Commercial Finance

Manage and guide a firm’s cash flow and revenue generation for maximum profit.

The key driving force behind a company’s sales operations and performance, those who work in commercial finance are responsible for managing cash flow and revenue generation. In addition, they also advise the enterprise on business strategies that should be employed for maximum profit.

General overview

Commercial finance managers are required to evaluate the performance and worth of an organisation’s products and services. Following that, they’ll have to make the necessary policy arrangements or build essential commercial strategies to advance the profitability of the product or business.

Their advice then becomes the guiding factor for other departments — such as sales and marketing — to make their own business resolutions and targets. In essence, this means that professionals are responsible for striking a balance when it comes to making a profit for the establishment, sponsors and investors — all while continuing to attract customers.

Other duties that fall under the scope of commercial finance include specific product research, tracking sales performances and the calculation and projection of possible upcoming yields and trends. Based on these predictions, graduates may sometimes be involved in developing new products and campaigns. Constant awareness of a firm’s business direction, along with broader trends in the marketplace, is vital. Excellent communication, teamwork and presentation skills are also necessary for extensive correspondence with non-finance colleagues, as commercial finance managers work in teams to process information given, and come up with plans and strategies based on a collective analysis of the situation.

Aside from people skills, analytical skills need to be harnessed as well. A graduate’s ability to think on their feet and an eye for detail will help them in the long run, as commercial finance managers are required to come up with quick, effective solutions for last-minute emergencies. Time management and organisational skills are also useful for the urgent completion of analysis and provision of recommendations before a large product rollout. Work in this sector often comes with plenty of pressure as multitasking is a reality most of the time. Decisions can and will directly influence the productivity and output of an enterprise, which means that there’s high pressure on successful applicants to perform. One such instance is the generation of daily sales and finance reports for management decisions.

On the other hand, this position is a great opportunity for those seeking to venture into a management career, as professionals in this line can expect to gain a deep understanding of the business world.

Many institutions place new recruits in training programmes, putting them in positions with fair amounts of responsibility to hone their skills in management, communication and persuasion. Moreover, even as new hires work towards professional qualifications, they may be tasked with advising on financial controls and analysing financial information to help colleagues make key business decisions.