I had lunch yesterday with a business broker – those are the outside advisors that help small business owners sell their companies when it’s time to retire or do something different. While our average client is typically on the high end of the business broker target...
I was asked last week to explain the value of a CFO to a young entrepreneur who had started from scratch with a great idea, and built a pretty solid business before hitting the glass ceiling (no, not that one) where the financial infrastructure he had in place just...
Accounting is a foreign language. Or at least that’s how many CEOs and business owners see it. If they get monthly financial reports, they may only look at two numbers on the income statement – the top number (sales) and the bottom number (net profit). That...
Whatever business you are in, whatever role you fill in your company, negotiation is part of your responsibility. Whether you’re trying to buy a machine or a building, capture a new customer, get a better deal from a supplier, sell your company, or buy someone else’s...
I spoke with a CEO today, referred to me by a business associate, about providing CFO services to get their financial records current and their financial reporting up to what is needed to manage the business. It didn’t go as I had hoped. The CEO’s company, in the...
I wrote this article for my (print) newsletter 25 years ago. It’s so relevant even today that I decided to republish it, even though it’s longer than my usual post. I think it’s worth the extra few minutes you’ll spend reading it. We are often asked: What is the most...
