What to expect from your CFO in the first 90 days

I had the unique opportunity in my career to work with businesses in different industries and of different sizes and ownership levels as a full-time CFO. Each business had different needs and complexities. The smallest business was a $15m educational training center and the largest was a manufacturer who generated over $200m in revenues.  The industries included alternative energy, retail and wholesale trade, macro-economic consulting services, marketing agencies, hospitality enterprises, internationally based service groups, among others.  Ownership levels were varied. Some were privately owned, and others were either publicly held or owned by private equity groups.

The one thing they had in common was a need for CFO leadership and guidance.  The differentiator was the actual amount of time they truly needed a CFO.  Most businesses under $50m can be easily supported with a fractional, outsourced CFO.  It really boils down the complexity of the business.

CEFO engages with businesses at all stages of development, revenue levels, and industries.  Solving critical pain points is our primary area of focus. Many of our engagements are long-term and fractional (part-time) in nature.  Some are for a defined period to solve a pressing issue, provide temporary leadership, or to assist with exit or acquisition opportunities.

The role of a CFO, whether full-time or fractional, is vital to the financial health and success of an organization. In the first 90 days, a CFO’s approach and actions can set the stage for long-term success and alignment with the organization’s goals. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from a CFO during this crucial period:

  1. Deep Assessment: You can expect your CFO to conduct a thorough assessment of the current financial and operational landscape. This involves looking into staffing, financial systems, reporting mechanisms, internal controls, and processes.
  2. Clear Communication: The CFO should establish clear channels of communication with various departments, ensuring that there’s a flow of information that can aid decision-making.
  3. Setting Priorities: With insights from the assessment, the CFO should work closely with senior leadership, particularly the CEO, to define and prioritize short-term and long-term financial objectives.
  4. Stakeholder Engagement: Building relationships is key. By engaging with stakeholders, the CFO can better understand their needs, concerns, and insights, which will be invaluable in driving the organization’s financial strategy.
  5. Strategic Alignment: The CFO must ensure that the financial strategy aligns with the broader organizational goals. They should work closely with the CEO and other leaders to understand and enhance the company’s vision and mission.
  6. Team Evaluation: The CFO should evaluate the finance team’s capabilities, strengths, and areas of improvement. This might lead to training, restructuring, or hiring to fill any gaps.
  7. KPI Review: It’s crucial for the CFO to assess if the organization is tracking the right metrics. Key performance indicators (KPIs) should be relevant, actionable, measurable, and align with the company’s strategic goals.
  8. Financial Analysis: Your new CFO should be financially savvy and anxious to dive into the financial statements, internal management reports, and cash flow analysis to fully understand the current and historical trends. This will help identify any immediate potential financial risks or opportunities.
  9. Budgeting and Forecasting: The CFO should be very future focused. They should be diving into the budget and projections that are currently in existence. If lacking, or not available, he or she must start redefining the budgeting process, ensuring that the company is prepared for future challenges and opportunities.
  10. Actionable Plan: By the end of the 90 days, the CFO should have a clear, actionable financial plan that aligns with the company’s strategic objectives.

 

This first 90 days for a CFO, whether in-house or fractional, are pivotal. This period lays the foundation for the financial leadership and direction the CFO will provide. Regular check-ins, open communication, and collaboration between the CEO and CFO are the key to ensuring alignment and achieving the desired financial outcomes.

CEFO can help you determine the best fit:

  1. By assessing your current financial management needs: Understanding your pain points, challenges, and aspirations.
  2. Forecast future needs: Think about the direction in which your company is heading. Will you be entering new markets, launching new products, or considering mergers and acquisitions?
  3. Consider your budget: Determine what you can afford while ensuring you don’t compromise on the expertise required.
  4. Interview both full-time and fractional CFOs: Even if you’re leaning one way, understanding the value proposition from both sides can help solidify your decision.

 

Remember, the ultimate goal is to find the right financial leadership that supports your company’s growth, ensures compliance, and helps navigate challenges effectively. Whether that’s through a full-time or fractional CFO will depend on the unique needs and circumstances of your business.  To meet with one of our experienced CFO’s, please contact our office at 518.693.7446 or email Pat McGowan at PMcGowan@cefoadvisors.com or Amy Roman at ARoman@cefoadvisors.com.

Amy Roman Joins Wellspring Board

On January 26, 2023, Wellspring announced the addition of six new members to its Board of Directors, including Amy Roman, Cynthia Minuti, Ryan Shaw, Jessica Niles, Deann Devitt, and Julia Marco. These individuals come from diverse professional backgrounds and bring years of experience in a variety of careers, as well as considerable non-profit Board experience, to Wellspring. As Wellspring expands its offering of programs and services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and seeks to continue growing its impact in the community, CEO Maggie Fronk believes that the new Board members will help energize Wellspring to accomplish exciting things this year.

Amy Roman, a New York Certified Public Accountant and founder and owner of Strategic CFO Resources LLC, d/b/a CEFO Advisors, has a passion for helping others and desire to spread awareness about Wellspring’s work.
“I really want to become an advocate of Wellspring’s cause and help spread the word that there is help for those who have suffered through abuse,“ Amy said in the release.

The new Board members have a passion for helping others and a drive to improve the community by addressing the complex issue of relationship violence. Each brings unique skills and experiences to the Board, from accounting and finance to creative outreach and marketing. Together with the existing members of Wellspring’s Board, they will work towards achieving the agency’s goals for the year ahead.

For more information on Wellspring, and to read the full article from the Saratogian, visit this link.

Kim Butler Joins CEFO Advisors as Manager of Accounting Services

CEFO advisors is excited to welcome Kim Butler to the team as Manager of Accounting Services. Kim joins us with twenty years of experience managing business clients in various industries, assisting them with accounting and tax needs. She uses her knowledge to customize accounting to the specific needs of clients.

Kim says, “I joined CEFO Advisors to focus on my strengths in bookkeeping and accounting in order to help my clients with their needs.”

Kim’s strives to help clients better understand their financial health so they can accomplish their goals. In her free time she enjoys running obstacle course races with her husband, family volleyball tournaments and travelling with her family and friends.

Stay updated on CEFO Advisors and follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cefo-advisors/.

Using Strategy, Finance, and Culture to Guide your Business Philosophy

A business philosophy is relevant to every business.  It is especially important for small businesses. It plays into everyday interactions between people – from employee to customer, employer to employee, and among employees. The key is to have a solid foundation built from your strategy, finance, and culture. 

Business philosophy outlines the purpose of your existence and the goals you take on. Effectively, it’s the heart of your business. When strategy is well defined, the world is your oyster! A business philosophy helps both customers and employees understand your core values and beliefs. It becomes an integral part of your brand, your how you hire, and how you relate with customers, vendors, investors, bankers, everyone.

To ensure consistency, a business philosophy should be incorporated into every part of the business cycle. It guides your own decision-making and establishes long-term planning and effective communication and management. Customer-oriented philosophies tend to market better and studies have shown that 5 out of 6 customers will pay 25% for better services, which starts with a strong business philosophy!

How do businesses use strategy, finance, and culture to guide their philosophy? We will guide you through the process to help you begin to discover how to better define your own strategy, finance, and culture. 

What is strategy?

A strategy is a road map with step-by-step actions to lead to success. It allows you to work smarter within your business as decisions are easier to make when they are guided by an overarching philosophy. Success comes from thoughtful strategic planning.

A well thought out, strong business strategy will help you:

  • Adapt to market changes,
  • Manage financial resources,
  • Increase market return on investment (ROI),
  • Understand capacity constraints and thoughtfully adjust as the business changes,
  • Improve team collaboration,
  • Evolve into the incredible and thriving business you were meant to be!

Each business will have a unique strategy. Start with the following:

  1. Assess: Take note of the general state of business in your industry. How do similar companies operate?
  2. Position: Set a specific direction for the business and align the various elements needed to succeed. 
  3. Document: This may seem obvious, but it is an often-missed step. To stay focused on the business goals, define and document the road map.  You must then focus on communicating the strategy in an exciting and impactful way. Define your milestones and how you will achieve them.  Measure your achievement with well thought out key performance indicators (KPIs).
  4. Implementation: Keep the plan on target by talking to customers and employees, this will provide you with a pulse on how your strategy is being accepted. Hold brainstorming sessions regularly with employees to check in.

What is culture?

Having a healthy company culture is the basis for ultimate success. It provides employees with a sense of purpose and sets the tone for acceptable behaviors. It allows employees to build meaningful relationships within the business and supports their needs professionally and personally. It encompasses multiple aspects of personnel relations, inspiring opportunities for personal development and holding them accountable to expectations. Employees should feel comfortable with communication throughout the organization.

Leaders within an organization must set the tone for culture. A healthy company culture encourages personal growth, fosters trust, supports risk-taking, offers flexibility and gives praise and acknowledgement. A toxic culture will steer your business to a grinding halt.

Every company has a culture. A healthy culture can be achieved by:

  1. Establishing core values, communicating them to all stakeholders and using them as the basis for which you do everything from hiring employees, working with customers and even working with vendors.
  2. Lead by example and share your vision.  Define your “Why”.  Does everyone agree?
  3. Cultivate the right environment by hiring employees that exhibit company values.

What is finance?

We use the term finance to mean a variety of things.  A healthy financial outlook is key to running a successful business.  How you balance and report on the various inflows and outflows daily, monthly, and annually determines your profitability, your equity value, and ultimately how much you are paying in federal and state taxes.

We often encounter businesses who are understaffed in this area.  Some even see it as a necessary evil but fail to allocate enough resources to hire the right solutions.  A fractional CFO and Controller will provide a cost-effective way for businesses to get the talent they need to succeed at a fraction of what you would pay an employee.  A strong Controller is rarely an effective CFO. A bookkeeper is not a Controller. Every business needs a strong accounting component to understand where they are and where they are going.  Controllers report on historical information.  They make sure your accounting records are accurately portrayed.  CFOs are the forward thinkers.  They spot trends, they establish and review KPIs and provide strategic guidance to help you achieve your goals.

CEFO Advisors has built its business philosophy on strategy, finance, and culture. We use this process to inspire clients to create a connection and foster cohesion in their businesses as well. These core tenants help to establish a solid framework from which businesses can grow. CEFO Advisors works with businesses at all stages of their development whether at startup or with a family-owned company who has been in business for over 100 years.  We add the leadership, accounting expertise and advisory ability to assist you in reaching your goals!

The art of developing a high performing team

There are lessons we learn and then we learn them again. I challenged myself to really listen yesterday when one of our CFO’s at CEFO Advisors, discussed the first 90 days of onboarding a client at our all-staff meeting yesterday.  He meticulously took us through what went well, how the team overcame challenges, and what we learned. He spoke about the way our team worked seamlessly with the client and how trust and respect were developed early on within the process.  He spoke about how we learned and embraced the strengths of each person to guide and establish our process. I watched the faces of the CEFO team as he reviewed what had been accomplished while he praised each member of our team as well as the individuals we worked with at the client, the attorneys, bankers, auditors, and investors.  All of these people contributed to the overall success of that first 90 days.

He explained that although the onboarding process is mapped out during the initial discovery phase, there will be times that we have to pivot and change course to gain efficiencies and establish best practices. The process is strengthened by the acceptance and understanding that it is ok to change course as needed. It is an extremely healthy and accepting way to manage people and processes. There is little in business that is perfect. Successful relationships are built in those moments when you change course for the best results.

What do you need to establish a healthy high performing team?

  • Establish a culture steeped in learning and understanding.
  • Identify the strengths of each individual and assign responsibilities based on those strengths.
  • Understand everyone’s communication style.
  • Develop trust early on.
  • Lead with honesty, respect, and the passion to do what is best for your team and business. 

 I challenge CEOs and business owners to evaluate their culture. Embrace where you are and take steps to make those changes needed to create your best team. Ask the hard questions.

  • Have you developed your team to be a success?  
  • What do they need from you to attain the best results?  
  • Are expectations clearly laid out and followed through on?
  • Is success celebrated?

Balancing strategy, finance, and culture is the key to winning and having a high-performing team.

Life lessons in crisis

Resilience. Stamina. Strength. Hope.  These are words I remember when I think back to 9/11. It was a horrible day filled with resilience, stamina, strength, and hope. I do not ever remember fear. There was no time for fear. That emotion never entered my mind nor the minds of others making their way uptown from Wall Street that day. Old, young, disabled, rich, poor, or destitute, the playing field on that day was leveled. We no longer wore labels. Color, race, and religion did not matter as we all walked the streets together. New Yorkers came together with water, food and clothing. It was the generosity of the NY community on that day that will always be front of mind, and the resilience that followed reminds us all that we can come back.

 

I thought about that day and the weeks that followed as I maneuvered through the challenge of this last year. Although not the same circumstances, my behavior and that of my colleagues, family, clients, and friends remains resilient and their stamina, although challenged, remains strong.

 

The difference today from almost twenty years ago, is fear.  This year we felt afraid.  This year we felt anxious.  This year we felt alone. It has been thirteen months since the pandemic forced the world to shut down and that anxiety and fear remains. Our government gave businesses Band-Aids.  Many businesses embraced those Band-Aids:  PPP1, PPP2, EIDL, grants and gifts.  Most businesses made decisions to change their business models, tighten their belts, and make changes that should have been made regardless of the pandemic.  It was not easy.  The path forwards most days was murky at best, but many businesses are stronger today as a result. They were able to challenge and embrace the changes forced upon them, adapt, and reinvent. The fear and anxiety are still here but we are beginning to feel hope. 

 

I challenge you to take some time to evaluate the last thirteen months.  Were you profitable despite the pandemic?  What changes did you make that you continue to embrace? Some of the changes that we see businesses continue to embrace include:

 

  1. Financial cushion.  A reserve of 3 months expenses is not enough. The minimum should be 6 months.
  2. Staffing.  We found out we can do more with less.  Understanding capacity and embracing productivity is the key to long-term profitability.
  3. Retention of customers.  Know what your customers need today. It has probably changed since the pandemic. Embrace the changes and support them. This may have an immediate effect on your profitability but will bring long-term rewards.
  4. Retention of staff. Have a strategy that embraces flexibility with accountability. The work will still be the same, but many people found they were more productive when allowed some flexibility in their schedules.
  5. Adaptation to new technology.  Meetings and calls over Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams became the norm changing the way we do business today.
  6. Mediocrity no longer works.  How you measure success will ensure high performance.
  7. Understanding that having a strategy balanced with culture and strong financial reporting is the only path forward.

 

Only time will tell what the next thirteen months will bring and I encourage you to not forget the lessons learned in the previous thirteen.  Keep them close and remember you are resilient; and you have the strength and stamina to continue to thrive.  Replace fear with gratitude and embrace the knowledge that anything is possible.

Communication in the Workplace: Generational, Gender, and Role Differences

The common workplace certainly has adapted. It has to! (To keep up with the ever changing needs of employees and customers.) This means communication tactics within organizations have shifted as well. There are several factors to explore that have contributed to this shift in workplace communication, including the number of generations in the workforce and the evolution of technology. Despite the differences in generations, gender and professional roles, there are ways to navigate communication in the workplace successfully.

Generational differences in workplace communication – and how to bridge the gap.

For the first time in history, five generations are part of the workforce at the same time. Yes, five! Believe it or not, this is a GOOD thing and business owners have to use it to their advantage. Each of these generations have different communication styles based on their upbringing, experiences, values, and state of the working environment during their career. It’s important to recognize the general differences in communication styles among generations to learn how best to communicate across them. Don’t worry, we’re here to help.

  • Traditionalists were born between 1925 and 1945 and make up the smallest part of the active workforce. This generation is most comfortable with communication face-to-face and via telephone. They started in the workforce when typewriters were commonly used.
  • Baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964 and were the largest generation until that time. They were accustomed to communication with rotary-style phones and were part of the workforce when conference calls became commonplace.
  • Generation Xers were born between 1965 and 1977 and experienced several major workplace communication innovations, including email, mobile and texting.
  • Generation Y (or millennials) were born between 1978 and 1989 and have officially surpassed the baby boomers as the largest generation. They have a reputation for being tethered to technology and their devices, and their workplace communication style comprises of smartphones and web meetings.
  • Generation Z members were born between 1990 and 1999 and are known for starting a movement back to traditionalist views. Their workplace communication style includes social media, workplace instant messaging, video conferencing and face-to-face meetings.

When communicating across multiple generations in the workplace, remember that language is ever-evolving, so meanings and interpretations of words or sayings may change. When in doubt, use simplistic language that you’re confident everyone will understand, and clarify if necessary. Just to be safe!

Especially when communicating digitally (e.g., text, IM, and email), tone may be difficult to interpret. We’ve all taken offense to an email before when it was hard to interpret tone…it happens to the best of us! When in doubt, face-to-face communication can eliminate any potential translation issues. If that’s not possible, talking can be better than text communication as it allows for a dialogue and the opportunity to ask questions. Even better? A quick video call where you can see the other person’s face, read their expressions and connect on a deeper level.

Everyone – no matter which generation they’re part of – wants to be accepted and make a good impression. (Remember that expression about only getting to make one first impression, so make it good!) The fear that others have a negative perception of them within a workplace with multiple generations is real, so address fears when communicating across generations.

To further complicate generational differences, add in the evolution of technology. In the mid-1980s, collaboration was introduced in the workplace. Since then, digital transformation has allowed for closer collaboration with tools like video conferencing, simultaneous document editing and unified communication (e.g., Google Drive, QuickBooks). These have enabled workplaces to connect on a larger scale.  

With the shift to more remote, work-from-home models, employees are being allowed to do their job on their own team as long as it meets employer expectations. They are frequently using their own devices (read: cell phones) to feel more connected at work when they’re not formally sitting at their desk. (Asynchronous collaboration means everyone can work at different times on the same project and synchronous collaboration means everyone is working on the same task simultaneously.)

Gender nuances in workplace communication – and how to navigate the differences. 

Men and women sociologically have different strengths in communication skills, which can be applied when interacting in the workplace. Because of the inherent differences (à la men “are from Mars, women are from Venus”), tips for effective communication between genders include:

  • Getting to the point quickly and concisely,
  • Standing your ground,
  • And playing to your individual strengths.

Women’s strengths include the ability to read body language and pick up on non-verbal cues, listening thoroughly, and effectively displaying empathy. Weaknesses *can* include being overly emotional, getting off topic easily and using non-authoritative tone and language. Strengths that are overdone can also become weaknesses when it comes to interacting with the other gender as well.

Men’s strengths include physical presence, to-the-point interactions, and powerful body language signals. Their weaknesses tend to include being too blunt and direct, too confident in their own opinion, and insensitive to audience reaction.

How to better communicate across different types of teams in the workplace.

Studies have reported recent growth in teamwork in the workplace. And while there are several team structures apparent in the workplace, the idea is that a team is striving toward a common goal and there’s ascribed roles that create individual and mutual accountability.

The types of teams you’ll see within a workforce include:

  • Cross-functional teams, which pulls team members from different functional areas across an organization to complete a task.
  • Taskforces are usually a group of specialists on a topic used to solve a specific problem.
  • Virtual teams are a group of individuals working toward a common goal from different locations.
  • Self-managed teams are a group of employees responsible for generating all or most of a product or idea and carrying out the execution of goal.

Teams frequently come under fire in execution; sometimes team members do too much or not enough. To best communicate within a group, use these pro tips:

  • Be interested in other people; ask questions that are genuine and actively listen to answers.
  • Show you’re decisive.
  • Make eye contact when you’re speaking to people.
  • Always keep a sense of humor.
  • Be positive and realistic.
  • Consider the message you’re trying to convey, why you’re communicating this message, and to whom the message is directed.
  • Assess the audience and the level of argument your message needs.
  • Be clear, concise, and use plain language.
  • Plan content carefully.

At CEFO Advisors, communication is an essential element of business as we have employees from a variety of different age groups, genders, and beliefs. Using our philosophy of strategy, finance, and culture, we are able to bridge the gap that may exist in the many facets of financial advising for our clients. As a small business, it is our job to use our business philosophy to create a continuation of healthy practices in communication to better interact with clients and coworkers alike.

Put Profit First: Make Your Business A Money-Making Machine

There is definitely not a shortage of business and finance-related books, and it can be overwhelming to pick the best one for what you’re looking to learn more about. Let me make it a bit easier for you and call out one of my absolute favorites that I recommend to every business owner I know – Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz.

Are you ready to learn why?

This book gives a step-by-step guide of how small business owners can be successful using a method called “profit first.” This system creates the opportunity for businesses to fund themselves. It allows your business to serve you instead of you always serving your business. MIC DROP! Who wouldn’t want that? Michalowicz wrote this book because he believes lack of cash reserves is the biggest source of entrepreneurial stress and depression – and he wanted to eradicate it!

Let’s dive into it.

The concept is that you pay into profit with every sale. There should be a predetermined percentage of each sale that gets earmarked as profit. This way you become profitable from day one; it’s not a milestone, but rather a habit. 

Of course, there’s more to this profit first concept than siloing funds. The anecdotes from some of the 175,000 companies that have found this method successful for them is what makes this book such a great read. There is a deliberate simplification of financial concepts – and other explanations of business operation concepts.

Did you start your business because you wanted to do something you love? Or maybe to not be under scrutiny of the common working-class system anymore? That’s great! But you still need to make money. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with your small business’s finances, try a profit first approach – and watch your business grow and thrive. In the words of Michalowicz, transform it into a “money-making machine.”

How Small Businesses Become Successful

What’s the secret formula to small business success?

We know that might be a loaded question but we have a few strategies up our sleeve that we know work. The overnight success of Facebook and Uber isn’t the same way most small businesses experience success. It’s critical to keep in mind that everyone’s journey looks different. Let’s explore the various ways your business can become successful and continue to grow and thrive, and what counts as a successful business.

Success or failure? And the in-between. 

There are two main ingredients to American overall business outlook that are admired by the rest of the world. These are:

  • Enthusiasm for the future and making things better through a business
  • An openness and willingness to change and adapt to accomplish goals

We should hold on to these! And there are other elements that go into a successful small business, such as an owner with determined organization and detailed record-keeping and a commitment to delivering good, reliable services to customers that become loyal (to name a couple).

Small business owners are all different, but we all share common skills that help contribute to your success. Persistence, patience, and commitment are all attributes apparent in business owners. And let’s face it, it’s hard to survive in entrepreneurship without those three traits. A positive attitude toward your business, and life in general, contributes to resiliency. You know better than anyone that it requires sacrifices in your personal life when establishing a business (balance….what is balance??). But, good planning and organizational skills, with a dose of flexibility and strong analytical skills, will help direct you down the path to successful small business ownership.

Setting a strategic business plan that clearly describes your business concept, mission, and philosophy will absolutely ensure you start off on the right foot. And setting personal and business goals is important for motivation and measuring success. A proper business plan should detail specific strategies and timelines to attain goals. At the outset and for continued success, be aware of your competition and either appropriating or improving upon their successful tactics.

A well-developed organizational structure will help you work toward the same goals. Your organizational structure should inspire all employees to perform to their utmost capabilities and reward those who excel in their contribution to the business. Just the same, your structure should allow for corrective actions and discipline should employees deviate from acceptable behavior. As part of your organizational structure, business owners must define positions, tasks, duties, and responsibilities and routinely measure performance. *Key takeaway: Everyone preaches it, but you must also practice it: Employees are your most valuable asset!* Treat them as such with ongoing training, job enrichment programs and incentive compensation. Listen to the type of recognition they want – and follow through. It’s also important to understand their learning style and what communication model motivates them to succeed. This is made much easier at CEFO Advisors with the help of the CultureTalk Survey System, which unlocks the archetypal patterns in your organizational culture and the individuals who influence it. We like to call this our secret sauce!

Both financial and nonfinancial, and whether manual or automated, an operational support system makes activities of an organization efficient and relieves management of many day-to-day routine activities. A solid support system will allow small business owners to be strategic thinkers and track critical information on sales, cash flow and other financial performance data. Afterall, that’s why you’re in business! This ensures owners become aware of red flags before the problems become unmanageable.

How long will it take for a small business to become successful? (Spoiler: The 4th year is when “overnight successes” are discovered.) 

Most small businesses take 2 to 3 years to be profitable and 7 to 10 years to be “successful.” The truth lies in the statistics: approximately 20% of businesses fail in the first two years, 45% fail in the first 5 years, 65% fail in the first 10 years and only 25% of small businesses are successful after 15 years or more.

For patterns that may foreshadow success, read on.

  • Year 1: In the first year, there should be many small successes in getting the company off the ground. These may include starting a website, gaining social media attention, growing a client list, and being able to pay personal bills from early profits. Making it through the first year puts you in the 80% of successful businesses.
  • Year 2: Initial success may begin to wear and cash concerns or dwindling capital may lead owners to borrow money this year. Be sure to not allow the stress of debt to run your business though. Instead, realize early customers are not necessarily long term. You should start to see opportunities for expansion during this second year.
  • Year 3: This is the year that fine-tuning begins. Breaking even or making a profit shows you’re headed in the right direction and you can see the light at the end of a tunnel. Figuring out which areas of the business can grow and recruiting a solid team to help you get there should be part of your plan. Get more sophisticated by planning for risk, working on leadership, and analyzing the numbers (including where expenses can be cut and what customers are driving business).
  • Year 4: This is when overnight successes are actually “discovered.” You may still be plagued with small steps forward and sometimes steps backward, but you’re honing in on what is successful within the business. You’ll have sharper brand positioning and improve marketing that leads to a refined customer acquisition process. Your management team will be more efficient in operations and you’ll produce better products. You’re figuring out what customers really want.

You made it through the hard stuff. Now what?

 

To keep making forward progress and grow your business, try these pro tips to take it to the next level:

  • Build word of mouth for your business. Encourage advocates to share their experiences and honestly respond to negative reviews.
  • Focus on customer service. Simply put, it will set you apart. The way word travels, you don’t want to be on the wrong side of it.
  • Expand your marketing efforts. There are so many avenues to market (so it can be overwhelming), but the best way to expand your efforts is to test.
  • Build your online presence. It’s where business happens now. Even if you’re a brick-and-mortar retail store, consumers expect to be able to learn more about you without leaving home. (This is especially important in these pandemic times.)
  • Go mobile. Being digital is only the first step. Ensuring you can be found from a smartphone is the next – otherwise you’ll miss out on a huge customer segment.
  • Cut your business costs. In the same way added revenue contributes to more profits, so does decreasing your expenses. Take a good, hard look to see what you can eliminate.
  • Get in the cloud. Digitizing your business gives it a competitive edge and makes life easier for owners and operators.
  • Hire and retain the right employees. You’ve heard it before: Employees are your most valuable asset – this is especially important in small businesses. Don’t settle. Be sure they’re a good culture fit and someone who has an interest in contributing to your businesses’ future success.
  • Update your business plan. Just like people’s preferences change, so must your company. Start with amending your plan.
  • Stay balanced. It’s easy to get burnt out being a small business owner. You’re often wearing multiple hats. It’s important to take time away from the business to recharge.
  • Make this year your best year ever! Take time to re-energize and focus each year. Recommit to your business. Business ownership isn’t easy but renewed passion will get you through.

At CEFO advisors, we partner with our clients to help them become the successful small business owners they aspire to be. Through our business philosophy of strategy, finance, and culture, we have been able to better help our clients understand how our business works and how they can be successful using a similar strategy. Join us today.

 

 

FreshBooks. “How Long It Takes for a Small Business to Be Successful: A Year-By-Year Breakdown.” FreshBooks, FreshBooks, 23 Oct. 2019, www.freshbooks.com/hub/startup/how-long-does-it-take-business-to-be-successful.

Normand, Robert A. “4 Reasons Why Small Businesses Succeed.” Business Know-How, Business Know-How, 16 July 2019, www.businessknowhow.com/startup/succeed.htm.

Seabury, Chris. “9 Tips for Growing a Successful Business.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 16 Sept. 2020, www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/make-money-in-business.asp.

 Ward, Susan. “Here’s What to Do to Make Your Small Business More Successful.” The Balance Small Business, The Balance Small Business, 4 Dec. 2019, www.thebalancesmb.com/how-to-make-your-small-business-more-successful-4060804.

Pivotal Business Year

How Are You Dealing in This Pivotal Year for Small Business? 

For the rest of history, 2020 will likely be known as the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although outbreaks, like the 1918 Spanish flu and 2014 Ebola epidemic, are remembered in history books, we never really hear about the economic and social consequences that came along with them – or how society came together to rebuild. What do you think will be the story that goes along with this last year’s challenges?

I am so grateful to have such an inspiring and tight-knit team at CEFO Advisors, and even with all of the challenges 2020 threw at us, we emerged stronger than ever. With the ups and downs of the pandemic, clients pivoting and evolving and personal challenges, it was not an easy year but that doesn’t mean we didn’t move into 2021 with new lessons and a greater appreciation for what we have.

As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, business trends have changed greatly – from remote work and consumer shopping behavior to global advertising spend and essential industries (like food, medical, travel, and transportation).We even saw new businesses emerge and many businesses thrive during this time. Who else has taken full advantage of grocery delivery?? As a small business, how have you been affected? And who can you partner with to help keep your business thriving – or surviving?

Let’s talk about the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. What resources are available to overcome this economic downturn? The repercussions may not yet fully be known, and long-term ripple effects may surprise us later on. But here are some actions we can take as small business owners to stay in business now and prepare for the future! 

How can small businesses fight back against the pandemic?

According to JPMorgan Chase, more than 99% of businesses in the U.S. are small businesses and these companies employ one-half of the population. Small businesses often operate with a lack of cash reserve so many can’t deal with a month-long interruption – and the pandemic has carried on for more than eight months at this point. This has resulted in job cuts, financial strain and failing businesses.

The initial outbreak in China in late 2019 disrupted the global supply chain and global economy. Then the week of March 14, 2020, saw 3.28 million Americans file for unemployment in panic that followed the spread of the virus. Companies that have been most affected are hospitality, travel, restaurants and bars, and construction. The fear heading into the future is a greater possibility for start-up depression as well: a lack of new companies being founded and growing the job market.

To combat the effects of the pandemic, here are some steps to keep you moving forward:

  • Assess your essential functions to best prepare for continued stressors.
  • Dedicate time to planning (the best you can) to make sound business decisions.
  • Accommodate changing consumer culture by adjusting your offerings and service as needed.
  • Continue providing a healthy work environment and supporting employees through the pandemic. Follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outline for employers and employees, including daily health checks, hazard assessments, facemask regulations, social distancing, and ventilation recommendations.
  • Consider outsourcing a chief financial officer (CFO) or certified public accountant (CPA) to do realistic accounting. CFOs/CPAs can provide access to new, recurring revenue and maintain free cash flow by creating a year-round paid relationship. Your business will no longer have to rely on the seasonality of tax filing. It will allow your business to become more profitable, promote growth, and achieve business and personal goals.

How can you secure funds to get through hard times?

Yelp estimates that more than 132,000 businesses on their platform have closed since the introduction of pandemic, and more than half will not reopen. Spikes in cases have caused the reclosure of many small businesses that did reopen. And most businesses that have reopened are just breaking even or are in “survival mode.” They are getting by on the bare necessities and have had to take on additional expenses, like personal protective equipment (e.g., air filters, hand sanitizer stations, gloves, plexiglass shields).

But there is some help! Government grants are available for small businesses, offered by federal, state, and local governments. A small business grant is free money given to a small business (with fewer than 500 faculty per location) to help launch, develop, or expand. Government grants are usually given in phases (typically three phases in two years) to support businesses in the long-term.

Federal government grants can be found online at:

  • gov
  • gov
  • gov (U.S. Small Business Administration)
  • gov (U.S. Economic Development Administration)

Part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which is the main stimulus for small businesses, is the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). More than $659 billion has been funded under the Small Business Administration (SBA) for the CARES Act. Specifically, under the PPP falls the Business Loans Program Account, which provides business loans to cover up to eight weeks of payroll, as well as other costs to help small businesses stay afloat.

PPP resumed April 24, 2020, following approval for funding by the U.S. government. Loans under PPP are available for companies worth less than $10 million or 2.5 times a company’s average monthly payroll. Every cent of a PPP loan can be forgiven if specific spending guidelines are followed. The passage of the PPP Flexibility Act 2020 relaxes many previous PPP loan guidelines as well. Both PPP and economic injury disaster loans (EIDLs) are available for small businesses; you can apply for both directly through SBA-approved 7(a) lenders.

With the new wave of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program comes questions and uncertainties, but CEFO Advisors is here to help you and your business!

Sign up for your free consultation with CEFO Advisors for help with the second round of PPP for your business. We’ll help you with:⠀

– Identifying if you qualify for PPP⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

– Navigating the application process⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

– Educating you on what qualifies as an acceptable expense for PPP funds⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

– Filing for forgiveness⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Reach out to lbenson@strategiccforesources.com to begin the process.

 

Alexander W. Bartik,  Marianne Bertrand. “A Way Forward for Small Businesses.” Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 14 Aug. 2020, www.hbr.org/2020/04/a-way-forward-for-small-businesses.

Brown, Courtenay. “Small Businesses Are Spending to Reopen, Even as More Coronavirus Shutdowns Loom.” Axios, Axios, 27 July 2020, www.axios.com/small-business-coronavirus-expenses-87b59746-7a44-45e8-b1d9-3c6e56735b1a.html.

 “Coronavirus Business & Economy Impact News.” Business Insider, Business Insider, www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-business-impact.

“COVID-19 Forcing CFOs to Become Change Agents and Strategists.” StackPath, 31 Aug. 2020, www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/accounting-audit/news/21152345/covid19-forcing-cfos-to-become-change-agents-and-strategists.

 “COVID-19 Guidance: Businesses and Employers.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 May 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html.

Probasco, Jim. “Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).” Investopedia, Investopedia, 29 Aug. 2020, www.investopedia.com/your-guide-to-the-paycheck-protection-program-ppp-and-how-to-apply-4802195.

Rushton, Charlotte. “Advisory Services in the Pandemic: A Mutually Beneficial Right Thing to Do.” Accounting Today, Accounting Today, 17 Sept. 2020, www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/advisory-services-in-the-pandemic-a-mutually-beneficial-right-thing-to-do.

Schooley, Skye. “Government Grants for Small Businesses.” Business News Daily, 10 Aug. 2020, www.businessnewsdaily.com/15758-government-grants-for-small-businesses.html.