Welcome to our online course series on SME lending! 

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in driving economic growth and job creation in any country. However, in many developing nations, SMEs still face challenges in accessing financial services, particularly credit.

In this series, we will delve into the significance of SMEs for a country's economy and the obstacles they encounter while seeking financial support. Various lending methodologies have been developed to address these challenges, including collateral-based lending, relationship lending, credit scoring, individual cash-flow based lending, or a combination of these approaches.

Specifically, our series will focus on the cash-flow based lending approach, which is designed to assess an SME's financial health based on its cash flow patterns and performance indicators. This approach helps lenders make informed decisions and provide tailored financial solutions to SMEs, promoting sustainable growth and reducing credit risks.

The series is divided into 6 self-contained courses, each exploring different aspects of cash-flow based lending. Participants have the flexibility to take individual units or complete the entire course, gaining comprehensive insights into SME lending practices and contributing to the economic prosperity of their nations.

Join us on this enlightening journey to enhance your understanding of SME lending and make a positive impact on the growth of small businesses and economies alike.

Qualitative Financial Analysis in SME Lending

This is the second course of 6 related to SME lending. To grasp SME lending operations in financial institutions, it's advised to join all 6 courses. However, they can be taken individually based on interest.

Introduction to Financial Analysis – the qualitative and quantitative Analysis
This chapter provides a course overview.

Application Screening
This unit covers application screening in SME lending, including among others eligibility criteria and exclusion list. The learning objective is to understand the process and important criteria involved in application screening, aiming to enhance cost-efficiency in SME lending operations and contribute to effective credit risk management.

Characteristics of Trade, Production and Service Businesses of SMEs
This module explores important strategic analysis tools, such as the Business Model Canvas, facilitating the understanding of business models, and the practical application of the value chain concept across trade, manufacturing, and service sectors. It focuses on key stages, stakeholders, and financial analysis considerations. The learning objective is to master the Business Model Canvas as a tool for visualizing business components and understanding its role in loans and risk assessment. Participants will be able to apply value chain analysis in the retail, manufacturing, and service sectors, including understanding the differences between the Business Model Canvas and value chain analysis and recognizing in which situations each tool is most appropriate.

The Non-Financial Analysis
Participants will gain insights into Porter's Five Forces Framework, which analyzes industry competitiveness. In addition, loan officers will develop the ability to evaluate various qualitative aspects such as the client's character, willingness to repay the loan, management skills, including operational, financial, and HR management, as well as business history and loan purpose. All these different aspects enable the loan officer to conduct a comprehensive qualitative analysis.

Interested in SME lending? Stay tuned for courses delving deeper into this dynamic field.

Course curriculum

    1. Introduction to the Course

    2. About the Instructors

    3. Intro Survey

    1. Unit 1 Resources

    2. Introduction to Financial Analysis - The Qualitative Part

      FREE PREVIEW

    1. Unit 2 Resources

    2. 2.1 Application Screening

    3. Quizzes for 2.1

    4. 2.2 Eligibility Criteria

    5. Quizzes for 2.2

    1. Unit 3 Resources

    2. 3.1 The Business Model Canvas

    3. Quizzes for 3.1

    4. 3.2 The Business Model Canvas Example

    5. The Practical Case: the Carpentry Workshop in Town

    6. Quizzes for 3.2 Part 1

    7. Quizzes for 3.2 Part 2

    8. 3.3 The Value Chain Analysis

    9. Quizzes for 3.3

    10. 3.4 The Value Chain of Trade

    11. Quizzes for 3.4

    12. 3.5 The Value Chain of Production

    13. Quizzes for 3.5

    14. 3.6 The Characteristics and Key Areas of Financial Analysis in Production

    15. Quizzes for 3.6

    16. 3.7 The Value Chain of Service Sector

    17. Quizzes for 3.7

    1. Unit 4 Resources

    2. 4.1 Market Position of SMEs - Porter's 5 Forces

    3. Quizzes for 4.1

    4. 4.2 The Cash Conversion Cycle

    5. Quizzes for 4.2

    6. 4.3 Other Aspects of the Non-Financial Analysis I

    7. Quizzes for 4.3

    8. 4.4 Other Aspects of the Non-Financial Analysis II

    9. Quizzes for 4.4

    10. 4.5 The Non-Financial Analysis Conclusion

    1. Final Quizzes (Graded: the passing grade is 60%, Total Question: 20)

    2. Post Survey

About this course

  • $25.00
  • 39 lessons
  • 1.5 hours of video content
  • Published: 28-Nov-2023

Instructor(s)

Financial Expert / Long-term Expert at DSIK Antje Kinder

Ms. Antje Kinder holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance and an MBA and looks back on a career of over 30 years in the financial sector. Her professional career began at a German Sparkasse where she worked for 15 years in various credit functions before moving abroad in 2009. Her international experience includes a three-and-a-half-year assignment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where she supported the credit risk department of ProCredit Bank Congo in the implementation of Basel II standards. Ms. Kinder then spent two years advising various banks in China on the introduction of SME lending, including the training of loan officers. She then spent seven years in Myanmar, where she advised the management of two microfinance institutions (MFIs), as well as banks on SME lending and green finance initiatives. In addition, she conducted various financial literacy programs and activities. Currently, Antje Kinder is actively involved in the development of online courses specializing in financial education, as well as the training of financial institution staff.

Long-term Expert at DSIK Laura Scialo

Ms. Laura Scialo holds a degree in business psychology and sustainable development cooperation. In 2008 she started working with a German Sparkasse as a private customer advisor. Later in her career, she was working as a Project- and Process Manager, evaluating corporate business processes to align outcomes with strategic goals and the corporate vision of her Sparkasse. In 2018 Ms. Scialo joined German Sparkassenstiftung where she was working as a Technical Advisor in Ghana, developing Training Courses for Board Members and Managers of Microfinance Institutions. In 2020 Ms. Scialo became the Project Manager for the Implementation of a Knowledge Management for German Sparkassenstiftung. After the successful Project implementation Ms. Scialo went to Bhutan where she is currently working as the Country Representative of DSIK in a project to strengthen the institutional capacity of selected formal and informal financial organizations in rural areas.