A friend asked me today to send him an email that answered two basic questions.

What are you looking for in terms of leads and referrals?

 What can I tell my contacts you will do for them?  

His intent was to make sure he knew what I wanted him to do for me and to make sure he could explain to others what I can do to help them.  I thought that was a pretty reasonable request and I jumped right on it.  Here are my answers.

Leads

An ideal lead for me is a warm contact with a professional service provider ( such as a CPA, attorney, banker, insurance, HR, systems, M&A, equity source or other similar role) that has privately owned small to midmarket clients that may need assistance with any traditional responsibilities of a CFO. While my objective is to get an opportunity to talk to owners of companies, I find that such conversations are much more productive if they occur due to a suggestion from a trusted advisor.

I am always looking for opportunities to speak to business owners individually or in groups about the benefits of using a part-time B2B CFO®.

What I do

Our website has a copy of my bio that tells who I am, and provides a good explanation of what we do and how we work in general terms.  Below are some more specific examples of how my involvement can be a direct benefit not just to the client but to the other professionals as well.

For the bankers I can help their current or prospective clients:

• Produce real GAAP financials,
• Clean up accounting problems,
• Get into compliance with covenants,
• Provide competent cash flow projections,
• Develop well structured and supported plans,
• Prepare and present bank credit package,
• Provide the financial knowledge to request the appropriate credit vehicles and banking services, and
• Recognize the need for credit facilities.

For the CPA's, I help them service their clients by:

• Digging in to complex problems,
• Performing orderly monthly closes throughout the year,
• Preparing for audits, reviews and tax returns,
• Implementing their recommendations, and
• Allowing them to perform within their proposed fee structures.

For the attorneys, I help them better serve their clients by:

• Providing the accounting, financial and administrative follow-through on transactions,
• Organizing, analyzing and presenting the business case for planned transactions, and
• Grounding the entrepreneur with the required accounting and tax rules.

For shareholders or prospective equity providers, I can help them by:

• Providing timely, accurate and competent financials,
• Developing and implementing necessary corporate governance, and
• Keeping the CEO focused on finding business not minding the business.

For the CEO, I help them with:

• All the above.
• Getting them the cash they need to do what they want to do,
• Time to do their job,
• Peace of mind that the fundamentals are covered, and
• Be a source for sound financial counsel that understands and knows their business.

I hope the above is useful and I would greatly appreciate and welcome any feedback.