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Who We Actually Are

Started back in 2019 when three financial analysts got tired of seeing businesses struggle with their own numbers. We thought there had to be a better way to teach this stuff without all the usual textbook nonsense.

How This Started

Honestly, it came from frustration. My colleagues and I spent years watching business owners make decisions based on gut feeling rather than their actual financial data. Not because they were reckless, but because nobody had bothered to show them how to read their own statements properly.

So we started small. Weekend workshops in Newcastle. Just teaching the basics of cash flow analysis and balance sheet interpretation. Turns out people were hungry for this kind of practical knowledge that wasn't buried under academic jargon.

By 2022, we had more requests than we could handle and had to build out a proper curriculum. The approach stayed the same though: real-world scenarios, actual financial statements from Australian businesses, and none of the theoretical fluff that puts people to sleep.

Financial analysis workshop session with participants reviewing business statements

What We Stand For

These aren't corporate values we stuck on a wall. They're the things we actually care about when we're building courses and working with participants.

1

No Pretending

Financial analysis can be complex. We acknowledge that upfront. But complex doesn't mean incomprehensible. We break it down without dumbing it down, and we're honest when something takes time to master.

2

Real Examples Only

Every case study comes from actual Australian businesses. We've anonymized the data, but the challenges and solutions are genuine. You'll work through the same messy situations you'll encounter in practice.

3

Practical Over Perfect

We'd rather you leave with skills you can use Monday morning than a certificate that looks impressive. Our focus is on building competence you can apply immediately, even if your knowledge is still developing.

Common Problems We Address

Business owner reviewing confusing financial reports and statements

Making Sense of Financial Reports

Most people stare at their financial statements like they're written in another language. The numbers are there, but what do they actually mean? And more importantly, what should you do about them?

This is probably the most common issue we see. Business owners get quarterly reports from their accountants, nod politely, and then make decisions based on their bank balance instead.

Our Approach:
  • Start with the three core statements and what each one tells you
  • Learn to spot red flags in your cash flow before they become crises
  • Understand which ratios matter for your specific industry
  • Practice interpreting real statements from businesses like yours
Financial data analysis showing comparative period performance

Comparing Performance Properly

Revenue went up, but profit went down. Last quarter looked good, but you're not sure if it was actually good or just better than a terrible quarter before it. Comparing periods sounds simple until you try to do it meaningfully.

And industry benchmarks? Those are useful when you know how to adjust them for your business's specific circumstances.

What You'll Learn:
  • How to set up meaningful period comparisons that account for seasonality
  • Using trend analysis to separate noise from actual patterns
  • Adjusting industry benchmarks for your business model
  • Creating dashboards that highlight what actually matters
Team collaborating on financial forecasting and planning documents

Building Forecasts That Work

Creating financial forecasts often feels like guessing with extra steps. You plug in some numbers, hope for the best, and then reality goes in a completely different direction.

The trick isn't predicting the future perfectly. It's building models that help you understand your options and make informed decisions even when circumstances change.

Practical Skills:
  • Building scenario models that account for different outcomes
  • Using historical data to inform realistic projections
  • Creating sensitivity analyses for key variables
  • Updating forecasts as actual results come in

Who Teaches These Courses

The people running our programs have spent years in financial analysis roles before moving into education. They know this field because they've worked in it.

Desmond Whitlock portrait

Desmond Whitlock

Lead Instructor, Financial Analysis

Spent twelve years doing financial analysis for mid-sized manufacturers before getting fed up with how poorly this subject was being taught. Now designs curriculum that focuses on practical application rather than theory for theory's sake. Based in Newcastle and occasionally drinks too much coffee.

Bridger Falmouth portrait

Bridger Falmouth

Senior Course Developer

Former CFO who got tired of fixing problems that shouldn't have existed in the first place. Specializes in teaching cash flow management and forecasting to people who aren't naturally numbers-oriented. Has a gift for explaining complex concepts without making people feel stupid, which is rarer than it should be.

Want to Know More?

Our next intake for comprehensive financial analysis training starts in September 2025. We also run shorter workshops throughout the year on specific topics.