of Tata Steel - Asset Side
Balance Sheet of Tata Steel - Liabilities side
Profit & Loss Statement
Cash Flow Statement.

What financial statements are covered in this business finance course online free?

The course teaches three core statements: the balance sheet, the profit and loss statement, and the cash flow statement. Within cash flow, it covers operating, investing, and financing activities.

If I want to learn business finance online free, will this course help me understand balance sheets better?

Yes. Two modules are dedicated to the balance sheet: one focuses on the asset side and one on the liabilities side, including the distinction between current and noncurrent liabilities.

What skills will I build in this course?

The skills you will gain in this free business finance course are:

Finance Manager Responsibilities Understanding
Financial Decision-Making
Accounting Fundamentals and Transaction Recording
Balance Sheet Preparation and Analysis
Profit and Loss Account Interpretation
Cash Flow Statement Management.

Does this business finance course online free include assessments or practice checks?

Yes. The page states that course progress is evaluated with a quiz at the end of each module, so you get regular checks on your understanding as you move through the lessons.

If I want to learn business finance online free for work, how could this course help me on the job?

This course can help you understand business performance, read financial statements with more confidence, and follow finance-related discussions more clearly in business, operations, or management settings. That is an inference from the listed modules and skills.

Is this free business finance course more about accounting or broader business decision-making?

It covers both. The curriculum includes accounting vocabulary and transaction recording, but it also starts with the role of a finance manager and emphasizes financial decisions, statement analysis, and how finance supports business operations

How long does it take to complete this free Business Finance Foundations course?

This free Business Finance Foundations course contains 2.5 hours of video content and a quiz. It's on you how much time you want to take to complete the course. In one go, the course should not take more than 3-4 hours.

Can I sign up for multiple courses from Great Learning Academy at the same time?

Yes, you can sign up for multiple courses from Great Learning Academy at the same time. There is no limit for the same.