Mark's Articles & Media

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…

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. Have a plan of what you want in terms…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

84% 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…

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…