Financial Modeling Fundamentals

Course Content

Financial modeling is a critical yet often underappreciated skill, essential for success in corporate finance and business. Whether you’re launching a new venture, managing operations, or evaluating “what-if” scenarios through sensitivity analysis, the ability to create a robust financial model is indispensable. Your boss, clients, or investors will demand professional and reliable forecasts that inspire confidence.

This course bridges the gap between theoretical learning and practical application. Participants will build a best-practice financial model using a real-life case study. You will learn frameworks for evaluating your business and project, including future cash flows, income statement balance sheet and cash flow integration, and financial statement analysis.

By the end of this course, participants will have mastered the ability to build professional financial models that project future cash flows and evaluate business scenarios. You will gain expertise in performing sensitivity analysis to identify risks, applying discounted cash flow DCF models for valuation, and conducting comprehensive financial statement analysis. Additionally, you will understand the mechanics of income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow integration, allowing you to make informed business decisions.

Explore tailored training options for your team. Whether you need foundational courses in financial modeling or advanced lessons on preparing business plans , our experts deliver customized training solutions to meet your needs. Invest in your future and master financial modeling with Pivotal180 today!

Course Schedule and Pricing

Delivery Options

Course Formats & Delivery Options

Self Paced Training

Advance your skills with training designed to fit around your busy schedule. Study anytime, anywhere. Choose from individual courses tailored to specific topics or maximize value with bundled learning pathways.

Learn anywhere, anytime - with 12 months access
Videos explaining key concepts and excel based demo tutorials
A complete line-by-line walk-through of each line of the calculations in the full model.
Excel based demo tutorials. excel reinforcing key modeling techniques
Course completion certificate
Subscription can be extended annually post the initial 12 month access
Access to Pivotal180 Communities & discussion board, where you can post any questions

Public Training

Public training is as close as you get to the experience of an in-person class. Join a small cohort via live stream with direct instructor access. Full syllabus in a structured format with homework and Q&A.

Live online classes led by expert instructors
Interactive sessions with live Q&A support
One-on-one access to instructors with personalized feedback as you complete tasks
3-hour live sessions over several weeks (varies by course)
Small class (max ~12 participants)
Class recordings and 12-month access
Course completion certificate
Peer networking - connect with global finance professionals

Customized Training

Our In-House Customized Training is tailored to your team, deals, and objectives. It combines practical financial modelling with real deal examples and transaction context. Designed for corporates, banks, and investors, it builds a consistent methodology aligned with your risk and structuring approach.

Fully tailored to your team and deal types
Built around your real transactions and models
Align training with your internal methodology
Incorporate transaction documents and tax regimes
Delivered in-person, virtual, or hybrid formats
Confidential environment for discussing live deals
Cost-effective training for teams of 8+ staff
Includes access to supporting online courses & completion certificate

Course Syllabus

SECTION	OVERVIEW
Pre-course material	Course requirements, objectives, and overview
Introduction to financial modeling	Different types and uses of financial models How to start building a financial model Best practice principles Best practice accounts and flags Critical Excel functions and shortcuts
Historic data and forecasting	Analyzing historic data from your business Forecasting methods Forecasting revenue and costs EBITDA, margins and other metrics Assess the impact of capital costs
Working capital	Receivables and payables Inventory Why Starbucks has loyalty cards
Capital structure and investment decisions	Introduction to debt and equity The benefits of leverage Debt service – repaying Principal and paying interest The net present value (NPV) Internal rate of return (IRR) Making sensible investment decisions Funding stages for a businesss
Core Outputs	Cash flow statement Income Statement Balance Sheet Build graphs and other outputs required for decision making A note about tax
Sensitivities and business optimizations	Creating scenarios and sensitivities Breakeven analysis Solving the price required to achieve a specific return Understanding scale vs profit vs cashflow Removing model circularities
Modeling quality checks and maintenance	File structures, version control, and sign-off protocols Tracking changes in Excel models How to review a model Keep your financial model current, how to update it

Who should attend this course?

This course is designed for participants at all levels, providing something for everyone. Whether you’re a financial analysts at a bank, part of a private equity firms or an operating entity, you will learn to standardize modeling approaches or tackle new challenges. Senior professionals looking to change careers or enhance their skill sets will find this course invaluable while students preparing for roles in finance can gain a competitive edge. Anyone tasked with financial analysis or model building will acquire the tools to excel.

Why Pivotal180

Pivotal180 is a global leader in teaching financial modeling and project finance. Unlike firms where training is a side business, we are focused on delivering world-class education. Our courses are led by senior practitioners with deep, practical transactional experience, not just theoretical knowledge. We have trained top advisors, developers, lenders, and funds worldwide, helping them master concepts like discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, leveraged buyout models, and financial planning for business units.

Our training approach is uniquely tailored to your needs. We offer a blended learning solution, combining instructor-led training with 12 months of online access to our comprehensive materials, including lecture slides, DCF analysis tools, and downloadable spreadsheet models. This ensures continuous learning and support long after the course is completed.

Discounts and Cancellations

Cancellation Policy for Public Courses

4+ weeks before the course: Full refund*
1–4 weeks before the course: 50% refund
Less than 1 week before the course: No refund

*Refunds are less any merchant fees incurred on payment.

Discounts

Discounts are applied to the full course price and include:

Students: 40% discount on all available courses
Not-for-profit and government employees: 25% discount on all available courses
Multiple purchase discount: 15% for bookings of three or more participants and/or courses
Early bird discount: 10% for interactive public sessions booked eight weeks in advance

*Please note that discounts are not applicable to bundles.

What's Included + Equipment & Prerequisites

Inclusions

Course Completion Certificate: Validates your expertise in financial modeling.
12-Month Online Access: Access comprehensive course materials, including lecture videos, transcriptions, and interactive resources.
Access to Discussion Forums: Connect with instructors and peers to resolve questions and share insights.
Subscription Renewal: Extend your access annually for $100 per year after the first 12 months.
Pivotal180 Communities: Join an active network of professionals for ongoing discussions and insights.

Equipment & Prerequisites

There is no prerequisite for the course other than a basic knowledge of, and access to Excel.

During the course you will need a Computer/Laptop, power cord and having two monitors is preferrable.