This Masterclass aims to boost the competence of owner managers in the theory and practical everyday use of key financial documents so that they may be more confident in their business dealings with team members, investors, bankers, customers and suppliers.

The Masterclass will cover:

• I thought accounts were for accountants! What are the key financial statements? Why do they matter to me and my business? What are they telling us; how to interpret them and how will others interpret them?
• Profit and loss: A quick look at how each of the elements are treated that make up business income, expenditure and overheads.
• The balance sheet in detail: Taking a snapshot of your business – what can we learn?
• The cashflow forecast: How to use common sense to build up a picture of our business future. The key difference between profit and cash, demonstrating the issues of working capital.

What are the benefits to my business?

The Masterclass content will enable delegates to:

• Use forecasting techniques to set budgets and performance targets.
• Monitor spending and performance.
• Consider, project and manage options for change.
• Control their business and inspire confidence in stakeholders to secure commitment, team work and whatever is needed to support everyday success and growth.
• As a minimum each participant will emerge from the class with a greater appreciation of the importance of financial management. Most will emerge with a greater appreciation of how to interpret financial reports and many will emerge from the class with the basic components of how to start to put together important financial reports.

Who is leading it?

This Masterclass will be delivered by Paul Heaven of Blue Sky Corporate Finance Ltd.

Paul has more than 20 years general management experience and is by profession, a qualified chartered accountant and member of the Corporate Finance Faculty of the institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Paul is an expert in corporate finance, venture capital, private equity and asset lending and has extensive experience of acquisitions, disposals, floatation and fund raising. Personally led a start-up venture that grew (with a £9.5m external investment) to become one of the worlds’ leading vendors in the provision of outsourced, internet-based, supply-chain technology.

Paul is an accredited SFEDI Advisor and a mentor at Aston Business School where he delivers the Business Plan Preparation segment of the Warwick University MBA programme, with practical skills sessions in financial packaging, sourcing funding, grant schemes and coaching in business finance and legal structures.

Who is the Masterclass for?

This Masterclass is for all growing SMEs within the Sheffield City Region, as long as the below eligibility criteria is met.

The Masterclass is aimed at business owner managers, entrepreneurs, departmental managers of an existing business, senior managers and anyone involved in a business who would like to understand the financial dimensions of how to run a business better.

FAQs

Q/ How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

A/ Email enhancementproject@sheffieldcityregion.org.uk

Q/ What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event?

A/ Parking is available at the venue. A parking pass will be issued and delegates will be responsible for ensuring the pass is clearly displayed on the vehicle. Failure to display the pass may result in a parking fine. The venue is Walkable from Meadowhall South/Tinsley tram stop, and Meadowhall train station and bus interchange.

Q/ I would like to bring a colleague, is this ok?

A/ No, only one attendee per company is permitted.

Q/ Will refreshments be provided?

A/ Hot and cold drinks will be provided

Eligibility

Only one registration per business via Eventbrite will be confirmed. If additional people from your business would like to attend, they can be added to a waiting list by emailing enhancementproject@sheffieldcityregion.org.uk with the business name, name of additional attendee and contact telephone number. If this Masterclass isn’t fully subscribed upon the closure of registrations, we will contact you to offer the additional place. The waiting list will be prioritised on a first come first served basis. Businesses that register more than one attendee via Eventbrite will be contacted and asked to nominate one person to attend.

This Masterclass is open to small and medium-sized enterprises based in the Sheffield City Region. If you are unsure whether you fall into this region you can use the postcode checker.

A part of your business must be based in one of the following districts: Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Doncaster, North East Derbyshire. Rotherham or Sheffield.

Find out if your business meets the definition for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME).

Please note that if your firm that is part of a larger Group you may need to include staff headcount, turnover, balance sheet data for the Group too, to ascertain whether it is eligible.

We are pleased to be able to provide this masterclass free of charge due to funding from the European Regional Development Fund. There are a number of eligibility criteria for attendees which we will check using the online registration questions and in a phone call to every attendee prior to the event.

More Sheffield City Region Growth Hub Enhancement Project Masterclasses.

Contact us for more information.

This event will be delivered by the ‘Sheffield City Region Growth Hub Enhancement Project’ that is part-funded by the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The project, for high-growth businesses in the Sheffield City Region, aims to increase their competitiveness and so help them grow and prosper.