Finance is the lifeblood of any business. Whatever the business goals and objectives, financial return is a priority. A business is commonly viewed as operating from year to year by its stakeholders, financial institutions, and by investors. Each year, a business prepares to go on a journey. Successful, energetic businesses have a clear idea of what the destination is going to be. A map provides essential reference points along the way, helping the business to maintain direction and financial momentum. Financial reference points are produced by a budget. These reference points are expressed in financial terms, based on a mix of historical data, forecasts, assumptions, and estimates. In this course, we introduce you to the fundamentals of budgeting. We talk about how changes in management techniques, the business environment, economies, and technology are reflected in the changes in budgeting, and how the basics of budgeting are important to any business, large or small.