<strong>By: UCT Graduate School of Business</strong>

<h2>Financial literacy key to business success - especially in a tough economy</h2>

<em>What can South African SMMEs do to position themselves for success in tough economic times? Arming their people with basic financial literacy is a good place to start argues <strong>UCT Graduate School of Business</strong> <strong>Associate Professor Mark Graham.</strong>

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In times of economic hardship, good financial and management skills in a business can make all the difference. According to a recent article in <em><a href="https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/companies/industrials/2019-02-11-sas-small-and-medium-companies-attract-foreign-bargain-hunters/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/companies/industrials/2019-02-11-sas-small-and-medium-companies-attract-foreign-bargain-hunters/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1553152689544000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHDP2-vxAZrJ_gQC6OClWphyJ7tuQ">Business Day</a></em>, international investors are sniffing about South African SMMEs that have proven themselves to be well-run during this time of subdued economic growth – and are also attractively undervalued.

Strong balance sheets and stable management in an environment of slow growth economy with low liquidity adds up to some bargain long-term investment opportunities for international consortiums it seems. Among those who have been involved in investment or buyout offers in the past few months are Clover and Interwaste.

It seems self-evident to suggest that well-run businesses attract investment and success. But what actually makes a business – of any size – well-run in the first place?

There is obviously no short answer to this; good leadership, a clear strategy and a strong and motivated workforce all play their part, but one factor that is often overlooked is financial acumen – throughout the organisation. While the accountants and members in the finance team are expected to understand the numbers, this is not always a core competency required in other departments. Yet, having a good working knowledge of finance at every decision-making level, from new managers to members of the board, can be key.

Even if people don’t need to know a lot about finance in their day-to-day job, the more conversant they are on the subject, the better off they – and the business – will be, according to Richard Ruback, a professor at Harvard Business School and the co-author of the <em><a href="https://hbr.org/product/hbr-guide-to-buying-a-small-business/10090E-KND-ENG" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://hbr.org/product/hbr-guide-to-buying-a-small-business/10090E-KND-ENG&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1553152689544000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHU6IyZIkExoWiO-72JOw26lYwsjA">HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business</a></em>. “If you can speak the language of money, you will be more successful,” he says simply.

Financial savvy will give the marketing manager the ability to demonstrate not only that something is a good idea/product or service, but that it makes financial sense too, for example. And it will make sure that the people in the HR team understand more clearly why reducing staff churn is a good idea not only for company culture but for the bottom line as well.

A knowledge of some basic financial decision-making tools (the all-important balance-sheet, for example) and an appreciation of the difference between profitability and cash flow will ensure that non-financial managers are more likely to effectively participate in business strategy and decision-making. Someone who understands the financial statements of a business understands the business in a way that is not otherwise possible. It’s like looking beneath the hood of a car and understanding how it all fits together and why the car can move forward – or not.

Such people can more confidently identify potential problems and inefficiencies before they impact the overall financial performance, because those warnings are almost invariably reflected in the financials first – and often at departmental level. Critically, they can also help identify financial irregularities, enabling them to call out and stop fraud and corruption in its tracks.

Equipping its people with financial skills is therefore a good strategy for a business looking to position itself for growth and investment. And it makes sense for individuals too - Joe Knight, a partner and senior consultant at the  Business Literacy Institute in the US and the co-author of <em><a href="https://hbr.org/product/financial-intelligence-revised-edition-a-manager-s-guide-to-knowing-what-the-numbers-really-mean/an/10833-HBK-ENG" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://hbr.org/product/financial-intelligence-revised-edition-a-manager-s-guide-to-knowing-what-the-numbers-really-mean/an/10833-HBK-ENG&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1553152689544000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGvDp43KQKz7aiAgxteOC9PlV7bpA">Financial Intelligence</a></em>, says that an absence of financial savvy is “career-limiting.”

Let’s not ignore the fact that there are challenges however. Finance matters tend to scare a great many people. Traditionally, these areas of knowledge carry the stigma of being impenetrable, and financial literacy is not ideally developed at early levels. According to <a href="https://www.fin24.com/Money/Lifestyle/improve-your-financial-literacy-in-2017-20170115-2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.fin24.com/Money/Lifestyle/improve-your-financial-literacy-in-2017-20170115-2&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1553152689544000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFULdjNpMjCuh0DMmPY8_DpvIS9Qw">a study</a> by the Financial Services Board, South Africa currently has a financial literacy rate of just 51%.

This means that roughly one out of every two people is likely to prefer to abdicate from financial decision-making – leaving it to the “numbers” people. But with some intervention and training it is possible to empower individuals to decode these mysteries and get to grips with the language of finance.

All things being equal, it’s not pure luck that allows some businesses to operate well and thrive while others fail. Well-run businesses are generally run by well-informed people. In short, decision-makers who don’t understand basic financial concepts and the language of finance simply don’t know what is going on.

While the SA government is currently talking up the need for foreign direct investment to rescue the country from the economic doldrums, there is much that ordinary businesses can do to position themselves for success. And ensuring that their people are adequately equipped to understand the nuances of business through the language of finance is perhaps a good place to start.

<em>Mark Graham is an Associate Professor at the UCT Graduate School of Business and convenes the Finance for Non-Financial Managers programme which runs in May and October.</em>