Harvard Business Essentials

The Reliable Source for Busy Managers

The Harvard Business Essentials series is designed to provide comprehensive advice, personal coaching, background information, and guidance on the most relevant topics in business. Drawing on rich content from Harvard Business School Publishing and other sources, these concise guides are carefully crafted to provide a highly practical resource for readers with all levels of experience. To assure quality and accuracy, each volume is closely reviewed by a spe- cialized content adviser from a world-class business school. Whether you are a new manager interested in expanding your skills or an experienced executive looking for a personal resource, these solution-oriented books offer reliable answers at your fingertips.



Series Adviser: Samuel L. Hares

Samuel L. Hayes holds the Jacob H. Schiff Chair in Investment Banking, Emeritus, Harvard Business School. He is the author and editor of numerous books, including Investment Banking: A Tale of Three Cities (HBS Press, 1990) and Financial Services :Perspectives and Challenges (HBS Press, 1993).



Calculating and assessing the overall financial health of the

business is an important part of any managerial position. Easy

to use and nontechnical, Finance for Managers provides the

fundamentals of financial literacy and offers managers the smart advice they need to increase their impact on financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting. Contents include:

* Reading and deciphering financial statements

* Applying valuation concepts

* Financing operations and growth

* Using time value of money tools

* Making better decisions about internal and external

investments