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Owning a successful business is no easy feat.
The harsh reality is that nearly half of all businesses fail before reaching their fifth birthday. Despite the abundance of business resources available, many business owners struggle to generate consistent positive cash flow, the lifeblood of any enterprise. This is where CFOs step in. As trusted advisors, CFOs play a vital role in helping struggling business owners achieve their goals and sustain a thriving business. In this blog post, we will explore why business owners hire CFOs and how they can make a significant impact on their clients' lives.
The Challenge of Generating Consistent Positive Cash Flow:
At its core, the success or failure of a business hinges on its ability to generate consistent positive cash flow. However, most businesses falter in this area. They are unable to sustain the cash flow necessary to stay afloat and thrive. This is where CFOs come into play. Their primary responsibility is to help clients generate consistent positive cash flow, enabling them not only to survive but also to build a prosperous business.
Differentiating from Other Business Resources:
While there is no shortage of business resources available, they often fall short in meeting the specific needs of small and medium-sized businesses. Here are three key reasons why other resources may not suffice:
- Limited applicability: Most business resources focus on large enterprises, neglecting the unique challenges faced by smaller businesses.
- Lack of emphasis on cash flow: Many resources fail to prioritize the generation of consistent positive cash flow, the key factor for business longevity.
- One-size-fits-all approach: Generic advice and strategies cannot address the nuanced requirements of individual businesses, leaving owners confused and unsure of what steps to take.
The Distinctive Value of CFOs:
CFOs stand out from other resources due to their unwavering focus on generating consistent positive cash flow and their ability to provide tailored advice. Here's how CFOs differentiate themselves:
- Focused on cash flow: CFOs make generating consistent positive cash flow their ultimate goal. They guide their clients towards financial stability and growth by aligning strategies with this objective.
- Monthly guidance: Regular meetings with clients allow CFOs to provide precise and actionable steps to maintain a positive cash flow trajectory. This consistent guidance ensures clients stay on track towards financial success.
- Strategic support: CFOs go beyond advice by assisting clients in strategizing and executing the necessary steps to sustain positive cash flow. Acting as trusted guides, they support business owners every step of the way, ensuring the realization of financial goals.
The One Clear Path
The One Clear Path is our systematic approach that we use with our clients to generate consistent positive cash flow.
The path consists of six steps, with the first step involving setting annual targets for cash flow aligned with the client's definition of success.
The subsequent monthly steps focus on helping clients stay on track to achieve their targets.
In Step 2, actual numbers are updated, and in Step 3, a forecast is made for the year-end outcome.
Step 4 involves comparing the targets with the forecast and assigning a color-coded score. Red indicates being off-track, yellow indicates proximity to being on-track, and green signifies being on-track.
Based on this evaluation, Steps 5 and 6 provide clients with an Action Plan that includes objectives and specific next steps to stay on track.
The monthly steps aim to support clients in hitting their targets and ensuring their businesses generate consistent positive cash flow, leading to long-term client satisfaction.
James Fleming III, EA
Sentinel Accounting LLC
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