F1F9 blog | Full blog archive and subscription form

How to Model Balances in Excel

There are two basic types of line item in financial models – flows and balances. Balances are amounts at a point in time. Balances can be financial or non financial. Every balance has similar properties. This blog explains what those properties are, and gives a standard model component that...

Build, Review, Support, Training

Amnesia – 10 Signs Spreadsheets are Killing your Finance Function

The following text is taken from our ebook - 10 signs spreadsheets are killing your finance function: #4 Amnesia SYMPTOMS: Last minute panic buying of birthday presents. Missed gym appointments. You hear ‘aren’t you meant to be somewhere else?’ more often than you’d like. Family...

Build, Review, Support, Training

Managing Modelling: Embrace an open and honest culture

Errors will happen. It is an unfortunate fact of life, whenever humans are involved with complex data manipulation and modelling, errors occur. A financial modelling manager needs to create an environment where any member of the modelling team can feel comfortable notifying them as soon as an...

Build, Review, Support, Training

Business Analysis Lifecycle ebook: Conceptual Modelling

We have taught analysts from hundreds of companies to build financial models. Financial modelling proficiency requires skills that take time to acquire, develop and perfect. Sometimes the difficulties students have are related to how to build their model. More often, difficulties relate to what...

Build, Review, Support, Training

Financial modelling: start with the end in mind

"The habit of beginning a process of construction with a clear understanding of the end product can be highly beneficial when building financial models"

Build, Review, Support, Training

New ebook on collaborative financial modelling

The article below is taken from our new ebook: Managing Modelling - How to run an effective modelling team, it's available for you to download free of charge and with no form-filling. Financial modelling should be a collaborative team-based activity, not an individual activity. Building team...

Build, Support

Our top 3 tips to improve your financial modelling

The stories which have attracted uncomfortable publicity are only the tip of the iceberg

Build, Review, Support

Building financial models using Agile – a quick introduction

Modelling is an inherently difficult and complex task. At F1F9 we build financial models using an Agile approach - here's why: Most guidance on managing the model build process recommends a traditional life-cycle approach of Specify, Design, Develop, Test, Deploy. When applied to most...

Training

Improving your financial modelling skills: why it’s worth it

Guest blog post from Steven O'Neill on why it's worth investing time in improving your financial modelling skills. As someone working in the area of talent acquisition for finance professionals, I often ask myself why is it that some candidates’ careers skyrocket while others seem to flat...