Build Your Financial Analysis Foundation
Understanding financial statements isn't about memorising formulas. It's about seeing patterns in numbers that tell you whether a business actually makes sense or just looks good on paper.
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Start With What Numbers Actually Mean
Most people get stuck because they try to learn everything at once. That doesn't work. You need to understand cash flow before you can make sense of profit margins. And you need to grasp working capital before diving into debt ratios.
Our program starts with balance sheets because they're the skeleton of any business. Once you see how assets and liabilities connect, income statements become clearer. From there, cash flow analysis starts making actual sense instead of feeling like abstract theory.
We spend the first three weeks just on reading financial statements. Not analysing them yet. Just reading them properly so you can spot inconsistencies and understand what each line item represents in the real world.
By October 2025, you'll move into ratio analysis. But not the textbook version with fifty ratios to memorise. We focus on the eight ratios that actually matter for decision-making, and we show you what healthy numbers look like across different industries.
Three Skills That Change Everything
Financial analysis isn't one big skill. It's three connected abilities that build on each other naturally when you learn them in the right sequence.
Reading Statements
Understanding what each number represents and how different sections connect. You'll learn to spot red flags before doing any calculations, just by seeing patterns in the data structure.
Ratio Interpretation
Calculating ratios is easy. Knowing what they mean for different business models is harder. We teach you industry context so you can tell whether a number is concerning or perfectly normal.
Trend Recognition
Single-year analysis tells you almost nothing. Real insight comes from comparing quarters and tracking changes over time. You'll learn which trends matter and which ones are just noise.
How We Actually Teach This
Theory without context is forgettable. So every concept gets taught using real company financials. You'll work with actual annual reports from Australian businesses across retail, manufacturing, and services sectors.
Each week focuses on one core concept. Not five concepts crammed together. One. You learn it properly, apply it to multiple examples, and then move forward. By the time you finish the September 2025 intake, you'll have analysed statements from twelve different companies.
- Weekly analysis assignments using real company data from ASX-listed businesses
- Recorded sessions you can review anytime with transcript access for detailed notes
- Monthly check-ins to review your progress and clarify confusing concepts
- Industry comparison exercises that show you how ratios vary by business model
Your Learning Timeline
The program runs for sixteen weeks starting September 2025. Each phase builds your analytical capability systematically without overwhelming you with too much at once.
Weeks 1-4: Statement Foundations
Balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. You'll learn how they connect and why that connection matters more than individual numbers. We use mining and retail examples to show structural differences.
Weeks 5-8: Core Ratio Analysis
Liquidity, profitability, and efficiency ratios. You'll calculate them for companies in different sectors and learn why the same ratio means different things for a manufacturer versus a service business.
Weeks 9-12: Leverage and Returns
Debt ratios, coverage metrics, and return calculations. This is where you start seeing how capital structure affects business stability and what healthy leverage actually looks like in practice.
Weeks 13-16: Comparative Analysis
Trend analysis, peer comparisons, and integrated assessment. You'll take everything you've learned and apply it to comprehensive company evaluations using multi-year data sets.
Torben Linklater
Financial Analysis Lead
Jago Weatherby
Program Coordinator
Learning From People Who Actually Do This
Both instructors have spent years working with Australian SMEs, helping them understand their own financials and make better decisions. They've seen what works and what causes confusion, which is why the program focuses so heavily on practical interpretation.
Torben spent eight years in commercial banking before moving into financial education. He's reviewed thousands of business statements and knows exactly which ratios banks actually care about versus which ones are just academic exercises.
Jago coordinates the program and handles most of the one-on-one progress reviews. He makes sure concepts are landing properly and adjusts pacing when needed. If you're stuck on depreciation methods or working capital calculations, that's where monthly check-ins become valuable.
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