Course Description

Financial matters are often the most challenging, intimidating, or overwhelming part of running a business. An accountant, banker, or CFO may help with the work - but, as the business owner(s), you must have a firm grasp on what the numbers mean and how to use them to the firm’s benefit.

In this course, you will learn how to maximize cash flows, improve profitability, and manage your company's finances more effectively. With peer business owners, you will engage in hands-on activities and achieve milestones such as:

• Seeing what truly drives your cash flows and profits
• Learning how to use financial statements to make operational and management decisions
• Understanding how to increase the value of your business

This course is part of the Business Owner Academy, a curriculum of courses open only to owners of companies generating up to $25 million in annual revenue.

Instructor - John Wonak

John is a financial professional and entrepreneur who firmly believes that financial accounting is the language of business, and being fluent in that language is instrumental to being successful. John has been active in advising entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized businesses as well as starting up and selling businesses of his own.

Subsequent to starting and managing a private practice CPA firm until its sale in 1997, John co-founded OPEX Communications, a telecom company with peak annual revenues of $40 million. In addition to serving a financial role as OPEX’s CFO, John also handled the firm’s legal matters including contract negotiations, regulatory compliance and other legal actions. John was responsible for raising capital and several rounds of financing for OPEX, eventually guiding the company to a debt-free financial position. Significant successes in John’s career include representing a client before the IRS in Washington D.C., and negotiating the settlement of a $4.2 million dollar dispute with MCI for only $150K.

John was involved in all phases of the sale of OPEX as well as his CPA firm including negotiation, due diligence, deal structure, document drafting, and transition planning and implementation.

John received his MBA from Northern Illinois University.