INSIGHTS & ARTICLES
Explore some of the most recent articles by our CFOs.
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Maximize Your Return on Invested Capital
ROIC measures how efficiently a company uses its capital to generate profits. It answers the fundamental question: “Are we getting the best possible returns for the capital we’ve invested in the business?”
RECENT INSIGHTS & ARTICLES
Choosing a Retirement Plan that Attracts Talent
Choosing a retirement plan for your small business can be intimidating, requiring you to choose an IRS structure, an administrating recordkeeper, and investment options. Step 1 Choosing an IRS structure is the first step, and you likely already have one selected. If...
Making Money Part 4: Cash Flow Statements
This is the fourth of four articles on Making Money. Making Money Part One: Don’t Let Work Get in the Way argued that ‘Cost of Goods Sold’ activities should come first. Making Money Part Two: Net Profit described ways use income statements to make more money. Making...
5 (Legal) Tax Shelters, by Forbes’ William Baldwin
William Baldwin outlines 401(K), 529, Municipal Bonds, Master limited partnerships, and The Loss Harvest. Click Here --> 5 (Legal) Tax Shelters, by Forbes' William Baldwin
Making Money Part 3: Balance Sheets
This is the third of four articles on Making Money. Making Money Part One: Don’t Let Work Get in the Way argued that ‘Cost of Goods Sold’ activities should come first. Making Money Part Two: Net Profit described ways to use income statements to make more money....
Energy Management is the New Time Management
Time management is a good way to gain control of your activities. Energy management is even better. Both types of management attempt to build self-control. Measuring time allows us to measure ourselves, and that’s an essential activity. In the words of Peter Drucker,...
3 Easy Steps to Evaluate Your Pricing Strategy
A friend of mine was once asked in a job interview to develop a value of a particular chair in the room. My friend proceeded to use different financial valuation techniques, including sum of parts, trying to account for the price of the materials used to make it....
Making Money Part 2
This is the second of four articles on Making Money. Making Money Part One: Don’t Let Work Get in the Way argued that ‘Cost of Goods Sold’ activities should come first. This article will explore how you can use your income statement to make more money. The following...
Brand Valuations & Building Brand Value
Finance and marketing don’t always play well together, but sometimes they’re inseparable. One of those inseparable moments is brand valuation - assigning a dollar value to the identity of a company, business unit, or product line. Placing a dollar amount on a brand is...
“Don’t Let Work Get in the Way of Making Money” – Make Money, Part 1
Eliyahu M. Goldratt was an Israeli physicist who studied business management and manufacturing operations. He built his reputation as a manager on the importance of identifying and adapting to the operational bottleneck, which he described using the auspicious name...
Financial Officer Functions – Knowing When to Call in the Big Guns
One obstacle to asking for help is knowing that one needs to. This article outlines the functions and competencies of a CFO, allowing you to measure the effectiveness of your current approach. If you find holes in your approach, a smart next step is to ask for help...
12 Questions to Improve Employee Retention
In the current business environment, we see more employee mobility than ever before. It seems that professionals jump from one job, or even career, to another before they can even get their 401K set up. This may seem like an exaggeration, but everyone reading this...
Achieving True Diversification Through Core Competency
This is the third of three articles on Diversification for founding entrepreneurs. Part One, Diversification vs Di-worse-ification, argued that diversification is not always a positive move and that careful analysis should be applied to any diversification decision. ...
Remember that Time is Money
The first piece of advice given by Benjamin Franklin in Advice to a Young Tradesman is: “Remember that Time is Money.” Despite having long ago become a cliche, “Time is Money” remains a succinct summary of an important financial concept that must be mastered by any...
How to Transform Your Business with the Right Product Mix
Smith and Wesson has long been a strong, recognized brand for handguns, with the added benefit of a strong customer base. In 2002, however, the company unsuccessfully launched a line of mountain bikes that soon turned into a flop. Customers had said in a survey that...
7 Reasons Convertible Notes Are Your Worst Option
This is the third of three articles on Convertible Notes for founding entrepreneurs. Convertible Notes Part One: The Basics defined what a Convertible Note is and compared it to Preferred Stock. Convertible Notes Part Two: The Crucial Details examined how negotiations...
Diversification Part 2: 5 Ways to Diversify your Revenue Base
This is the second of three articles on Diversification for founding entrepreneurs. Part One, Diversification vs Di-worse-ification, argued that diversification is not always a positive move and that careful analysis should be applied to any diversification decision. ...
Sales Mean Nothing Today. Profits Are Everything
Recently, my spouse and I went into the Apple store to upgrade from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 6. It was fairly routine until our kindly Apple professional informed us that we would have to walk several stores down to AT&T to smooth something over with our...
The Crucial Yet Commonly Misunderstood Details Behind Convertible Notes – Part 2 of 3
This is the second of three articles on Convertible Notes for founding entrepreneurs. Convertible Notes Part One: The Basics defined what a Convertible Note is and compared it to Preferred Stock. This article will examine how negotiations arrive at Convertible Notes....
3 Easy Ways to Delegate More Efficiently
How often do you become frustrated at the number of to-do’s on your calendar and the lack of time? Business has become faster than ever, and it’s even more demanding if you are an entrepreneur and trying to grow a small company. Delegation is something that often gets...
Unlocking the IPO Part 2: Understanding the Process
Navigating the Maze: IPO Since initial public offerings are one of the lesser understood financial transactions, this blog is meant to explain them in a simple and straight-forward way. Our previous blog explained some important prerequisites to consider prior to an...
Navigating Twitter as an Entrepreneur: Who to Watch and What You’ll Learn
Creating a presence on social media is not always as easy as registering a Twitter handle. For some startups, especially those bootstrapping, finding the manpower and hours in a day to stop and send out a tweet or two is a real challenge. Others struggle figuring out...