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10 Lessons from

" Financial Intelligence " 📚📚📚

A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Mean

1. Accounting principles provide a framework, but companies have some wiggle room when presenting financial data. Learn to read between the lines and understand the assumptions behind the numbers.

2. Don't get fooled by high profits on paper. Cash flow, the actual movement of money in and out, is essential for business health.

3. Ratios tell the story behind the raw numbers. Learn key ratios like profitability, liquidity, and solvency to assess a company's financial health and performance.

4. Understand the difference between "cash expenses" that immediately impact your budget and "non-cash expenses" like depreciation, which spread the cost of an asset over time.

5. Revenue is the money coming in, but profit is what's left after you account for all your expenses. Understand the difference and how various factors influence both.

6. Don't blindly accept financial reports at face value. Ask questions, understand the underlying assumptions, and identify potential areas for improvement.

7. Look at financial data from the perspective of someone who might invest in the company. This helps you understand what information is most important for decision-making.

8. The balance sheet shows what a company owns (assets), owes (liabilities), and the difference (owner's equity). Understanding how to manage these components is crucial for financial stability.

9. Calculating ROI can be more complex than it seems. Consider all factors affecting an investment, not just the initial cost and projected returns.

10. Working capital refers to the difference between a company's current assets (easily convertible to cash) and current liabilities (debts that need to be paid soon). Efficient management of working capital frees up cash flow and improves business operations.

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