the modern marketplace is increasingly unpredictable and there is an ever-greater need for non-financial managers to understand the financial and management accounting process. how to understand business financeis not written by an accountant and actually relates to running a business in a real market. it provides a quick and effective course from the perspective of the pursuit of business growth, and describes a business proceeding from initial set-up through its first year of trading. as well as learning how to understand the balance sheet and profit and loss account, readers will also grasp the principles of: market dynamics; budgeting and forecasting; fixed and variable costs; break-even analysis; the difference between profit and cash; financial ratios for measuring business performance; investment appraisal; stock market ratios; shareholder value; financial measures for improving business performance, and much more.