Reading Financial Statements
Balance sheets and income statements in plain language. You'll learn what each line means and which numbers deserve your attention first.
Understanding Financial Ratios Without the Headache
Most people think financial ratios are complicated formulas reserved for accountants. They're actually straightforward tools that show how your business performs. We teach you what matters, not endless theory.
Explore Our Program
Three Core Ratios Everyone Should Know
You don't need to memorize dozens of formulas. These three give you the clearest picture of business health.
Liquidity Ratios
Can you pay bills when they're due? This tells you if there's enough cash available without selling equipment or assets. It's about breathing room in your operations.
Profitability Ratios
Are you actually making money, or just staying busy? These numbers separate revenue from profit and show which activities bring real returns versus which ones drain resources.
Efficiency Ratios
How well do you use what you have? This measures whether inventory sits too long, if customers pay on time, and where money gets stuck in your business cycle.
Learn by Doing, Not Just Reading
We've seen people struggle with textbook approaches that treat ratios like abstract math problems. Our autumn 2025 cohort works with actual business scenarios from Adelaide and broader Australian markets.
- Real case studies from retail, professional services, and manufacturing
- Weekly workshops where you calculate and interpret ratios together
- Direct feedback on your analysis from practitioners who use these daily
- Access to tools and templates you'll actually use after the program ends
Trevor Maddison
Lead Instructor
Trevor spent fifteen years helping small Australian businesses figure out their numbers. He started teaching after noticing the same confusion about ratios kept appearing. His background includes work with hospitality groups, construction firms, and retail operations across South Australia.
He doesn't believe in complicated explanations. If you can't use it on Monday morning, it's not worth learning on Sunday afternoon.
What You'll Actually Cover
Four focused modules over twelve weeks, starting September 2025
Calculating Key Ratios
Step-by-step practice with the formulas that matter. We focus on current ratio, gross margin, return on assets, and inventory turnover as foundations.
Interpreting the Results
Numbers alone don't tell the story. Learn to spot warning signs, understand industry benchmarks, and know when ratios reveal opportunities versus problems.
Making Better Decisions
Apply ratio analysis to real situations. Should you extend credit to a new customer? Is it time to reduce inventory? When does growth become risky? Work through these questions with peer groups.
Your Learning Path
How participants typically progress through the material
1
Foundation Phase
First three weeks cover basic financial statement structure and introduce the most common ratios. You'll work with simplified examples before moving to real business data.
2
Application Phase
Weeks four through eight involve calculating ratios from actual financial statements. Group sessions focus on different industries and what "healthy" looks like in each context.
3
Analysis Phase
Weeks nine and ten shift to interpretation. You'll compare companies, track trends over time, and identify when numbers signal opportunities or concerns.
4
Integration Phase
Final two weeks bring everything together with decision-making scenarios. Participants present their analysis and reasoning to the group for feedback.
Start Making Sense of Your Numbers
Our next program begins September 2025 in Adelaide. Limited to eighteen participants so everyone gets individual attention during workshops.