Premium innovation and valuation advantages when hiring a flexible Chief Financial Officer with Sam McQuade: What is a fractional CFO? As the name suggests, a fractional CFO is someone who lends their financial expertise to a startup on a contractual basis. Fractional or part-time CFOs have extensive previous CFO-level experience, but generally help tide startups over on a temporary basis. In most cases, fractional CFOs are involved with more than one startup. This is unlike full-time CFOs, who remain employees of the firm with all the associated benefits and responsibilities.
Fractional CFOs can help companies: Develop detailed short-, mid-, and long-term financial forecasts; Prepare budgets based on forecasts; Analyze potential future products, services, markets, and customer segments. Helping Manage Growth: Fractional CFOs are also helpful in scaling a business, ensuring profitable growth as the business becomes more complex. This work involves reinventing the tools, processes, and vendor relationships the business uses to deliver value to an ever-growing and increasingly diverse set of customers. This is often called “bridging the chasm”, as most companies start to see declining margins and increasing headaches as they grow revenue past a certain threshold. Discover more details on Sam McQuade.
CFOs usually are responsible for key finance functions which have included broad categories of accounting, treasury, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), controls, compliance, tax, and audit. Going forward towards 2022, the same functions exist, but they are getting more automated, so the CFO can focus more on forward perspectives. Storytelling requires strong emotional intelligence and solid communication skills. Here’s the four key areas the CFO can be messaging: Why & Purpose: Communicating the “Why” is one of the strongest messages the CFO can deliver. It’s not only the reason for the corporate existence, but it’s also very motivational for all the stakeholders. This message should be repeated frequently and consistently to make people feel the genuine purpose.
The CFO role has emerged from focusing on compliance and quality control to business planning and process changes, and they are a strategic partner to the CEO. The CFO plays a vital role in influencing company strategy. The United States is an international financial hub and global economic growth increases employment growth in the U.S. financial industry. Companies continue to increase profits leading to a demand for CFOs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts the job outlook for financial managers to grow 15% between 2019 and 2029. The average annual salary for a financial manager was $134,180 in 2020.
Strategy and forecasting involves using available data and reports, both internal and external, to advise on areas including product development, market expansion, human capital management, M&A and capital investments. It’s also where structured planning and forecasting exercises, like scenario planning and FP&A, fall. Controllers, treasurers and FP&A analysts are invaluable members of the team, but in all these areas, the buck stops at the CFO’s desk.
The option of working from anywhere in the world is another advantage of a DAO. In a traditional organization, you have to be physically present in order to participate in the organization. With a DAO, you can participate from anywhere in the world. All you need is an internet connection. There are many other examples of DAOs, and there are many different ways in which they can be used. The possibilities are endless, and it is up to the creativity of the developers to come up with new and innovative ways to use them.
Selling your business or looking to buy others? Our experts can lead the deal and make sure that you have a thoughtful ownership transition. We are happy to provide second opinions on valuations as well so you have another perspective and feel better before your close the deal.
The last two to three decades have seen a paradigm shift in the lives of almost everyone. The Internet and the web particularly have given a whole new meaning to the way we communicate and interact with each other. Web1.0 was all about connecting people and devices. Web2.0 was all about connecting people with each other. Recent years have seen the development of Web3.0 which is an entirely different ball game. Web3.0 is all about connecting people with machines and devices to create a more efficient and trustworthy internet. This new web is built on the back of blockchain technology which allows for decentralization, transparency, and security. One of the most exciting applications of this technology is the DAO or decentralized autonomous organization. With everything Web3.0, some concepts are harder to understand than others for now. With increased adoption, they will enter the mainstream sooner.
A properly qualified CFO is a business professional with relevant experience within various commercial environments. This important distinction between a career CFO and the CPA is key. The CFO can solve many financial and business problems in short order, due to having had experience in such matters and the ability to quickly identify and address issues and employ best practices and techniques. Hiring a CFO to perform the financial and administrative functions of the business, frees up the business owner so they can focus on other value-enhancing aspects of the business. In addition to bringing financial and accounting expertise – a CFO can deal with most administrative areas such as human resources, facilities, insurances, legal and compliance, as well as stakeholder relations.
Looking to hire your first CFO or wanting only some interim coverage? We offer CFOs for immediate very short term projects and longer term engagements. Adaptable with transparent pricing so you solve the needs of your business and don’t have to get into a potentially bad solution and expensive full time hire. Along with the core services of C-Suite Level Executives in Finance and a contingent of Fractional CFO talent and experienced Intermittent CFO innovators, Panterra Finance services include: international Business – Experts in Global Tax Liabilities and Cash Flow Strategies, investments and planning. Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Advisory – Providing valuations as well as independent perspectives on offers and options. Internal Audits – Independent internal auditors with in-depth reports highlighting risks and vulnerabilities. Risk Management – A worldwide footprint enables Panterra Finance to identify risks and opportunities in the new world economy. Compliance Review – Actionable understanding when entering markets with new rules, regulations, laws and international asset allocation decisions. Discover even more details at Sam McQuade CFO.
While surveying the landscape of the 21st Century economic climate, Sam McQuade, CFO, CEO and Financial maverick realized that the benefits of the gig economy and off-site personnel had hit the preverbally glass ceiling at the executive floor. Large established companies, corporations and organizations were captive of contracted executives. These executives could be effective and efficient however they could also be playing the game of international finance with obsolete rules, models, and ideas.