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How to Improve Your Finance Skills (Even If You Hate Numbers)

Harvard Business Review

If you’re not a numbers person, finance is daunting. But having a grasp of terms like EBITDA and net present value are important no matter where you sit on the org chart. Stop avoiding finance because you’re afraid of numbers. Think of it this way, “Finance is the way businesses keep score.

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Will You Be Writing Off Your Investment in Egypt?

Harvard Business Review

In both places, we know the instability will worsen macroeconomic performance in the short term. If that is the case, and the faster growth generates higher profits for them over the long term, that might well compensate for any short-term losses from the disruption. Tunisia and Egypt are cases in point.

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Case Study: Should a Hotelier Invest in a New Kind of Online Travel Agency?

Harvard Business Review

” “I have Carly running the ROI — both short-term and long-term,” he said, referring to Carly Janssen, his finance director, “but I have to say that I find it intriguing. How long will it take you to get those traffic numbers up?” But that offer won’t stand for long.

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Stop Focusing on Profitability and Go for Growth

Harvard Business Review

So, in real terms, debt financing is essentially free. Next time you're deciding about a big investment, NPV can help you make a more informed decision. Equity cash flows, in turn, are a function of a company’s long-term return on equity (ROE), growth, and the value of shareholders’ equity on its books.

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