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Finance Fundamentals for Designers
  • Finance Fundamentals for Designers
  • Finance Fundamentals for Designers
Finance Fundamentals for Designers

Finance & Operations

Finance Fundamentals for Designers

 This webinar demystified financial concepts for designers, connecting project work to profitability through clear explanations of financial statements, key metrics, and practical tools that support smarter decision-making at every level.

Featuring

Elizabeth Nielson
HLB Lighting Design
Chief Operating Officer

Buy all access courses

What You Will Get

12
Modules

Expert Videos from Industry Leaders

Category:
Finance & Operations

Who Is the Course For

Small-business owners and studio principals seeking financial clarity, profitability, and long-term stability.

Mid-level lighting and design professionals
looking to understand how their project decisions impact firm finances.

Project managers responsible for budgets,
billability, utilization, and project performance.

Outcomes You Can Expect

Identify and interpret the three core financial statements—Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow—and understand how they reflect firm health.

Analyze key performance metrics including gross margin, realization ratio, billability, backlog, and pipeline probability.

Assess profit trends and cash flow using tools like Average Collection Period (ACP) to improve financial decision-making.

Apply financial concepts to day-to-day project management, forecasting, and operational planning within a design firm.

Syllabus

12 lessons

Module 1 - Introduction

Elizabeth Nielson explains the importance of finance in the design and AE industry, highlighting how profitability is crucial for business continuity and personal well-being, and how every employee plays a role in financial success.
Module 2 - Designers: Why Finance is Your Secret Superpower!

Elizabeth Nielson relates the importance of finance and how it relates to the design industry.
Module 3 - Master Your Money: Personal Finance Secrets Revealed!

This video explains the importance of financial literacy by relating personal and company finances, using examples, and engaging the audience with a Kahoot quiz on basic financial concepts.
Module 4 - Master Project Budgets: Every Employee’s Role in Success

Elizabeth Nielson goes over the importance of financial management in projects, emphasizing how both project managers and employees play a crucial role in ensuring success by effectively managing limited resources and asking pertinent questions.
Module 5 - Asset vs. Liabilities: What Your Business REALLY Owns

This video explains the basic concepts of assets, liabilities, and equity in a company's financial statements.
Module 6 - Master Your Finances: Balance Sheet & Income Statement Secrets!

This video explains key financial ratios for balance sheet analysis, focusing on the current ratio and debt-to-equity ratio, and then transitions to introducing the income statement and its components like revenue and direct costs.
Module 7 - Unlock Project Success: Master Your Gross Margin

Elizabeth explains how to use an income statement, focusing on gross margin calculation and its importance in project management and overall company financial health.
Module 8 - Unlock Business Growth: Master These 5 Key Financial Metrics!

This video outlines key financial metrics for businesses, focusing on pipeline and backlog, explaining their definitions, calculations, and importance for future planning and decision-making.
Module 9 - Master Your Backlog & Billability

This video explains how to manage project backlog, differentiate it from work in progress, and introduces the concept of billability, including various calculation methods and the importance of consistency.
Module 10 - Unlock Your Billability Secrets: Consistency is Key!

This video explains billability and realization ratio, emphasizing the importance of consistency in tracking, understanding trends, and managing employee time effectively to ensure project efficiency and profitability.
Module 11 - Stop Losing Profit! Master Your Realization Ratio Now

This video explains the importance of accurate realization ratios and timekeeping for project profitability, highlighting how low realization can erode profits and the need for a culture that encourages accurate time tracking.
Module 12 - Protect Your Firm: Architect Issues & Startup Accounting Secrets

This webinar covers various financial and project management topics for businesses, including answering questions about financial statements, project management issues, standing up for oneself, backlog benchmarks, ERP systems, and the importance of professional accounting advice.

Real success from real learners

"I’m grateful to the panelists for their openness and willingness to share, it’s helping elevate the lighting design industry as a whole. Thank you!”

B. Lynch
Financial KPIs BOL’Discussions

"I liked the interactive and professional exchange between the speakers. It was a lively conversation with the different topics that come up in the office day-to-day, and the perspectives shared were valuable. Thanks a lot!”

L. Alanis
HR Managing People BOL’Discussions

"I was able to attend the most recent session, and I thought it was terrific. Thanks for continuing to produce top quality programming."

S. Rosen
HR Managing People BOL’Discussions

"Thank you to the industry leaders on today's call helping us little guys feel connected and inspired in a world where overwhelm is far too common."

D. Osickey
Financial KPIs BOL’Discussions

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Finance Fundamentals for Designers

Finance Fundamentals for Designers

 This webinar demystified financial concepts for designers, connecting project work to profitability through clear explanations of financial statements, key metrics, and practical tools that support smarter decision-making at every level.

Join others and gain the skills you need to move your career forward.