I partner with owners and CEOs of primarily small and medium-sized businesses to solve financial risks and headaches. My philosophy when working with clients is Culture first, Strategy second, and Execution third. Integrity is a given and never compromised.
As a CFO looking to share my knowledge of small business finance, I grow companies that are Software as a Service, Consumer Products, or Veteran-owned businesses.
Growing SaaS companies
Financing is necessary for investments in software development, sales, marketing, and operations. Once the SaaS company grows past a break-even point, recurring revenue will grow much faster than expenses. This results in rapidly expanding profits and cash flow.
What is Software as a Service?
Software as a Service is a business model with recurring revenue instead of a one-time software purchase.
Benefits of SaaS
SaaS offers many benefits over traditional software companies:
- Recurring revenue
- Lower overall support costs
- Fixed expense structure
- Easier scalability from cloud resources
- Higher profit margins
- Prepayments by customers
Strategy and Planning
The financial guidance from a CFO is invaluable for a SaaS company.
Prior to becoming cash flow positive, the burn rate needs to be carefully monitored and managed; gross margins need to be grown, expenses need to be held in check, and significant amount of capital need to be effectively and efficiently spent on sales, marketing, and product development.
Rounds of capital need to be strategized and timed. Introductions to investors who can bring more to the table than just their wallets are made. Due diligence processes need to be successfully completed.
Once cash flow positive, merger and acquisition strategies come into play. Either the SaaS company is prepared for acquisition, or in some cases, can be set up to take on additional capital in the role of acquirer.
Small Business
Small businesses frequently have elements that need the care of a CFO.
Business owners will want KPIs and monthly notes on the business so they can keep their finger on the pulse of the business and not miss out on critical business insights.
In-house bookkeeping and accounting teams and external CPAs need supervision. Sales, cash flow, and profitability needs to be forecasted and evaluated.
Small businesses may also have additional accounting and planning that needs to occur around the delivery of professional services, purchase and consumption of inventory, and deployment of fixed assets.
Strategic milestones should be set with progress toward these goals measured. Any mis-steps need to be identified and adjustments to the business are made.
Veteran-Owned
Former military leaders bring a lot to their veteran-owned businesses: leadership, grit, determination, and problem-solving.
These businesses frequently have a different culture and focus that result in special requirements from the CFO:
- DCAA Compliance
- HR Compliance
- Tax Strategy
- Pricing Models
Follow Up – Todd Speaks on Corporate Planning
Earlier this week, I gave a presentation on corporate planning as part of the B2B Solutions Group 3rd Wednesday Speaker Series.Original Post: EVENT – Corporate
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