DON'T LET YOUR FEAR OF FINANCE GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR SUCCESS. Can you prepare a breakeven analysis? Do you know the difference between an income statement and a balance sheet? Or understand why a business that's profitable can still go belly-up? Has your grasp of your company's numbers helped--or hurt--your career? Whether you're new to finance or you just need a refresher, this go-to guide will give you the tools and confidence you need to master the fundamentals, as all good managers must. The "HBR Guide to Finance Basics for Managers" will help you: (1) Learn the language of finance, (2) Compare your firm's financials with rivals', (3) Shift your team's focus from revenues to profits, (4) Assess your vulnerability to industry downturns, (5) Use financial data to defend budget requests, and (6) Invest smartly through cost/benefit analysis.

Includes index.

Finance quiz -- The key financial statements -- The fundamental laws of business / David Stauffer -- Using statements to measure financial health -- Grow your profits by streamlining your business / Jamie Bonomo and Andy Pasternak-- Working your assets to boost your growth / Miles Cook, Pratap Mukharji, Lorenz Kiefer and Marco Petruzzi -- Profit does not equal cash, and you need both / Karen Berman and Joe Knight, with John Case -- Why cash matters / Karen Berman and Joe Knight, with John Case -- Your balance sheet levers / Karen Berman and Joe Knight, with John Case -- What's your working capital model? a case study / John Mullins and Randy Komisar -- Learn to speak the language of ROI / John O'Leary -- Practical tools for management decisions -- What the financial statements don't tell you / John Case -- The five traps of performance measurement / Andrew Likierman -- Finance quiz.