Practical Budgeting Skills for Real Business
Learn operational budgeting through hands-on workshops that mirror actual business scenarios. Our autumn 2025 program builds competence without the hype.
Register Your InterestWhat You'll Actually Work Through
This isn't about theory you'll forget next week. We work with real financial data from Australian businesses and tackle budgeting challenges that come up in everyday operations.
Over twelve weeks starting September 2025, you'll develop practical skills in forecasting, variance analysis, and resource allocation. Each session includes group work where you'll compare approaches and learn from others tackling similar problems.
- Weekly three-hour workshops with peer collaboration
- Case studies drawn from actual operational scenarios
- Feedback sessions where we review your budget drafts
- Resource library with templates and reference materials
- Guest presentations from finance professionals in various sectors
How the Sessions Work
We've structured this around the way people actually absorb financial concepts. Small groups, real examples, and time to discuss what you're seeing.
Scenario Introduction
Each week starts with a specific business situation. You'll get financial data, context about the organization, and a budgeting challenge to address.
Group Analysis
Work with three or four others to examine the numbers, identify issues, and draft budget proposals. This is where different perspectives really help.
Comparative Review
Groups present their approaches and we discuss trade-offs. You'll see multiple valid ways to handle the same budgeting situation.
Who You'll Learn With
Freyr Dahlgren spent fifteen years managing operational budgets for mid-sized companies across retail and manufacturing. He's been running these workshops since 2022 and has a knack for explaining variance analysis without making your eyes glaze over.
Vesna Ljung comes from the non-profit sector where budgeting involves constant adaptation. She brings case studies from organizations that had to revise forecasts mid-year and made it work.
Both facilitators work in budget management roles currently, so the examples they bring are recent and relevant to what businesses are dealing with right now.
Background Experience:
- Combined twenty-three years in operational finance roles
- Facilitated over forty budgeting workshops since 2022
- Currently advising businesses on budget planning processes
Joining the September 2025 Cohort
We're accepting registrations for the program starting September 8th, 2025. Sessions run Monday evenings at our Macquarie Park location, with the final session on November 24th.
Class size is limited to twenty-four participants to keep group work manageable. You'll need basic spreadsheet familiarity but no formal finance background.
Key Program Dates
July 15, 2025
Registration Opens
September 8, 2025
First Session
November 24, 2025
Final Workshop