Consulting Career
How can I learn to build a consulting financial model from scratch?
I want to practise building a business case for a new business: value drivers, assumptions and the Excel model itself. Most courses I find seem aimed at investment banking. What resources or practical approaches would help?
Ian’s Answer
It's great that you're looking at building up this skillset - it's very important/useful!
Most coaches will be able to support you in this.
Some other options include:
Courses on websites like Coursera, Udemy, or LinkedIn Learning: You can find a variety of courses related to financial modeling and business case development on these websites.
My old Stern MBA professor Damodaran also offers a free modeling/valuation class
MBB-specific resources: Some consulting firms like McKinsey, Bain, and BCG offer training programs for their employees. You can also look for books, videos, and other resources related to their specific methodologies.
Industry-specific resources: There are also resources specific to different industries that can provide insight on how to build financial models in that context.
Practical experience: The best way to improve is by doing. Try to get involved in projects that require financial modeling and business case development and use that as an opportunity to practice and refine your skills. Try to “create” scenarios and do them yourself