• David Mecklin
• Allen & Unwin Book Publishers
• RRP $39.95
If you are one of those fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type managers who likes to busk their way through the never-ending climb to the next rung of the managerial ladder, then this is the book for you. Take an immediate accounting and finance bypass and forget about all those hours of study that most proficient managers waste, learning how to manage companies through solid understanding of the technical issues surrounding financial management.
Here in under 300 pages and couple of hours of Sunday afternoon reading is the shortcut you need to take you through those meetings where fear of finance previously had you dumbstruck and mute.
At last you will be able to make sense of those pesky finance department reports, and you may even learn something useful from financial statements. You’ll be able to discuss with authority whether the company you work for is being well managed and may even be able to construct financial plan that passes the credibility test.
But don’t fool yourself. This is not an accounting book. This will not teach you about high finance and it certainly won’t get you the finance director’s job.
For the uninitiated there are quick learnings on managing costs, profit and cash flow; recognising the link between cash management and profit management; balancing sales against costs; evaluating the risk of long-term projects; and managing profitable business. All the key principles of successful financial management are neatly packaged in an easy-to-understand style. As easy as one, two, three.
Billed as friendly, accessible, jargon-free guide that makes finance fun and interesting for ordinary people, David Meckin’s pure and simple guide to business finance is probably worth the time and money, even if it is just to give you veneer of credibility with your finance director.
