Whether you’re a business professional who wants to deepen your knowledge, an undergraduate getting ready to enter the working world, or a lifelong learner preparing for an MBA, gaining confidence in foundational business skills can help you excel. Explore HBS Online's business essentials programs to decide which is the best fit for your goals. [...]

Harvard Business School Online offers four finance and accounting courses: Leading with Finance, Financial Accounting, Alternative Investments, and Sustainable Investing. Here’s a breakdown of each to help determine which best fits your needs and goals. [...]

Any employee—especially managers—should understand budgeting and how it can profoundly impact an organization. Here’s a primer on the importance of budgeting in business. [...]

When you hear the phrase “financial accounting skills,” you likely think of creating and analyzing financial statements, poring over spreadsheets, and using formulas to calculate ratios. These are all vital skills for accountants. Yet, one accounting skill that’s often overlooked is communication. Here’s a breakdown of key communication skills, why they’re important for accounting, and how you can build yours. [...]

Much of accounting involves evaluating past performance. Planning and preparing for the future, however, is just as important. Here's an overview of how to use pro forma statements to conduct financial forecasting, along with seven methods you can leverage to predict a business's future performance. [...]