Understanding the Financial Educational Needs of Entrepreneurs: A Survey of Entrepreneurs and Financial Advisors‪.‬

ABSTRACT Finance is a crucial topic for nascent entrepreneurs to study, as appropriate financial planning and management are essential for survival and success. The current study addresses 30 finance topics commonly taught in university courses. Both practicing entrepreneurs and various types of financial advisors evaluated each topic regarding its level of importance for inclusion in entrepreneurial finance courses. All 30 topics were considered at least "fairly important" for inclusion by both groups. However, some important differences did emerge between the two groups. Entrepreneurs felt six of the topics are significantly more important than did the financial advisors. Financial advisors felt only one topic, forecasting and financial statements, to be significantly more important than did entrepreneurs.