FINC 328 at the University of Maryland Global Campus is a three-credit, project-driven study of small business and entrepreneurial finance. It covers the financial tools needed to develop a venture from start-up through growth and maturity.
The catalog lists topics including financial statement analysis, capital acquisition, legal and regulatory compliance, budgeting, forecasting, and client and vendor relationships. Projects include creating a financial plan and completing a loan application, and discussion covers contemporary issues in finance.
The difficulty is making numbers believable. A plan for a business that does not yet exist depends on assumptions, and the best work shows where each came from and what happens if it is wrong.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
| Course code | FINC 328 |
| Credits | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Prerequisite | None listed in the catalog |
| Projects named | A financial plan and a loan application |
What FINC 328 Covers
| Catalog topic | How it appears in practice |
|---|---|
| Financial statement analysis | Reading a small firm's income statement, balance sheet and cash flows |
| Capital acquisition | Choosing between owner funds, loans and outside investment |
| Legal and regulatory compliance | Meeting obligations that affect cost and structure |
| Budgeting and forecasting | Projecting sales, costs and cash needs |
| Client and vendor relationships | Credit terms and their effect on cash |
| Contemporary finance issues | Current developments affecting small firms |
Key Concepts with Worked Examples
Cash Flow Versus Profit
A profitable small business can still run out of cash if customers pay slowly or inventory ties up money. Cash forecasts show timing, not just totals.
Example: A firm sells $20,000 in a month on 30-day terms but pays $14,000 of costs immediately. Profit is $6,000, yet cash is negative $14,000 until customers pay. A line of credit or earlier payment terms may be needed to bridge the gap.
Breakeven for a Start-up
Breakeven sales equal fixed costs divided by the contribution margin ratio.
Example: Fixed costs are $6,000 a month and variable costs are 40 percent of sales, so the contribution margin ratio is 60 percent. Breakeven sales are 6,000 / 0.60 = $10,000 a month.
What a Lender Wants
A loan application usually needs a clear purpose, a repayment source, supporting forecasts and an explanation of risk. Present realistic cash flow that covers the payments with a margin of safety.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
Beyond the financial plan and loan application named in the catalog, UMGC's public page lists no assessments. This table shows how to approach the projects; follow your syllabus.
| Assignment type | What it tests | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Financial statement analysis | Interpreting numbers | Pick key ratios and explain what they show |
| Financial plan | Forecasting and budgeting | List assumptions, build monthly cash flow, add a downside case |
| Loan application | Making a persuasive financial case | Show purpose, repayment capacity and risk controls |
| Discussion of finance issues | Current awareness | Use recent, cited sources |
Building the First-Year Financial Plan
A first-year plan for a small venture can follow the sequence below. Adjust it to your instructions.
| Part | Contents |
|---|---|
| Start-up costs | One-off spending: equipment, licenses, deposits, opening stock |
| Sales forecast | Monthly units and prices with stated reasons |
| Operating budget | Variable and fixed costs, owner pay |
| Cash flow | Timing of receipts and payments, funding gap |
| Funding request | Amount, use of funds, repayment plan |
| Risks | What if sales are 20 percent lower? |
Link the last two rows directly: a lender will look for evidence that repayments survive a bad quarter.
A Second Example: Working Capital for Growth
A café plans to raise monthly sales from $20,000 to $30,000. Inventory and supplies run at about 25 percent of sales and are paid for a week before they are used, while customers pay at once by card.
The extra stock needed is modest, but a larger business also needs more staff hours, more cash in the till and a buffer for slow weeks. A good plan shows the funding need month by month and does not assume that higher sales automatically pay for themselves immediately.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Optimistic sales. Base forecasts on stated evidence such as market size or comparable firms.
- Forgetting working capital. Inventory and receivables absorb cash.
- Missing compliance costs. Licenses, taxes and insurance belong in the budget.
- A loan request without repayment logic. Show where the cash to repay comes from.
Study Tips for FINC 328
- Pick a business idea you understand well enough to estimate costs.
- Build a monthly cash flow model for the first year.
- Run best, base and worst cases and comment on each.
- Keep a list of every assumption with its source.
How We Help with FINC 328
Send the instructions, your business idea and the rubric. A finance writer can prepare a custom worked plan or application, or review your drafts for logic, structure and arithmetic. See the finance assignment help guide for more.
GradeEssays is independent of the University of Maryland Global Campus. Our work is for study and reference; complete and submit your own work under UMGC's academic integrity policy. Orders are written from scratch, with free revisions within the scope of your original request and a full refund if late.
Get Your FINC 328 Projects in Shape
Share the instructions and draft. A finance writer prepares a model financial plan or reviews yours with clear feedback.
Start My FINC 328 HelpFree revisions · Full refund if late · Written from scratch for your order
Frequently Asked Questions
The UMGC catalog entry lists none; confirm with your program.
The catalog names creating a financial plan and completing a loan application.
It also suits financial managers in small firms; the catalog refers to entrepreneurs and financial managers.
Follow your instructions; use a realistic idea you can estimate costs for.
FINC 330 is general business finance with prerequisites; FINC 328 is project-driven and focused on small ventures.
Yes. We can review clarity, logic and numbers and explain any changes.