Microfinance Practice: [MFP] Microfin "Business Planning" Course, Washington DC, May 2013

Business Planning and Financial Projections with Microfin
Washington DC, USA, 13-17 May 2013
Summary
This course guides participants through a step-by-step process for developing a
business plan and financial projections for a microfinance institution using
Microfin 4.0, the sophisticated financial projections software that was
developed by the two facilitators of this training course, Chuck Waterfield and
Tony Sheldon, with financial support from CGAP, Women's World Banking, and Sida.

Microfin has long been the microfinance "industry standard" for planning and
budgeting. Microfin allows you to develop detailed five-year financial
projections and budgets for your institution, and to simulate the impact of key
decisions on your institution.

This fast-paced course is designed to be highly participatory, with a large
amount of hands-on time working in groups at the computer, applying the software
to a detailed case study. In addition to the course manual, at the conclusion
of the course, participants will receive a CD-ROM containing Microfin and the
User's Handbook.
By the end of the workshop you will have a better understanding of:

how to use Microfin to develop financial projections for your own institution
practical approaches to planning
the most important financial ratios to monitor, and how to interpret them
critical operational issues such as designing products to meet client needs,
pricing your products, and focusing on loan officers to leverage institutional
productivity
how to develop long-term, diversified financing strategies
This workshop is facilitated by the two developers of Microfin, and is based on
the CGAP Handbook they authored, Business Planning and Financial Modeling for
Microfinance Institutions. They have taught this course in 20 countries around
the world, and it is one of the most recognized and attended courses in all of
microfinance.

Agenda

Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Coffee, tea, and snacks will be provided
daily. Meals, as well as hotels or other accommodation are the responsibility
of each participant and are not included in the course fee.
Day 1

Overview of Business Planning: Participants will review and discuss the Business
Planning framework. In particular, attention will be directed to the
market-based approach of the framework.
Strategic Planning: This section will address the key steps of strategic
planning – articulating the mission, identifying clients and markets, performing
an environmental analysis, carrying out an institutional assessment, and
developing an overall strategy.
Overview of Financial Management: We provide a brief overview of financial
statements, the calculation of financial adjustments, and the key financial
ratios used in the microfinance industry.
Day 2

Operational Planning and Introduction to Financial Modeling / Product Design:
Over Days 2 through 5, we will apply the strategy developed on Day 1 to creating
an operational plan and detailed financial projections, beginning with design of
credit and savings products (loan amounts and terms by cycle, pricing,
collateral, etc.). Small group exercises throughout will focus on applying a
case study to the new version of the Microfin model.
Day 3

Establishing Marketing Channels: Operational planning continues with projecting
the levels of activity for each credit and savings product, including growth
strategies by branch, retention rates, and analysis of Microfin's outputs and
graphs.
Day 4

Determining Institutional Resources and Capacity: We will look at each aspect of
institutional capacity (staffing, operating expenses, fixed assets), linking
resources to credit and savings activity.
Day 5

Developing a Financing Strategy and Analyzing Projected Financial Statements and
Ratios: We will look at designing a financing strategy by sources (income,
grants, equity, debt) and by uses (operations, portfolio, and other assets). We
will also review the overall financial projections
Advanced Microfin topics: We will cover advanced topics in Microfin, including
sensitivity analysis, variance analysis, creation of additional graphs, etc.
Registration

Registration is limited and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Course
registration cost is as follows:

* $1,600 per participant, payable upon registration, or $1,500 if registration
and payment are received by 13 April.

* If employed by a registered NGO, you can apply for a scholarship of $200.

* For groups of 2 or more people from the same organization, we offer a
reduction in cost of $100 per person

To register, please complete and return the attached form and we will send you
payment information. NOTE: Hotel or other accommodations are the responsibility
of each participant, and are not included in the course fee.

Course fee must be paid in full at the time of registration. We cannot reserve
places in the course without receiving payment. Please refer to our refund
policy at the end of the registration form.

NOTE: Laptop Computers: Participants will work on laptop computers during the
course. It is not necessary for each participant to bring a laptop, because we
will be working in groups of three. However, to help us in logistical planning,
please indicate if you will be bringing a laptop computer.

Facilitators

Chuck Waterfield has 25 years experience in microfinance, having served as
microenterprise director for MEDA and for CARE International. He is currently
the CEO of MicroFinance Transparency. His previous work as an independent
consultant includes clients such as SIDA, the Ford Foundation, CGAP, Opportunity
International, ACCION, and Aspen Institute. He is on the faculty of Columbia
University School of International and Public Affairs and was formerly on the
faculty of the Boulder Microfinance Training Program and Southern New Hampshire
University's Microenterprise Development Institute. In addition to Microfin and
the Business Planning handbook, he has a broad range of products and
publications including the SEEP FRAME Tool, the CARE Credit and Savings
Sourcebook, GEMINI Technical Note on Designing for Financial Viability, and CGAP
Handbook on Management Information Systems.

Tony Sheldon has worked as an independent consultant with microfinance
institutions in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe since 1990,
primarily in the areas of financial management and business planning. He has
also worked with several networks and funders, including the Ford Foundation,
the SEEP Network, ShoreBank International, Women's World Banking, CGAP, and the
World Bank. From 1997 to 2006 he was on the faculty of the Boulder Microfinance
Training Program, and from 1999 to 2006 taught at Southern New Hampshire
University's Microenterprise Development Institute. He currently teaches at the
Yale School of Management. In addition to the business planning Handbook, he is
the author of WWB's "Principles and Practices of Financial Management" and a
co-author of SEEP's "Financial Ratio Analysis of MFIs" and editor of the SEEP
Practitioner Learning Program series on "Improving Efficiency".

Business Planning and Financial Projections with Microfin
Washington DC, 13-17 May 2013
REGISTRATION FORM
(Just copy and paste this information into an email, fill in the blanks, and
send the email to Tony Sheldon at: jasber@well.com )
Name
Institution
Address

Job Title:
Telephone:
Email:
I ___ will ____ will not be bringing a laptop computer

I ___ will ____ will not need an invitation letter in order to apply for a visa
to the USA

Payment of US$1,600.00 (payable to "Bering Consulting"), or $1,500 if
registration and payment are received by April 13, must accompany or immediately
follow this registration form in order to reserve a place in the workshop.
Amount may be reduced by $200 if employed by a non-profit. For groups of 2 or
more from the same organization, the fee per person is reduced by an additional
$100). Payment may be made by wire transfer, check in US$, or in some cases by
credit card. Please e-mail us for details prior to processing payment

Refund and Cancellation Policy: If you are unable to attend, you are free to
send someone else in your place, but we would appreciate knowing in advance.
Cancellations are subject to the following refund policy:

90% if notice of cancellation is received at least 30 days in advance of the
beginning of the course
75% if notice of cancellation is received 21-29 days in advance
50% if notice of cancellation is received 14-20 days in advance
25% if notice of cancellation is received 7-13 days in advance
No refunds can be made if notice of cancellation is received less than 7 days
before the beginning of the course.