Risk Management

Course overview

Small businesses rarely fail because of one dramatic event. They fail because of risks that were visible for months: one customer who is half of sales, cash that runs out in a slow quarter, a key person who leaves, a laptop with no backup.

This course gives you a structured way to find those risks, score them, decide what to do and review them every quarter. It covers cash flow, continuity, technology and data, and the questions to bring to your lawyer, accountant or insurance broker.

What you will learn

• Run a structured sweep of strategic, financial, operational and data risks
• Score risks by likelihood and impact in a risk register
• Build a 13-week cash flow forecast
• Write a one-page business continuity plan
• Set up a quarterly risk review with early warning indicators

The 8 lessons

Every lesson is unlocked the moment you pay. Each one explains a method, shows a worked example and ends with a task.

1. 01

   Start here: what risk means in a small business

   You will be able to describe risk in terms of your own objectives, name the four ways to respond to a risk and choose which lessons of this course matter most for your stage.

   11 min read

2. 02

   Identifying risks: a structured sweep

   You will be able to run a structured sweep across seven areas of your business and end with a written list of risks phrased so they can be scored and managed.

   12 min read

3. 03

   Assessing risks: likelihood, impact and the matrix

   You will be able to score each risk on likelihood and impact using scales tied to your own figures, decide which risks need action using your risk appetite, and give each one an owner.

   13 min read

4. 04

   Financial risk: cash, concentration and late payment

   You will be able to build and update a 13-week cash flow forecast, measure how much you depend on your largest customers and set up a routine that reduces late payment.

   14 min read

5. 05

   Operational risk and business continuity

   You will be able to find the single points of failure among your people, suppliers and equipment, reduce the most serious ones and write a one-page continuity plan.

   13 min read

6. 06

   Technology and data risk: the essentials

   You will be able to check your backups, secure your most important accounts, reduce fraud by email, control access when people leave and know the first steps if personal data is exposed.

   13 min read

7. 07

   Contracts, compliance and insurance: when to ask

   You will be able to read your important contracts for the points that create risk, list the rules and insurance questions that apply to you, and prepare focused questions for a lawyer, accountant or insurance broker.

   13 min read

8. 08

   Your risk routine: owners, reviews and warning signs

   You will be able to set up a weekly, monthly and quarterly risk routine with named owners, track a handful of key risk indicators and run a quarterly review that ends in decisions.

   13 min read

Templates included

You copy these into your own spreadsheet and fill them in as you go:

• Risk starting self-check
• Risk identification sweep
• Risk register
• 13-week cash flow forecast
• Business continuity plan
• Security checklist
• Questions for your adviser
• Quarterly risk review

Who it is for

• Owners who want to sleep better without a compliance department
• Managers responsible for operations, finance or IT in a small company
• Founders preparing for growth, investment or a bank loan

How you receive it

Straight after payment you get a button to open your library and an email with your personal link. There is no account to create and no app to install.

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The courses are business education, not legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment advice. Professional disclaimer.