A Checklist For Increasing Profits

Paul R. Shackford — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:51:34 +0100

We’re wrapping up the Summer of 2010, and that means one thing. You should now begin planning your 2011 budget. While 2011 may be a better year for your business, you should not assume so without first carefully looking at your business, your competition, and your customers. At a minimum, prepare a contingency plan . . . but more about that in a future article.

Increasing Company Value – Chapter 8

Terry J. Eve — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

The theme of my Blogs for this year is what I would include in a book about small business finance and accounting. This month I discuss increasing company value.

Company value has two basic components, Intrinsic and Extrinsic value drivers. Company value is ultimately determined by a multiple of anticipated cash flows, typically defined as EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, DepreciatioRead More...

The Aha Moment – A Lesson Learned from Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals

Edward Baloga — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:25:46 +0100

Stephen Strasburg, a much heralded rookie pitcher for the Washington Nationals, who came up to the major leagues earlier this year, may undergo Tommy John surgery. Sports Illustrated described Strasburg as “most hyped and closely watched pitching prospect in the history of baseball.” Some people even argued that he should have been selected to the National League All-Start Team despite being in the majors for only a fRead More...

Planning Your Exit Despite This Tough Economy

Frank M Mancieri — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:28:44 +0100

It was recently said that talking to business owners about long-term planning in today’s economic environment is a bit like a doctor telling a critically wounded patient in an emergency room that ‘they need to exercise more and watch their diet to be healthy’. Of course, the emergency room patient is mostly focused on their short-term needs, such as fixing whatever put them in the emergency room so that they can go into a Read More...

When Cash Flow is Tight

Mark R. Johnson — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:39:10 +0100

In our current economy, the lack of cash flow has become all too common with small business owners. In normal times when cash is plentiful and liquidity is good there is less concern with the weekly cash requirements for paying vendors, payroll and creditors. However as the downturn in the economy impacts more and more businesses the need to manage cash flow and find creative solutions to keep business operating as expected.

Here are some tips I have learned in the receRead More...

We don't know what we don't know!

Ronald W. Baker — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Today's world moves at warp speed. With all the information and technology at our disposal, weeding through what's important and what's not takes a lot of time. Further, with this explosion of information, many functions and tasks in business have become increasingly complex. Most successful business owners have motivation, inspiration, and a strong work ethic. They became very good at making things or delivering services to their customers better tRead More...

The advantage of business incubators

Jim Ethell — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

The following link takes you to a very interesting article by Sarah Needleman of the Wall Street Journal. It talks about the advantages offered to start-up organizations through participation in incubator programs.

Entrepreneurs Find New Way to Grow

Why CFO's love BPM

Jim Ethell — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Here's a very good blog entry on the benefits that can be derived from business process management. It really fits with most business.

http://blog.bplogix.com/2010/05/why-cfos-love-bpm.html

B2B CFO Named in Prestigious INC. 5000 List

Mark R. Johnson — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:22:03 +0100

B2B CFO NAMED IN PRESTIGIOUS INC. 5000 LIST

184% Growth Earns B2B CFO Spot in the 2010 List of Fastest Growing Companies in America

B2B CFO NAMED IN PRESTIGIOUS INC. 5000 LIST

184% Growth Earns B2B CFO Spot in the 2010 List of Fastest Growing Companies in America

Phoenix, Ariz. August 24, 2010 — B2B CFO, nation’s largest provider of CFO services to small businesses, has been named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in America.

Now in its 29th year, Inc. Magazine’s annual Read More...

B2B CFO® Named to Inc 5000

Alan G. Lefkowitz — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:26:25 +0100

B2B CFO NAMED IN PRESTIGIOUS INC. 5000 LIST

184% Growth Earns B2B CFO Spot in the 2010 List of Fastest Growing Companies in America

Phoenix, Ariz. August 24, 2010 — B2B CFO, nation’s largest provider of CFO services to small businesses, has been named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in America.

Now in its 29th year, InRead More...

B2B CFO NAMED IN PRESTIGIOUS INC. 5000 LIST

Douglas S. Jones — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:26:17 +0100

Exciting news just released!

184% Growth Earns B2B CFO Spot in the 2010 List of Fastest Growing Companies in America

Phoenix, Ariz. August 24, 2010 — B2B CFO, nation’s largest provider of CFO services to small businesses, has been named tRead More...

B2B CFO NAMED IN PRESTIGIOUS INC. 5000 LIST

Paul R. Shackford — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:41:27 +0100

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT

Ania Kubicki

B2B CFO NAMED IN PRESTIGIOUS INC. 500|5000 LIST

184% Growth Earns B2B CFO Spot in the 2010 List of Fastest Growing Companies in America

Phoenix, Ariz. August 24, 2010 &mRead More...

B2B CFO NAMED TO INC MAGAZINES FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES

Steven P. Schertz, CPA — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:21:20 +0100

B2B CFO NAMED IN PRESTIGIOUS INC. 5000 LIST

184% Growth Earns B2B CFO Spot in the 2010 List of Fastest Growing Companies in America

Phoenix, Ariz. August 24, 2010 &mdashRead More...

Planning Your Exit Strategy

Richard Allen Foster — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

"Begin with the end in mind," says Stephen Covey in his book, "The Seven Habits of Successful Living." Those who have created a successful business know it does not happen without planning, hard work, and luck. Yet many have no exit plan for leaving their business.

Have you just about run out of ideas to increase your sales? How about some financial strategies! Here are some I use:

Work with the CEO/owner to increase the amount of time they are spending on sales. The CEO has more punch with customers and potentiaRead More...

George Bergmark, Partner - B2B CFO, interviewed on The Business Hour with Ron Comacho

George H Bergmark — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:19:32 +0100

Host Ron Comacho speaks with George Bergmark III of B2B CFO, which connects small to mid-sized businesses with CFO resources that can provide the expertise and insight of a CFO without having to retain the resource on a full-time basis.

The New Adventure Begins!

Jim Ethell — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

About six weeks ago I found myself in a position of looking for the best way to put the skills I've been working on through out my career to work for small to mid-sized organizations. A very good friend suggested I check out B2B CFO. I did and I liked what I saw. I continued checking and I couldn't find any real negatives to joining the organization.

I did my due diligence. Talked to a number of partners, searched the organization out on the internet, looked at Read More...

Hidden Cash Lying Around the Office

Stuart Lipkin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:26:05 +0100

I would like to thank Ken Brice of CFO Resources for writing this article and allowing me to showcase his work by contributing it to my blog. Ken can be reached at KenBrice@CFOResources.com.

Did you know there are programs that the government has set up to incentivized companies to hire? Of course there’s the highly visible HIRE program which was signed into law on March 18, 2010 by President Obama. Even though it received a lot of press, many companies arRead More...

The ABC’s of Understanding Financial Statements (Part 4 of 4) – Statement of Cash Flows

Stuart Lipkin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 23:12:16 +0100

As discussed in the first of the 4 articles (The ABC's of Understanding Financial Statements-Part 1 of 4), there are always three main components to every financial statement. They are:

Balance Sheet
Statement of Income
Statement of Cash Flows

This article will focus on the Statement of Cash Flows. For further information related to the Balance Sheet or Statement of Income, please refer to my blog page.

Similar to the Statement of Income (aka Profit & Loss StatRead More...

Is it itme to Outsource?

Wendy Nelson — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 02:01:38 +0100

When I meet with potential clients, among the first things I try to understand is whether or not they are ready for a little help. As a start up business, the owner typically takes on a lot of responsibility, managing multiple disciplines simultaneously. They put long hours, energy and resources into the launch and early growth of their new business.

The business will (hopefully)Read More...

Part-time CFO vs. Interim/Temporary CFO

Grant Brisacher — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

I’m often asked by prospective clients, bankers, CPA’s, attorneys and other referral sources about the differences between a B2B CFO® and other temporary or interim solutions such as Tatum or similar type firms.

Usually I start out by simply stating that we (B2B CFO®) are a “long-term, part-time” solution where as Tatum or other interim solutions are a “short-term, full time solution”. After that statemeRead More...

New Bank Wanted

Kurt W. Altergott — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 06:07:37 +0100

Reprint of Article Appearing in CFO.com on August 11, 2010

New Bank Wanted

By VINCENT RYAN

I am often asked this question by business owners who use Quickbooks and are not sure which is better the cash or accrual method for reporting their business results. The general rule is that cash basis accounting is simpler to understand and consistent with most taxpayers income tax filings. As businesses grow and their operations become more complex with customer accounts receivable and vendor payables the accrual method is preferabRead More...

Planning for 2011

Wendy Nelson — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 02:59:58 +0100

As we approach the end of summer, my mind turns to the annual plan. I have begun to formulate strategies and consider the best approach for this year’s budget; there are a few things that really jump to mind:

1. Revenue Growth: A few years ago, we used to think that estimatingRead More...

What Keeps you Awake at Night?

Frank J. Gnisci — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 01:21:44 +0100

Starting out, the new business was stressful, but fun. There was not enough money or time, but things seemed to get done. Most of the time was spent taking care of the customers. There was a lot of satisfaction knowing that we could not only find customers but we could also do a better job than our competition. Looking back, words such as “excitement,” “fun,” and “surpassing the competitors,” were words that we used to use with the few employees we had.

Why the balance sheet is important to the business owner?

Mark R. Johnson — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:14:47 +0100

The balance sheet is an often overlooked and misunderstood financial statement. It is not as sexy and often considered less important because the income statement which shows the profit and loss is where the action is in the financial statement world. Some important focus areas I point out to my client when we review the balance sheet each month include:

In the short term we are all dead.

Randal Suttles — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0100

This monthly article is dedicated to my friends in banking who deal with struggling small businesses that have misused short term debt.

It is about debt. Short term debt. It can be a business killer.

IRead More...

Outsourcing Important Functions in Your Company: Part II

Paul R. Shackford — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 03:30:35 +0100

In last month’s eNewsletter I wrote about outsourcing senior executive positions in your company. In this month’s edition I want to talk about a few other positions that can be outsourced.

First of all, why outsource? Isn’t it better to have an employee who only works for you, and who can spend all of hRead More...

Outsourcing Senior Executive Positions in Your Company

Larry J. Strauss — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:34:47 +0100

"Why Do I Need to Outsource Anything?"

Now, that's a good question. After all, you're probably an entrepreneur and, as such, you are a successful individual who can handle many different aspects of the company. You came up with the initial concept of your company, right? And perhaps you built it from the ground up. You are also the best salesperson for the company. SurRead More...

THE PROCESS OF PROCESS

Steven P. Schertz, CPA — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:14:52 +0100

Many business owners operate their organizations with processes, some think that they do. They create process which, at times are based on flawed logic. The flaw originates from their experiences as a Technician[1] rather than from learned experiences from professionals whose expertise comes from years of reviewing, creating and implementing process.

Business Owners intuitively understand thRead More...

New Employee Selection . . . . . . Attitude or Skill Set?

Rick Alan Daigle — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:11:13 +0100

In the course of working with my clients I am often asked to help with personnel issues ranging from hiring, to termination, to rehabilitation and everything in between. In the markets we serve, which are the owners of SMBs, it is more likely than not there will be no HR department, or anyone in the company with the experience and skills to handle the variety of people issues which arise. Because my experience includes over 25 years in corporatioRead More...

Timely and Accurate Financial Reporting – Chapter 7

Terry J. Eve — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0100

The theme of my Blogs for this year is what I would include in a book about small business finance and accounting. This month I discuss accurate and timely financial reporting.

One thing I consistently see in well run companies is accurate and timely financial reporting. Among other things this increases the intrinsic value of the company. Why is this important and how is this accomplished? Read More...

Where’s the Beef?

Edward Baloga — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:08:32 +0100

This memorable line spoken by Clara Peller of Wendy’s fame came to our attention in January 1984. The campaign ended the following year. It referred to an imaginary competitor’s enormous looking hamburger. In fact, that bun only had a minuscule hamburger patty inside. The line even made its way into politics during the 1984 presidential election.

So You Want To Sell Your Business

Philip E. Elworth — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:08:21 +0100

So You Want To Sell Your Business

As the baby boomer generation approaches 60 more and more business owners will begin to look at the option of selling their business as a way to finance their retirement plans. One critical aspect of this process is the valuation of the business from a markRead More...

Structuring for Business Growth

Richard Allen Foster — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0100

The Danger Zone in business occurs when "the cash needs of the company greatly exceed cash availability." Although cash flow problems can occur at any point in the business cycle, there are predictable problems at each phase of the cycle which can slow the growth of a company. By anticipating some of these problems, coRead More...

My First Year with the Firm

Christopher L. James — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:00:54 +0100

It has been an exciting year for the Partnership and for me. This month I am celebrating my one year anniversary as a Partner with B2B CFO®. I wanted to share some of the successes of my clients. In addition to these achievements, I have had the opportunity to meet some great people in the DFW area and expand my network. It truly has been a great year.

I am working with several clients who are cash challenged at this time of year. We are carefully reviewing the P&L on a regular basis to identify any opportunity to reduce costs and conserve cash.

Cash management is so critical to the operation of any business. The proper use of cash will provide a business ownRead More...

Where is your profitability hiding?

Wendy Nelson — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:23:59 +0100

I’ve been spending some time lately analyzing gross profit $’s and margin %’s. It’s interesting, because even if it’s trending in a relatively flat line, you may not be seeing the whole picture from 30,000 feet. Whether you see your gross margin increasing, decreasing, or holding steady, you may want to do a little research to determine if the results are truly what they should be. The issue is thaRead More...

Losers?

Ronald W. Baker — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:03:20 +0100

Do you know where you make your money? Do you know which of your products and services are most profitable and which are marginal or even lose money? If you think you know this (and you should!), are you sure your data is accurate? When was the last time you updated or reviewed your product cost information or your job routings and bills of material? Are you making bad decisions because of faulty data? Although someRead More...

Transfer Options: Beyond the Outright Sale

Frank M Mancieri — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:33:08 +0100

Transfer Options: Beyond the Outright Sale

It’s nice to have options. Haven’t we all heard that before? It’s something many business owners would probably say and sigh with relief when they realize that ‘selling’ a business isn’t the only way to exit that business. In this article, we’ll dispel this myth and talk about the many options available to exiting business owners.

According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), businesses lose an average of 6% of revenue each year to fraud, totaling some $3 trillion lost globally every year. ACFE believes fraud could account for as much as one-third of the business failures in the United States. Embezzlement is the number one financial crime and has been for the past thirty years, according to the FBI. The average embezzlement lasts 18 Read More...

Part-time CFO services - What are they and why do I need them?

Joseph C. Worth partner B2B CFO — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:40:49 +0100

What does a CFO do and how can a part-time CFO serve the needs of a business owner?

Many of the day-to-day responsibilities of a full-time CFO are executive management responsibilities that overlap with the other executives in the company. Any great team has outstanding role players that can also fulfill the other roles as needed. However, the specific financial discipline and skills a CFO brings to the table are specialized and can distract other executives from their roleRead More...

To Get a Business Loan, Know How the Bank Thinks

Joseph C. Worth partner B2B CFO — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:57:19 +0100

In a recent blog post, Scott Medintz of The New York Times said, “Small-business owners should cultivate a relationship with a local banker — ideally, long before they need a loan — and treat that relationship as a long-term partnership.” <http://ow.ly/2d4ZJ>

This is excellent advice! Most business owners know that, second only to “Cash is King,” the most important rule of business is, “Borrow money when you don’t need it.&rRead More...

Exiting Your Business Successfully: What You Need to Know - August 3, 2010 Presentation

Frank M Mancieri — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 06:08:13 +0100

Exiting Your Business Successfully:
What You Need To Know

If you are like most business owners, you have devoted an immeasurable amount of work and resources into growing your company. With all that you have invested, doesn’t it make sense to plan an exit from that business that protects the wealth you have accumulated in it? After all, exiting your business will certainly be one of the most important financial events of your life. The first step is to understand that an exit is noRead More...

Ten Things a CEO Should Remember About Succession Planning

Frank M Mancieri — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 00:28:53 +0100

Ten Things a CEO Should Remember About Succession Planning

by Kevin Kennedy

You can read several books or my white paper about “succession.” The purpose of this article simply is to differentiate “exit planning” and “succession” and outline the &nbsRead More...

Determining Company Value: Multiples

Kurt W. Altergott — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 23:02:05 +0100

Reprint of Article Appearing in the New York Times on July 16, 2010

Determining Your Company’s Value: Multiples and Rules of Thumb

The first question is this: Why Do I Need to Outsource Anything?

Now, that’s a good question. After all, you’re probably an entrepreneur and, as such, you’re aRead More...

Every Company Needs a CFO

Frank J. Gnisci — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Companies without a Chief Financial Officer are at a competitive disadvantage. It's not unusual for small to mid-sized firms to have sophisticated operations and complex cost and financial challenges like large companies. This often means that the CEO or the owner of the business needs the expertise of a senior financial executive.

Who Needs Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)?

Mark R. Johnson — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:57:12 +0100

I am working with a new client in the health care industry who needs to have some key statistics each week to measure performance to know where changes in the business need to be made. We have defined these statistics which are put into a weekly report as our key performance indicators or KPI’s. We refer to our weekly report as our dashboard.

I’ve been reading “The Business of Happiness” by Ted Leonsis over the holiday weekend. I’m about half way through the book and have been giving a lot of thought to the “6 secrets to extraordinary success in work and life” laid out in the book.

Only the first, goal setting, strikes me as an obvious business secret to success. Of course goal settRead More...

Exit Planning: The Business Side of the Equation

Frank M Mancieri — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:29:58 +0100

When getting ready to exit your business, it is important to set a plan. One of the most valuable insights into designing an exit is to remember that the skills that you used to build a successful business are not perfectly transferable and useful for designing your exit. From this bit of wisdom comes the quick conclusion that you need to think differently in order to form and execute your business exit. The following bullRead More...

What Chief Executives Really Want

Charles G. Yacoobian — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:17:05 +0100

Here is a reprint of an article that appeared on Businessweek.com

What Chief Executives Really Want

by Frank Kern
Wednesday, May 19, 2010

provided by

A survey from IBM's Institute for Business Value shows that CEOs value one leadership competency above all others. Can you guess what it is?

Let’s review some key analytical tools to aid you in maximizing the success of your business.

Working Capital/Current Ratio Of primary concern to all parties is the solvency – the ability of the business to meet its current (those due within one year) obligations. Basic accounting equation: Working Capital = Current AssetRead More...

Breakeven and Cash Flow Analysis Is Critical To The Success Of Your Business

Charles G. Yacoobian — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:42:55 +0100

In this tough economy, it is important for the business owner to review two critical analytical tools to ensure the success of his/her firm.

Breakeven Analysis

Let’s take a look at how increases and decreases iRead More...

Dont let them see you coming.

Randal Suttles — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0100

My first job as an accounting graduate out of Notre Dame was with Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co, CPAs, one of the “Big 8” accounting firms. The firm and our local Indianapolis office audited a number of banks, small to large. One of the standard audit procedures was to perform a surprise cash count of the branches and home office on the same day. That eRead More...

PROFITABILITY AND YOUR FINANCE STAFF

Rick Perrin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Are your profits where you want them to be? Has your CFO/Controller/CPA helped you to really understand what is driving your company profits or losses?

Does your Controller or CFO spend most of his/her time fighting fires, closing the books, processing transactions, managing HR issues and performing other non-value added services? Is he/she overwhelmed?

Or,

Does your CFO/Controller add tremendous value to your company by:

Clearly iRead More...

Language of Cash Flow

Kurt W. Altergott — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:25:43 +0100

You would think that a cash flow statement would be an easy read since you are dealing with real money and there are no estimates in the numbers. Yet, many managers find this statement difficult to understand. One reason is that the statement is divided into categories and these categories may take a while to understand and the labels used on the categories can be confusing. Another reason is that it can be diRead More...

Take Care of Your Cash

Nick Picciuto — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:36:29 +0100

In these tough economic times, in fact in all economic times, small businesses need to take care of their cash. How do you know that your cash is taken care of? Do you have internal controls in place to safeguard your cash?

Internal controls are the foundation of all sound businesses practices. What are some of the internal controls that help safeguard cash? We can chRead More...

Raising Operating Capital; Part 3 – Chapter 6

Terry J. Eve — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0100

The theme of my Blogs for this year is what I would include in a book about small business finance and accounting. This month is the last of several articles on raising funds for the Small Business.

Remember, Never! Ever! Run Out of Cash, NO MATTER WHAT! But that is often easier said than done, so this month we will continue our discussion on why a good business plan is required to source fuRead More...

Captive Insurance for the Middle Market

Philip E. Elworth — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 03:35:27 +0100

Captive Insurance for the Middle Market

By Philip E. Elworth

Every business self insures risk even though they have broad insurance policies in place. All insurance policRead More...

Why Companies Should Consider Outsourcing Key Services?

Mark R. Johnson — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 01:56:10 +0100

For small businesses and business owners their first reaction is to try to do all things themselves or with a trusted group of employees (some of whom may be family members). There is a natural reaction to the question of outsourcing which draws the following responses from business owners:

Outsourcing is too expensive.
How can anyone who is not part of the business know what I know about my operation?
I will lose controlRead More...

Health Care Headaches

Douglas S. Jones — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 02:03:48 +0100

Ok, I admit it. When I heard about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act being signed into law and saw that many of the effective dates were far off in the future, I did not do a lot of detailed reading. Sure I read the summary table in the newspaper, and I thought about sitting in on the dozens of webinars that were offered to me, but for a few months I had more important things to do. Anyway, the 2600 plus pages of thRead More...

Creating a Cash Flow Budget

Richard Allen Foster — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0100

As the economy dips and investors get more nervous, businesses will begin to feel the liquidity pinch. At the same time, companies with strong cash management skills can avoid some of the difficult financial times.

Cash is the lifeblood of the business and, in a down economy, only the most "cash efficient" businesses will survive. However, cash management is not for the faint-hearted. Good cash management requires self discipline to keep a steady course during the roughest of times; anRead More...

Banker Optimism on the Rise

Wendy Nelson — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:09:45 +0100

According to an article in the Denver Business Journal today, we are seeing an uptick in Banker confidence. In a recent bank executive survey covering a 12 state region (including Colorado) conducted by Grant Thornton, respondents indicated more optimism related to U.S. economic growth than they had 6 months earlier.

&nRead More...

SIX WAYS TO HELP EMPLOYEES

Steven P. Schertz, CPA — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 06:57:52 +0100

My client, Robert Schickler, President of Brunswick Automotive Professionals, Inc. wrote this paper regarding assisting employee success.

A manager’s job is 100 times easier and more rewarding when his or her employees are performing like a well-oiled machine. But when that machine runs slowly or breaks down, a manager’s job becomes exponentially harder.

1. Clarify, clarify, clarify

It’s hard to gRead More...

The Missing Ingredient

David L. Odom — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:21:13 +0100

It has been a guilty pleasure of mine to watch some of the Food Network shows on cooking with my wife. It is always interesting to see how chefs can make such an amazing dish out of things I could find in our kitchen. The most fun shows for me are the reality shows like Chopped or Next Food Network Star. These chefs are put in contests with either strange foods or missing ingredients, which causes either masterpieces or disasters in Read More...

Budgets Matter

Mark R. Johnson — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:37:11 +0100

I have two clients that are both very focused on determining their budget for the Fall of 2010. One of these clients already established a budget back in February 2010 the other client has never done a budget before. Why the difference? Both are small family owned businesses that have survived for at least 10 years. Here are some general observations on budgets:

Structure your Business for Success

David Kirkup — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0100

You're probably familiar with Maslow's Hierarchy of needs from Business 101. Humans have a basic need for food, warmth and shelter. Until they have fulfilled those needs, they cannot think about other things. Once they have fulfilled these basic needs they can start to move up the scale. Next come Security needs, and then the need for Love and Affection. As they fulfill these needs and move up the list, they want to achieve and feel more Self Esteem. Read More...

The Greatest Generation

Ray Miller — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:55:10 +0100

Sunday is Father’s Day. For many of us, our fathers were part of, what Tom Brokaw labeled, “The Greatest Generation.” They were a generation that was brought up during the depression and hardened by war. Unlike most of my generation, they knew sacrifice and exercised that concept in the balance of their lives. They sacrificed so that their children could have a better life. My geneRead More...

The ABC’s of Understanding Financial Statements (Part 2 of 4) - Battling the Balance Sheet

Stuart Lipkin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:05:21 +0100

As discussed in the first of the 4 articles (The ABC's of Understanding Financial Statements-Part 1 of 4), there are always three main components to every financial statement. They are:

Balance Sheet
Statement of Income
Statement of Cash Flows

This article will focus on the Balance Sheet. Articles 3 and 4 will address the other reports.

The Balance Sheet is different from the other two statements in that it represents the financial condition as of a specific point Read More...

2011 Effective Tax Rate Increases

Kurt W. Altergott — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:02:50 +0100

The fiscal ramifications of the various stimulus and bailout packages will likely be felt for several years. As the government looks for sources to raise revenues, it will be increasingly necessary to keep a keen eye on the Treasury and IRS when planning strategies for both business and corporate structures.

The impact of the combination of the expiration of the Bush tax cuts beginningRead More...

Planning? Please, anything but that!

Gary Lee — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0100

What is it about planning that brings such dread to mind? No doubt many of us have been involved in planning before, so we have memories of the experience, some good, some not so good.

A popular business proverb is “failing to plan is planning to fail”. Do an Internet search on that phrase and you get 24,700,000 hits! That means a good number oRead More...

Bank Lending to Small Business

Mark R. Johnson — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:12:33 +0100

This has been a very busy week meeting with bankers discussing the current bank lending situation here in Phoenix. The bankers I talked to both large and small here in Phoenix made the following recommendations when asked what they look for in the ideal loan customer.

1. Have a plan of what you want in terms of loan size and stRead More...

Ten Questions Every Business Owner Should Understand

Philip E. Elworth — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0100

The funny thing about planning- it is often most useful when it is performed before you need it. If you were going to sell your home, wouldn’t you plan out a number of critical elements first? When is the best time to sell? What do I need to fix to maximize the value? Who will I list it for sale with? This same logic is true with a business but is much more complicated, time consuming, will take far longer than selling a home and there are many Read More...

The Best Way to Grow Your Business

Frank J. Gnisci — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Although every business wants to grow, some types of growth are certainly better than others. Consider the following 2 options:

1: Grow Sales by 20%, and net income increases 50%. OR

The role of business owner can be a lonely one. It's easy to surround yourself with good people, but you can still feel that there is no one with whom to share your fears and concerns, or brainstorm new ideas and strategies.

Outside input can help. Simple questions that illuminate an issue or prompt change. Initiatives from other industries that help spark ideas and generate new business models. For any new and growing company, securing the rightRead More...

Risk Management

Mark R. Johnson — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:04:28 +0100

I spent the day learning from two experienced insurance agents learning about the commercial insurance industry. The underlying issue is the lack of knowledge and exposure many businesses have in areas of risk particularly with employee theft. This is a clause embedded in most commercial policies which limits the total loss from any occurrence to $10,000. This often is woefully inadequate at the time of loss however because many thefts and embezzlements go undetected well inRead More...

Surviving in a Tough Economy

Wendy Nelson — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:11:56 +0100

I spend a good bit of time meeting with business owners and discussing their particular “Strength of the Franchise”. While some businesses are starting to see small shoots of new growth, there is still a lot of ground to cover in order to reach their former status pre-recession.

What I find interesting is that while the industry may change, and the target market may differRead More...

Walking and Chewing Gum (Multitasking: Fact or Fiction?)

Edward Baloga — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:06:11 +0100

Almost every hiring manager or recruiting firm, when posting a job description looks for a similar trait, “Ability to multitask.” This may be attributed to the digital age in which we live.

But do we really multitask?

During the course of their existence, companies may run into issues for a variety of reasons but there is ultimately one thing that kills them: they run out of cash. Too many managers and investors become focused on the income statement and balance sheet at the exclusion of the statement of cash flows. There is one noted investor, Warren Buffett, who watches cash closely. The reason, “Cash is hard to fudge.”

Strategic Planning - Part I, The Art of War and Enlightenment

Dennis Niven — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 13:05:07 +0100

Have you seen your company's Strategic Plan collecting dust on the CEO's shelf? I think I know why, and will recap what I have learned in my 37 years of business experience and philosophy & cultural studies in a three-part series.

Strategic planning is not Read More...

Thoughts on the Economy, Debt Financing and Banking Relationships

Brian E. Christian — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:16:56 +0100

Thoughts on the Economy, Debt Financing and Banking Relationships

No one would argue that we are living in challenging economic times for emerging and middle market businesses:

Improving Productivity and Cash Flow in Field Service Businesses

In the service businesses which require technicians to travel to customer locations to respond to customer calls and generate revenue there are unique requirements and challenges to be met in order to be successful. At a high level there must be good processes in plRead More...

Financial Management and Visibility

David Kirkup — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0100

Well managed companies employ many tools to optimize financial performance, some of which can be very sophisticated. However, most of these techniques these fall within three key areas: accurate financials, adequate internal control and proactive management.

Invariably, companies that under perform their peers or experience fraud or some other catastrophe will have failed in at least 2 of these categories. And the price of failure can be harsh. Read More...

Leadership - The Success Factor

Alan G. Lefkowitz — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 06:05:31 +0100

I was listening to our CEO, Jerry Mills, at our annual partners’ meeting and I was impressed by the clear vision he had laid out for our firm. As he provided some history, achievements and future goals, it occurred to me that the leadership qualities he demonstrated were consistent with that of other successful leaders. Jerry motivated the audience, not just with his vision, but with the same declaration that he made a year ago &Read More...

Get out of the health insurance business

Randal Suttles — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0100

I have many years experience in the health insurance industry. Now that we have Obamacare, I thought I should share what I recommend to my clients: GET OUT OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE BUSINESS!

The new health insurance reform bill mandates that employers offer coverRead More...

Managing Cash Flow the Simple Way

David Kirkup — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0100

"Cash... we help you get it." It's the B2B CFO slogan and we like to think it's a "twofer" slogan. We help you understand cash flow and why it's important, and by improving every aspect of your company's financial performance we make you a better candidate for investment and loan financing.

So how do you understand cash flow? Let's take a look at seven main drivers of cash flow:

Accounts Payable and Cash Flow. Every business relies on suppliers and trading partnersRead More...

Contingency Planning

Doug Wurmnest — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:46:05 +0100

Many business owners are good at contingency planning in their business. They plan for disasters hitting their physical facilities, computer networks, and perhaps the departure of key people. Surprisingly, few business owners plan for the departure of the most important person in the business and the one thing that is certain– their own eventual death or disability. Generally speaking, owners have more pleasant endings in mind when they think of exiting their businesses.

WiRead More...

Raising Operating Capital; Part 2 – Chapter 5

Terry J. Eve — Mon, 31 May 2010 07:00:00 +0100

The theme of my Blogs for this year is what I would include in a book about small business finance and accounting. This month is the second of several articles on raising funds for the Small Business.

Remember, Never! Ever! Run Out of Cash, NO MATTER WHAT! ButRead More...

Blog entries tagged Articles

How the Form 1099 changes will impact your business

Know Your Cash Daily

Improve Cash Flow With Good Management Decisions

Are You Really Focused on Profits?

How to Track and Invoice Job-related Costs Using QuickBooks

Is your Company on a mission?

A Checklist For Increasing Profits

Increasing Company Value – Chapter 8

The Aha Moment – A Lesson Learned from Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals

Planning Your Exit Despite This Tough Economy

When Cash Flow is Tight

We don't know what we don't know!

The advantage of business incubators

Why CFO's love BPM

B2B CFO Named in Prestigious INC. 5000 List

B2B CFO® Named to Inc 5000

B2B CFO NAMED IN PRESTIGIOUS INC. 5000 LIST

B2B CFO NAMED IN PRESTIGIOUS INC. 5000 LIST

B2B CFO NAMED TO INC MAGAZINES FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES

Planning Your Exit Strategy

George Bergmark, Partner - B2B CFO, interviewed on The Business Hour with Ron Comacho

The New Adventure Begins!

Hidden Cash Lying Around the Office

The ABC’s of Understanding Financial Statements (Part 4 of 4) – Statement of Cash Flows

Is it itme to Outsource?

Part-time CFO vs. Interim/Temporary CFO

New Bank Wanted

Planning for 2011

What Keeps you Awake at Night?

Why the balance sheet is important to the business owner?

In the short term we are all dead.

Outsourcing Important Functions in Your Company: Part II

Outsourcing Senior Executive Positions in Your Company

THE PROCESS OF PROCESS

New Employee Selection . . . . . . Attitude or Skill Set?

Timely and Accurate Financial Reporting – Chapter 7

Where’s the Beef?

So You Want To Sell Your Business

Structuring for Business Growth

My First Year with the Firm

Where is your profitability hiding?

Losers?

Transfer Options: Beyond the Outright Sale

Part-time CFO services - What are they and why do I need them?

To Get a Business Loan, Know How the Bank Thinks

Exiting Your Business Successfully: What You Need to Know - August 3, 2010 Presentation

Ten Things a CEO Should Remember About Succession Planning

Determining Company Value: Multiples

Every Company Needs a CFO

Who Needs Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)?

Exit Planning: The Business Side of the Equation

What Chief Executives Really Want

Breakeven and Cash Flow Analysis Is Critical To The Success Of Your Business

Dont let them see you coming.

PROFITABILITY AND YOUR FINANCE STAFF

Language of Cash Flow

Take Care of Your Cash

Raising Operating Capital; Part 3 – Chapter 6

Captive Insurance for the Middle Market

Why Companies Should Consider Outsourcing Key Services?

Health Care Headaches

Creating a Cash Flow Budget

Banker Optimism on the Rise

SIX WAYS TO HELP EMPLOYEES

The Missing Ingredient

Budgets Matter

Structure your Business for Success

The Greatest Generation

The ABC’s of Understanding Financial Statements (Part 2 of 4) - Battling the Balance Sheet

2011 Effective Tax Rate Increases

Planning? Please, anything but that!

Bank Lending to Small Business

Ten Questions Every Business Owner Should Understand

The Best Way to Grow Your Business

Risk Management

Surviving in a Tough Economy

Walking and Chewing Gum (Multitasking: Fact or Fiction?)

Strategic Planning - Part I, The Art of War and Enlightenment

Thoughts on the Economy, Debt Financing and Banking Relationships