Economics for Business Leaders

Course details

Learn how business leaders and executives use the most important economic data and reports when making strategic decisions. In this course, economics and finance expert Jason Schenker explores over a dozen critical data series and reports to watch closely when making planning, investment, and long-term strategic management decisions. Learn how to read and monitor reports about GDP, inflation, jobs, retail sales, and more. Plus, see how economic changes have short- and long-term impacts on the way you do business. Jason also explains how to track government spending and policies, Fed decisions, and other critical data that leaders use to keep up with changing economic conditions. Armed with the knowledge gained from this course, business leaders will be equipped to discuss how economic data, events, and policies have real-world business implications. This course can also help learners make better business decisions and lead their companies—and careers—in the right direction.

Topics include:
Explain the relationships between types of economic data and decision-making.
Describe how to deduce impacts from economic data.
Define the components of GDP.
Explain the significance of inflation in business.
Describe the relationships between inflation, wages, and unemployment.
Explain the role of the Fed in lending and the business climate.
Describe how to assess imminent risks in the credit system.
Explain how demographic data can be used to make business decisions.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - How the economy impacts your business

1. Strategic Planning

02 - Economics as a decision-making guide
03 - Articulating economic impacts

2. The Most Important Economic Growth Indicators

04 - Using economics jobs data
05 - Breaking down GDP
06 - Using retail sales data
07 - The importance of consumer and business confidence

3. The Most Important Cost Reports

08 - The costs and benefits of consumer inflation
09 - Producer inflation impacts on corporate profits
10 - Wage inflation impacts on business

4. The Most Important Policy Reports

11 - Tracking Fed decisions
12 - Taxes and government spending
13 - The IMF and key policy signals
14 - Watch the OCC and FDIC for critical warnings

5. Other Critical Data

15 - Demographics and future economic outlooks
16 - Making comparisons
17 - Game theory and optimization

Conclusion

18 - Keeping your finger on the pulse