Real People Behind Real Results

Capital budgeting isn't about spreadsheets and formulas. Well, actually it is — but that's only part of the story. What really matters is understanding how businesses make decisions about where to put their money.

We've spent years working with Australian companies across Tasmania and the mainland, helping them figure out which projects deserve funding and which ones should wait. Sometimes the answer surprises everyone in the room.

Our approach combines traditional financial analysis with practical business sense. Because at the end of the day, even the most sophisticated NPV calculation won't help if it doesn't match reality on the ground.

Financial analysis workspace with capital budgeting documents

Finley Brandt

Lead Financial Analyst & Program Director

CFA, MCom (Finance) • 14 years in corporate finance • Former senior analyst at two ASX-listed companies

Started my career in 2011 at a mining company in Western Australia. Spent three years watching investment decisions play out in real time — some brilliant, others not so much. That's where I learned that textbook theory and actual business practice don't always align.

Moved to Launceston in 2016 and started consulting for smaller operations. Turns out, mid-sized businesses face the same capital allocation challenges as large corporations, just with fewer resources to work with. That gap always bothered me.

In 2019, I developed a training framework that strips away unnecessary complexity while keeping the analytical rigor intact. The goal was simple: teach people how to evaluate investment opportunities without requiring a finance degree first. We've refined that approach over the past six years based on feedback from participants who actually use these methods in their daily work.

These days I split time between consulting projects and running our education programs. The consulting work keeps me grounded in current business challenges, which directly shapes what we teach. Can't stand theory that doesn't translate to practice.

What We Actually Focus On

Our expertise comes from working through hundreds of real investment scenarios. Here's what we dig into most often with clients and program participants.

Investment Appraisal Methods

NPV, IRR, payback period — but more importantly, knowing when each method makes sense and when it doesn't. We teach the mechanics but focus heavily on interpretation and practical limitations.

Cash Flow Forecasting

Building realistic projections that account for Australian market conditions, seasonal variations, and operational realities. Less about perfect predictions, more about understanding ranges and scenarios.

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Risk Assessment Frameworks

Identifying what could go wrong before committing resources. We cover sensitivity analysis, scenario planning, and real options thinking — tools that help businesses make smarter decisions under uncertainty.

Portfolio Prioritization

When you have multiple projects competing for limited capital, how do you choose? We work through frameworks for comparing opportunities across different business units and time horizons.

Post-Investment Review

Learning from past decisions matters more than most companies realize. We help organizations build review processes that actually improve future investment outcomes.

Australian Tax Considerations

Capital allowances, depreciation schedules, R&D tax incentives — these significantly impact investment returns. We incorporate Australian tax implications into our analysis frameworks throughout.

Want to Learn This Approach?

Our next learning program starts September 2025. Designed for finance professionals, business owners, and anyone involved in investment decision-making.

View Program Details