Financial executives: The gummiberry juice you need to get your business going

The days are long for a business owner, and the nights are even longer. Daytime sees you working extended hours, juggling several responsibilities. When night time comes, sleep is crowded out as you wonder about the big things: where the company is headed in the long run, whether it will be able to survive the lean times, whether you can afford to keep your staff compliment, how well you’re stacking up to the competition … The exhilaration of being your own boss has a payoff: you feel like the world rests on your shoulders. It can be overwhelming and exhausting trying to answer all the questions yourself.

You or your children might remember the eighties classic kids’ TV programme, Gummi Bears. Ordinary forest bears would go about their lives trying to do good. But sometimes they faced dangers – and they needed more than their own capabilities to make it out alive. At the crucial moment, they would gulp down some “gummiberry juice” – a magic potion that gave them the power to bounce away from hunters. If the thought of some of that gummiberry juice sounds appealing, I’ve got a welcome message for you: we’ve got some. It doesn’t come in potion bottles though – it comes in the form of highly capable and specialised financial executives from The Finance Team.

The Finance Team was established in recognition of a growing need. There are companies all over the country that have great ideas and motivated leaders. But they need a little “superpower” in the areas where it matters most. They need the proverbial gummiberry juice to help them understand the risk their companies face, how to bolster their cash flow, how to optimize their operations and how to attract new investment. In short, they need the help of seasoned financial executives who can offer skills, insight, and experience. These companies need the type of financial executive who has travelled their road before, someone who is willing to be a sounding board and a partner when it comes to making strategic decisions for the business, but someone who will respect the way things are done in the company and not try to steer things in their own direction.

There are three different types of financial executives, each bringing their own flavour of ‘gummiberry juice’:

• Financial executive one:

  Financial director. Call on this person if you need financial leadership at the highest level. If you’re wanting valuable input to board meetings and strategic financial guidance, look at getting a financial director on a part-time or ad hoc basis. This way, you’ll get the level of assistance you need without having to pay another senior salary fulltime.

• Financial executive two:

  A part-time or interim financial manager. You need a financial manager if you’re juggling too many responsibilities as a business owner and/or you don’t have a specialist financial qualification. This person can take over the responsibilities of planning, organizing, leading and controlling the company’s finances. They’ll make sure there are no bad surprises at month end or when you decide to expand the business. They should be there as often as you need them – and no more.

• Financial executive three:

  A project accountant. Call on a project accountant when you’re rolling out a strategic project that needs to be a success. Your project accountant will create a realistic expectation around costs, track them and ensure the work is completed within budget. They’ll show you what’s costing too much and who’s working efficiently too. You can help draw on their reports to ensure your ensuing projects are just as successful.

As a business owner, it’s a huge relief to know that you can surround yourself with the best team mates and get the support you need. From time to time, everybody needs a little gummiberry juice to stay on track. With TFT’s financial executives, you’re sure to find it.

Image credit – www.aspira-training.com