If it were up to me, the term “non-profit” would be banished from the English language. Why? Because many people associate this term with “non-performance.” They think that just because an organization’s mission is something other than delivering profit to a group of owners/shareholders, the leaders do not need...
The nation’s broad economic indicators continue to fluctuate from month to month, sending mixed signals about the direction of the economy. But overall, it appears that the economic environment both nationally and in California has improved markedly from the depths of the Great Recession. This is presenting some Los...
“Cash is king!” says the old business axiom. And yes, cash flow is critical to the successful operation of any company. Without cash on hand, your business can’t pay overhead and vendors, buy raw materials, meet payroll, or do pretty much anything. But let’s face it: Most greater Los...
Raising capital is a big challenge for many Southern California business owners and executives, especially those seeking startup and early-stage financing and seed funds. But getting the money is often just the start of things — owners and entrepreneurs often find it just as challenging to determine how to...
New startup businesses in greater Los Angeles and Southern California face a wide variety of different kinds of challenges. These challenges can be daunting even in the most favorable circumstances, but the ongoing difficult economic environment nationally and in Southern California can make starting a new business even harder...
In this series of articles, we are taking a close-up look at some of the financial and operational challenges faced by wholesalers and manufacturers, as well as potential solutions that an outsourced CFO services provider can help implement. Understanding and Controlling Costs Cost containment is critical for wholesalers and manufacturers, given the...
If you ask ten CEOs or CFOs if they want to grow their business, ten will probably answer with an emphatic “Yes!” After all, a business that isn’t growing is either stagnant or, worse, in decline. But growing just for growth’s sake isn’t necessarily the best strategy. While reviving...
Most CEOs and CFOs are well aware of the importance of business planning and creating a formal business plan document. Not as many, though, give as much thought to strategic planning. In fact, many CEOs and CFOs believe that business planning and strategic planning are the same thing, but they’re...
There are two primary ways that CEOs and CFOs can grow their businesses. One is by increasing sales, a strategy that is often referred to as internal or “organic” growth. The other is by buying or acquiring another business. One way to think of these two growth strategies is as...
When the recession first hit more than four years ago, the first reaction of many CEOs and CFOs was to cut costs to help keep their businesses afloat. In the process, many companies streamlined their operations, tightened their procedures and learned how to do more with less, thus creating...