Finance for Entrepreneurs

Course Overview

As new ventures move through different phases in their lifecycle from inception to startup, survival and development, to growth and then maturity, they often require financing sources to meet the unique needs of each particular growth stage. Uncertainty surrounding cash flow and future liquidity requirements, however, makes it challenging to identify the most optimal funding providers. This course introduces students to the key financial challenges faced by entrepreneurial ventures ranging from seed and startup capital needs to the management of working capital and bringing in institutional, private equity or venture capital. Students will learn about the micro-small- and medium-sized enterprise sector and will identify providers of capital from a debt and equity perspective, determine the financial valuation of a small business and understand the principles of financial management in a startup. 

After completion of this course, students will be comfortable discussing the financial aspects of managing a new business venture, both with internal stakeholders and external providers of funds.

Cambridge Faculty: Khaled Soufani, Ph.D. 

Dr. Khaled Soufani is the Senior Faculty in Management Practice (Finance), Director of the Executive MBA Programme and Director of the Middle East Research Centre Cambridge Judge Business School.  Dr. Soufani was an affiliated academic in the Faculty of Economics at the University of Cambridge, he holds a Master’s degree in Applied Economics and a PhD in Financial Economics. Dr. Soufani taught in many areas relating to economics, businesses finance, entrepreneurial finance, and capital markets. He has published extensively in the area of economics, financial management, corporate restructuring, M&A, private equity, venture capital and family business and is on the Editorial boards of a number of academic journals. 

Learning outcomes

• Differentiate between the relationships that exist between entrepreneurship and finance, and the role of these relationships in the decision-making process. 
• Identify practical opportunities and business challenges, to make more informed business decisions that will enhance the growth of a small firm into a large business. 
• Compare and contrast the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise sector and the challenges and opportunities that they face, particularly in regard to the providers of capital from a debt and equity perspective. 
• Describe methods of financial management for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). 
• Utilise small business financial management skills, which will augment your general management education. 
• Apply economic and financial theory effectively to practice with regard to SMEs. 
• Describe the financial valuation process for small businesses. 
• Explore types of working capital and cash liquidity management. 
• Analyse decision-making processes used in areas such as Private Equity and Venture Capital. 
• Analyse the different relationships that exist between the main concepts of managerial economics and decision-making in a firm, so that better and more informed business decisions are made to identify practical opportunities and deal with business challenges.