It’s year-end. You’ve likely been focused on critical Q4 initiatives, such as completing financial projects, providing restructuring solutions or developing budgets. For many CFOs, you’ve likely spent the past few months working on the 2016 budget, so it’s time to get back to business. While you were focused on budgets, reviews and projections, your employees …
Category Archives: Finance
17
Nov
Nov
The majority of business turnaround books are written by executives who have fixed Fortune 500 companies. These individuals implement business turnarounds by cutting large numbers of employees, tapping pension funds, getting banks to infuse capital and selling off assets to raise cash and decrease debt. However, few small- and mid-size companies can make such dramatic …
30
Sep
Sep
As a business leader, time is often of the essence. Whether you need to implement quickly or want to free up your employees for other projects, it can be difficult to make the decision to invest additional time and resources into an already labor-intensive project like an audit. However, that extra investment into preparing for …
15
Sep
Sep
When a company hits turbulent times, there will likely be people on the sidelines advising you that it is time to throw in the towel, give up or shut it down. However, the companies that survive are usually the ones that don’t hear the noise and refuse to accept the negativity. These companies will change …
03
Sep
Sep
Everyone wants to communicate good news. We want to hear positive feedback and maybe a few accolades for a job well done, but what happens when you have to share poor news or just plain bad news? Did your communication skills just slip out the back door? Did your self-esteem slide out with them? So …
31
Aug
Aug
Recently, I presented the webinar, “Expense Planning: Understanding the Sensibility of Cash.” We covered a variety of topics, including expense characteristics, where expenses are found, expense types for planning and planning methodologies. Expense Characteristics While all companies strive to minimize expenses wherever possible, business can operate within varying cost structures. Yet regardless of the cost …
23
Jul
Jul
In today’s economic climate, interim CFOs tasked with a business turnaround must immediately consider whether the company has sufficient resources to withstand a downturn. They must ask, “Can the company withstand a serious competitive attack and respond by funding alternative investments to ensure survival and growth?” Essential qualities of an interim CFO are substantial change management …
21
May
May
Looking For Cash in All the Wrong Places Whenever a company needs working capital, turning to outside sources seems to be the first thing they do. But looking to the outside is more time consuming and expensive than finding the necessary capital within the company. An analysis of the financial statements is always the place …
07
May
May
Recently, I presented to a Vistage Key Group and spoke on how the balance sheet enables business owners to better understand the health and well-being of their companies. Originally, I had developed this presentation upon soliciting ideas for presentation topics from entrepreneurs. What I found was that while many understand income statements and cash balances, …
21
Apr
Apr
As a business owner or CEO, you likely wear multiple hats at your company—from driving revenue and closing deals to managing client relationships and mediating employee issues. However, one important aspect to running a business is having the ability to successfully manage and oversee the company’s financials, including where to obtain, spend and save money. …