Bottom Line Training
The Bottom Line training program successfully delivered a targeted financial literacy training course across regional and SE Qld, providing valuable insights and training to small businesses.
About the project
The "bottom line" training was delivered during Queensland Small Business Month (May 2025) to address the critical need for targeted financial literacy training for small business owners, particularly in regional Queensland. The project developed a focused, one-hour training solution to empower participants to analyse their financial statements and calculate true profitability.
The challenge
The client recognised a critical need for small business owners to move beyond simple revenue tracking and genuinely understand the net profitability (the ‘bottom line’) of their operations. The challenge was to simplify complex financial reports, such as the Profit & Loss statement, and provide owners with practical tools to analyse their costs, margins, and operational performance.
The approach involved working directly with the client to refine the content into a targeted, one-hour financial literacy workshop. This design included introducing an illustrative business (Connie's Cafe) and using its actual financial data (P&L, wages, COGS) to demonstrate key financial calculations, making the concepts immediately relatable and actionable for participants.
The solution
Our approach to addressing and delivering relatable content was through a comprehensive, multi-modal training package. IM produced a ready-to-deliver workshop package for training to deliver across the state, including:
90-Minute Presentation: A detailed slide deck focusing on P&L analysis, COGS, Gross Profit Margin, and Net Profit.
Financial Tools: A suite of Excel/CSV materials (Profit & Loss, Simple Wages Calculations, Coffee and Products, Bottom Line Analysis) allowing participants to calculate true profitability per product and simulate improvement strategies.
Participant Materials: Trainer resources and Learning resources, including booklets, handbooks and online materials.
The program was delivered across nine scheduled sessions, including seven in-person workshops in the regional locations of Emerald, Toowoomba, Goondiwindi, Winton, Longreach, Mt Isa, Charters Towers, as well as South East Queensland hubs in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, and the Gold Coast, along with additional online events for participants.
The results
The successful delivery of this training across Queensland supported the development of financial capability. The training equipped small business owners with improved business analysis skills, enabling them to analyse their profit and loss statements, understand their fixed and variable costs, and identify the most profitable aspects of their businesses, such as comparing a café to catering services. IM trainers provided participants with actionable insights through the demonstration of key strategies for improving their bottom line. Ultimately, this initiative contributed to supporting economic empowerment for all and bridging the Digital Divide by providing accessible, practical tools to help small businesses acquire and utilise financial management knowledge and skills.
Project services: engagement, learning