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Avoid kissing frogs: how to find the best financial manager for your business

A popular maxim says: “You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince”. The saying, which hails back to the 1970s, applies not only to romance but to hiring for business as well.

Most business owners have had the experience of taking on someone who seemed perfect for the job only to discover they are far from it. In the best case scenario, that person feels the same way about the company as you do about them, and they move on by themselves. In the worst case scenario, they cling to their position with both hands, costing the business time and money, damaging important relationships and knocking brand equity.

Just like the first ‘frog’ you kiss is unlikely to be a prince, no one’s going to make the perfect hiring decision every time. But it’s worth doubling your efforts to ensure you take on the right person when it comes to certain positions in the business. The “cost” of making the wrong decision increases when you hire for key positions. The role of financial manager is one of those.

When looking for the right financial manager for your business, take some time to learn about key pointers. The Finance Team specializes in finding great financial executives and placing them in the best positions. Headed by two Chartered Accountants with several decades’ experience in top South African firms, we’ve come up with a few guidelines to help you find the financial manager that’s right for you.

  • Let history do the talking. Nothing speaks to a financial manager’s track record like what she has been able to accomplish in her previous positions. Scrutinize the financial results of previous employers, and check if they measure up against what she claims she achieved during her tenure. If those aren’t available, have some in-depth discussions with her previous bosses. These executives will often be candid in their feedback, and can also provide you with useful context. For example, a financial manager who oversaw a marginal profit loss during an industry downturn might be more worthy than a financial manager who oversaw a rise in sales during a boom period.
  • Look for a decisive decision-maker. An accountant’s role is innately analytical. It goes without saying that you’re looking for a financial manager who has an eye for detail and can identify a single mistake on a page. However, you’re also looking for a leader in your business – and that means someone who can quickly and confidently make decisions. To find someone who is detail orientated but also makes decisions without deliberating over them for days is a rare combination. A financial manager who possesses both traits will be invaluable to your management team.
  • Look for someone who understands the importance of human capital. Most financial managers know the importance of working capital, but a great financial manager appreciates the worth of human capital as well. As a key leader in your business, you need someone who can communicate clearly, motivate well and mentor effectively. He recognizes that mastering the ‘soft skills’ is what sets him apart in his industry.
  • Look for a team player. Historically, a finance head gave fairly one-dimensional input. His focus was the bottom line, and he motivated for whatever kept costs down and margins up. Nowadays, he’s a member of the overall management team. He thinks not in terms of what will make his department look good, but what will be best for the company in the long run. He’s sensitive to the needs of other departments – even when they contradict the short-term needs of his own. The best financial managers aren’t number pushers, they’re strategic business leaders.

When searching for the right financial manager, look at historical data, decision-making abilities, people skills and ability to lead holistically. In addition, you can contact The Finance Team. We use these and other pointers to place part-time or interim finance executives in their most effective roles.

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March 3, 2016 / No Comments /  
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Why you should bring on a Cape Town Financial Manager when you branch out into the mother city

Climbing Mount Everest was once an undertaking reserved only for professional climbers in peak condition. Over the decades, though, this has changed. Climbing has become increasingly commercialised, and with that the chance to make it up the world’s highest peak has become a possibility for amateurs. Since the early nineties, several Everest-based commercial climbing companies have been founded. They offer amateur climbers the chance to fulfill their dreams of summiting a mountain that was once completely off-limits. But these climbers join the expedition on a strict condition. They must obey every single instruction of their expedition leaders as law. In return, expedition leaders literally become a lifeline to these climbers. Their familiarity with the route, the dangers of the climb and limits of the human body at such an altitude are ultimately what lead the climbers to safety.
In the same way, your Johannesburg-based company might be thinking about branching out to the city that houses our local iconic mountain: Cape Town. As you contemplate the move, you’re no doubt thinking about staffing concerns. Should you find a local branch manager, or should you ask someone you know from Johannesburg if they’d be willing to relocate? While we can’t give a definitive recommendation about each of the positions you’ll be contemplating, we can suggest that it might be a good idea to hire a Cape Town financial manager. In our experience, outsourcing your finance to someone local could act as a lifeline to your business in the same way as an expedition leader plays a vital role to a climber. Here are some reasons why:

A local knows the lay of the land

Outsourcing your finance to a Cape Town financial manager will mean that you have a local putting your systems in place. If you think that’s unnecessary, think again. Several business owners we’ve chatted to have said that starting up a business in Johannesburg versus Cape Town is almost like starting up a business in a new country. Your Cape Town financial manager has relationships with local financiers, knows people in the relevant local government departments and knows how local logistics will impact your business.

Your Cape Town financial manager knows the competition

The recently-released movie Everest tells the true story about disaster that struck on top of the mountain in 1996. Too many commercial climbing companies were on the mountain during climbing season that year. None of the companies had anticipated this level of competition. As a result, there were hours-long delays on several of the passes as “traffic jams” occurred. In the end, climbers were still atop the mountain when the weather turned bad, and several lives were lost.

Similarly, one of the most daunting aspects of starting up in a new location is not knowing exactly who you are up against. A Cape Town financial manager knows the local market and the players in it. They can help you situate your business in such a way that hones in your strengths in relation to your local competitors.

A Cape Town financial manager knows how to cater to local tastes and preferences

Those who climb Everest must adhere to the customs of the area as they do so. This includes visiting a local monastery before their ascent and receiving a ‘safe journey’ blessing from a Nepalese monk. Failure to do so would constitute a great offense. Likewise, building the strategy for your local branch is so much more powerful when it takes into account local happenings. Your company could run promotions around local events or anticipate sales spikes (or dips) around local holidays.
Outsourcing your finance to a Cape Town financial manager will allow your company to benefit from local knowledge and insight, while still retaining the integrity of your own corporate culture. Contact The Finance Team to find out more about getting a suitable professional onboard for the period of time that you need them.

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December 4, 2015 / No Comments /  

What we can learn about financial management from the Nigeria clampdowns

A recent crackdown by Nigerian authorities on South African companies has brought the matter of financial management into the spotlight. Last month, mobile provider MTN was fined an unprecedented $5.2-billion by Nigerian regulators for failing to register users. A week later, the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) suspended the ability of four people associated with Stanbic (Standard Bank in Nigeria) – including a chairperson and the chief executive officer – to sign off on financial statements. The move came after they uncovered irregularities in the 2013/2014 financial statements. The bank was hit with a $5-million fine and instructed to withdraw and restate the statements.

Whilst the Nigerian regulator seems to have been rather stringent in its punitive measures (MTN’s fine is equivalent to ¼ of the country’s gross domestic product),the regulators are within their rights and the happenings highlight a risk faced by every company doing business. Financial management oversights – whether intentional or not – could cost you lots and lots of money. In the case of MTN, share prices fell by 16% within days.

So what can South African businesses learn about financial management from the mishaps of some our biggest multinationals? Here are a few thoughts.

Good financial management can protect your company from authoritarian clampdowns.

The likelihood of the South African revenue service (or another regulator) going on a rampage against your company is small. However, if you’re not complying with tax or other financial reporting laws, expect to be hounded. In other African countries though, your business might be specifically targeted – whether as a cash cow for government revenue or other reasons. Prudent, proactive financial management will protect you from this. Even if a regulator is specifically gunning for your company, they’ll be unable to catch you out on anything if your record is squeaky clean.

 

Financial management is as much about external stakeholder relations as it is about internal.

Many see the financial management role as one which involves steering internal departments toward a specific goal and persuading department heads why they should stay within a certain budget. This is certainly true, but good financial management practices are also cognisant of the environment in which they operate. It’s just as important to make sure you’re not doing anything to offend your local trade and industry department as it is to ensure you’re not doing anything to offend your operations manager. Good financial managers are aware of the cultural and institutional expectations surrounding the business.

Good financial management saves you money.

Hire the right financial expertise, and it will pay you dividends. A good financial manager doesn’t come cheap. But what he or she brings to your company will pay itself back several times over. Instead of scrimping by hiring a full-time junior employee to take care of your finances, bring on someone with the right qualifications and experience part-time.

It’s unclear in the cases of MTN and Stanbic whether their non-compliances were intentional or not, they are most certainly being regretted by each company now. And that’s the last point to remember about good financial management: it is ethical. Your financial manager is being trusted with the lifeblood of the company – make sure they are someone who is worthy of the charge. If you are looking for a high level finance executive to provide the kind of management that will protect your business during the tough times, contact The Finance Team. We can help connect you with the right professional to provide you with interim or part time management, according to your company’s needs.

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November 24, 2015 / No Comments /  
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Water during drought: does your business need a part time financial director

A little while ago, a Johannesburg-based friend considered investing in a water storage unit. His desire was to install a tank in his garden to catch rain and thereby always have an emergency water supply. After looking at all his financial commitments for the month, he decided to hold off on that decision. Now, as the country endures several successive heatwaves and has moved into drought territory, he wishes that he had prioritised that spending. Instead, he is having to make do with less water and is forced to place all his hopes on the next downpour.

Sometimes our businesses face a similar scenario. No business owner wants to spend money unnecessarily, and our money can only go in so many directions. That means cutting down in some areas, but it also means recognizing where that spending would act as the proverbial water tank.

When it comes to hiring staff, it’s difficult to make that call. The natural inclination is to have as few staff members to get the work done as possible. But when it comes to financial management, outlaying extra money for an added level of expertise can sometimes be the most prudent option.

For example, if your company has a full time financial manager on board, you may well feel like you’ve got your bases covered. After all, you’ve got someone overseeing your planning, your company budgeting, and preparing management reports to track your financial performance. But there are instances when you might need the input of a higher level of financial management. At these times, we recommend you bring on a part time financial director. Here are some examples of why a part time financial director might act as the ‘water tank’ to your business:

  • A part time financial director can help improve margins. Your part time financial director has the experience and skillset to analyze your business processes and identify how to drive down costs and drive up margins. He or she will recommend the necessary changes and then oversee the planning process to ensure they take place.

 

  • A part time financial director can help you effectively manage your working capital. If you know you can afford to undertake a new project, but are worried about the cash flow to fund it, then you could do with the expertise of a part time financial director. They will structure your cash flow in such a way that you are able to meet your short-term debt obligations and operating expenses while freeing up as much as possible for you to pursue your other aims.

 

  • A part time financial director can provide financial forecasting, financial modelling, and scenario planning. If you’re trying to decide whether or not to take that big leap, bring in some strategic input to help you make the decision. Your part time financial director can give you an idea of what the future might like look, help you develop a financial model along which to guide your decisions going forward or provide a real-life sketch of the probabilities of various outcomes. A good professional should be a trusted confidante and sounding board; someone to give you the confidence to go ahead with good decisions and help steer you timeously away from bad ones.

 

  • A part time financial director helps you assess risks before you take them, and mitigate risks when you have. They’re trained to pinpoint financial risk: whether it be institutional, environmental or internal. Once they’ve identified the risks ahead, they can help you know how best to avoid or overcome them. They’re there to smooth the bumps on your ride, and guide you towards an alternate route when a so-called road closure looms ahead.

A good financial manager plays a vital role in overseeing and controlling the company’s finances. But bringing on a part time financial director when mapping out your strategy, seeking for ways to be more profitable or contemplating risky decisions can often provide you with financial water in times of drought. Speak to The Finance Team to find out more about how someone can provide you with the high-level interim or ad hoc financial expertise that your company needs.

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November 19, 2015 / No Comments /  

Six tips for hiring a part time financial manager

Whether you’re a Human Resources manager or a small business owner, the task of hiring is one of the most daunting, and risk-laden aspects of your job. Author and business owner Gene Marks puts it this way: “No matter how much work you put into it, no matter how many interviews you conduct, no matter how many books you read about the process, in the end it’s still just a leap of faith.

“You can minimize the risks and try to weed out as many inferior candidates as possible. But, whether you’re the human resources director at a Fortune 500 company or a small business owner, you never really know for sure if this person is going to be the right hire or not.”

As the chief executive of a consulting company that focuses on pairing up part time financial managers and finance executives with companies that need them, I’ve gleaned some insight about how to increase your odds of getting a good hire in the finance department. Here are a few tips below.

Have at least two or three people interview your candidate

A part time financial manager will be an integral part of your management team and need to collaborate well with several other department heads. Don’t let the hiring decision rest on only one person’s opinion. Marks suggests bringing on an outside advisor as part of the process too. “Getting insight from others, particularly those that have no personal agenda, will help you round out your opinion of the candidate.”

Get someone qualified to ensure they have the technical skill base you need

When hiring a part time financial manager, you should start off being comfortable that their technical skills are already there. At this level of management, an understanding of the numbers and the institutional frameworks surrounding their profession is a must. However, it’s impossible to know whether these skills are there if you don’t have them yourself – and if you did, you would be doing the job, not them! So enlist the advice of an experienced Chartered Accountant or a similar professional to get a sense of their level of insight.

Find someone with a passion for the details

Financial oversight requires an unusual combination of skills. Your part time financial manager will need to be able to think strategically and grasp the bigger picture. But, because they’re dealing with numbers, they’ll also need to have an eagle’s eye for detail. You’re looking for the equivalent of someone who would be willing to spend an hour looking for the missing word on the crossword puzzle.

Look for someone with the ability to translate financial jargon

Your part time financial manager has arguably one of the most important communication roles in the company. Not only must they understand the numbers, but they must be able to tell non-financial colleagues what they mean for the business. Use the interview to get them to explain a few financial scenarios – and see how clearly they are able to do it.

Stick to a shortlist of criteria

In some ways, hunting for the perfect part time financial manager is like hunting for a life partner: you’re never going to find the perfect spouse, and if you did, they probably wouldn’t be interested in you! So decide on a few non-negotiables and stick to them. Whether it’s a certain qualification, experience in a certain area or a particular management style, use these as your weeding tools as you search.

Don’t underestimate the importance of personality

Your part time financial manager will need to embrace your corporate culture and work within it. He or she will also be working with you! Be honest with yourself in this area. The part time financial manager candidate may have the most convincing CV in the world, but if you’re going to find them intolerable to work with, you should go with someone else.

Above all, remember you don’t need to undertake the task of finding the perfect candidate by yourself. The Finance Team can guarantee the experience and qualifications of our associates, and provide you with suitable candidates to interview to make the search an easier one. Contact us to find out more.

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October 29, 2015 / No Comments /  
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How your financial management services should help keep a handle on labour

South Africa is a unique economy. In some areas, costs are comparatively low. Housing, for example, is cheaper here than in many other countries. One can buy a large house with a rolling lawn and a sparkling swimming pool for a third of the cost in another country. The cost of living in terms of food and domestic assistance is much lower than in Europe or the US too. But there are other factors in the economy that are higher than its peers. One of those things is the cost of labour.

Labour costs a ‘key deterrent’

A report released by the World Bank in 2010 said that high labour costs were a key deterrent to foreign investors, who were moving towards other emerging economies where labour costs were lower. The tragic events in Marikana in 2012 acted as a mobiliser of sorts for labour, with several industries demanding wage increases of more than double inflation, and some in mining petitioning for a raise of more than 60%. The platinum industry was brought to its knees for five months last year until the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) was granted a historically high increase. South Africa’s sovereign rating has been downgraded by several agencies over the past year, with all of them citing “labour unrest” or “labour instability” as one of the contributing factors.

The result of this is that companies offering financial management services in South Africa cannot afford to simply oversee the traditional areas of the business. They have a special function to perform: they need to keep a handle on labour costs and oversee the retention of employees.

Keeping a handle on labour costs and retention

Companies or individuals who provide traditional financial management services will pay attention to things like sales figures, operating costs, fixed capital and margins. But bespoke financial management services will pay attention to labour costs, how much the company can afford to raise wages and salaries every year and how much money should be ploughed into retaining employees as well.

As was evident with the platinum mines last year, sometimes it is worth retaining your employees even if it means acceding to expensive demands – especially when, as was the case with the mines, the company can’t afford to let them go or there are political reasons for retaining them. But a good financial manager will help you understand what the inflection point is: where retaining employees becomes more expensive than getting new ones, or when old employees are costing more than they are worth.

Understanding the labour cycle and predicting wage increases

Insightful financial management services in South Africa now involve an understanding of the labour cycle. For example, your financial manager should know when labour negotiations are taking place within your supply chain. If your company is reliant on postal services and there’s a strike planned by the South African Post Office, your financial manager should anticipate the implications of that.

Valuable financial management services will also provide you with insight as to the factors that could trigger a demand for higher wages in your company. Going back to the mining example: the Amcu standoff with Lonmin in 2012 resulted in a so-called 10% increase in wages (in reality, it was less than this for most workers). This sparked a tidal wave of demands across the industry that gained momentum and spilled into other sectors such as gold and coal. The following year, Amcu made a blanket demand for a basic wage of R12 500 for all workers. While this was never met, it did result in a comparatively high settlement in the platinum industry.

Wage negotiations do not have to be contained to your sector to affect your employees. An extraordinary wage settlement in one industry often sparks a similar demand in another one. Following the mining strikes, there were large-scale strikes in the automotive industry, the components industry and even companies such as South African Breweries saw long-term work stoppages. A great financial manager should be able to spot these waves months before they come, plan for them, and put contingency plans in place.

If your company is looking for insightful financial management services which not only provide you with traditional finance management but also direction around managing your labour costs, contact The Finance Team. We have a team of highly experienced finance executives who can assist your company on an interim or part-time basis.

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July 31, 2015 / No Comments /  
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The evolution of the financial manager

“Life is all about evolution. What looks like a mistake to others has been a milestone in my life.” – Indian actress Ameesha Patel

According to the Oxford dictionary, evolution is “the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form”. When one looks at the role that the financial manager has played over time, it would be safe to say that an evolution has taken place, although the financial manager of yesteryear might not smile on being described as “simple”! In many senses, though, the financial manager of decades ago did play a much simpler, more one-dimensional role. With the onset of globalization, rapid technological advances and the geo-political changes taking place in the world, today’s financial manager now has a more complex role.

Thirty years ago, the financial manager was the guardian of the company coffers. He played a top-down, authoritarian role. He was a gatekeeper; his role had a heavy emphasis on the “control” aspect of leadership. In order to succeed as a financial manager thirty years ago, you needed a good head for numbers, to be a stickler for detail and needed to be unequivocal in your decision-making. You needed to be able to defend your decisions to other management, and stick to your guns when being scrutinized by the board.

Today, the role of financial management often paves the way for general management of a company. There are more Chartered Accountants in South Africa who are heads of JSE-listed companies than people with any other qualification. The fact that many successful financial managers eventually take up overall management in the business spells out one of the truths pertaining to her role: she is expected to know something about everything.

Something about everything
In addition to understanding accounting laws and practices and having a flair for numbers, today’s financial manager needs to understand the technical requirements of the business. She needs to understand the operations that lead to the company’s productive output. She needs to understand the mechanisms behind the marketing efforts of the company, as well as the potential effects of marketing campaigns on the bottom line.

The consultant
Today’s financial manager is no longer a fist-wielding authoritarian. Although he is still required to control the company’s money, he is now required to be consultative in his approach. He no longer needs to defend his decisions, he needs to explain them and gain buy-in (from other senior management and colleagues) to his rationale. In other words, he’s gone from being a bean counter to a coach. A big part of his abilities today involve being able to build relationships with other department heads, and train people how to make wise financial decisions.

Adaptive
Thirty years ago, a financial manager spent much of her time looking backwards. Budgets were prepared and slavishly adhered to using historical data as a predictor for the future. Today’s financial manager learns from the past, but also recognizes that the future will bring change. For that reason, budgets and planning are more fluid. A successful financial manager today is aware of the environmental factors that could alter things, and is prepared to react to them quickly and knowledgeably.

While, decades ago, being a successful financial manager meant having a fairly narrow and definitive skillset, the requirements today are much broader. The evolution of the financial manager means that the role today is being filled by a well-rounded, multi-faceted leader.

If your company is seeking top notch financial leadership, contact The Finance Team. We have a large network of finance executives who can provide the financial management your business needs, for the time and scope that it is required.

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April 13, 2015 / No Comments /  

How to get the most out of your financial manager

Getting the most out of your financial manager often depends on the quality of the financial manager that you have engaged or employed to safe guard your company’s financial future. Excellent, educated and highly experienced financial managers come at a price, but with good reason.

You wouldn’t let a first year medical student conduct an organ transplant that could save your life, so why don’t you treat your company with the same respect? Using an underqualified, inexperienced financial manager to control and manage your company finances because they are ‘not as expensive as the other guy’, could be setting a path for your company’s financial ruin or even liquidation. Why? Because you get what you pay for.

Before you worry about how to get the most out of your financial manager, perhaps the real question should be, “how do you work together with him / her to get the most out of their experience and skill set?” For those businesses or entrepreneurial endeavours that require an excellent financial manager but don’t believe the scope of work necessitates employing a financial manager full time, there are companies that can provide solutions. This is a phenomenon known as The Rise of the SuperTemp.

The rise of the part time financial manager or SuperTemp

This term refers to the rise of the independent financial contractor, who outsource their skills on a part time or interim basis. The Harvard Business Review labelled them “SuperTemps”. These top level financial managers have been trained at esteemed institutions and are alums of well respected and successful companies. The trend of using these SuperTemps has been growing in popularity internationally and is now a trend that is featuring prominently within the South African business landscape. South African companies are moving towards a more streamlined and results driven approach to hiring individuals for key financial manager positions.

The current South African labour landscape has created an unusual pool of highly talented and experienced professionals, who can’t get back (or don’t want to get back) into the corporate work space and are now available on the independent market. They are making a career of providing part time financial management services – not just providing this service as a stop gap until they can find a permanent post. Companies like The Finance Team specialise in providing companies with trusted part time financial managers that are able to fulfil a company’s financial management needs.

Using an experienced part time resource will allow you to get the most out of your financial manager

Experienced and trustworthy part time financial managers have all the necessary skills for the job. They are naturally self-starters who are able to assess the state of the financial wellbeing of the company, streamline processes and set up systems that will benefit the company both in the short and long term. They are used to dealing with company management and shareholders and are able to provide financial reports that are accurate and understandable.

More and more companies are beginning to realise that it is more cost effective and productive to hire the best possible part time financial manager for the job at hand rather than to employ a sub-standard full time financial manager that could end up costing the company in the long run.

 

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August 7, 2014 / No Comments /  
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Why your business needs an experienced (part-time) Financial Manager

The domain of financial management is occupied by highly qualified accountants that have come through a rigorous regime of training and examinations, followed with significant practical experience, upon which they draw for your benefit. They are the general practitioners of the financial world, with the expert knowledge and integrity to give you high quality advice on any aspect of your businesses financial affairs.

Many small to medium enterprises believe they cannot engage the services of an experienced financial manager due to the costs involved but fail to consider that a good financial manager can actually save your business money if utilised correctly.

You may only need a financial manager to help you with a major financial decision for projects, or to help keep your business on track when starting out, or assist you if your business is entering a growth phase. Too many companies make the mistake of not engaging a financial manager to set up their business when they need the valuable advice  and guidance experienced financial managers can input in the start-up phase.

For companies that do not have the capacity (whether it be financially or volume of work) to employ a financial manager full time, there is an alternative option, engaging an experienced and qualified, part-time or interim financial manager on an outsource basis, which is a growing trend worldwide.

A part-time or interim financial manager should be able to:

  • Understand operational performance and what contributes to better results
  • Review performance measures and ensure that they are appropriate and timely
  • Assume a hands-on approach to risk management
  • Provide a good understanding of compliance requirements
  • Understand organisation structure and human resources issues
  • Manage the operational planning and produce reliable forecasts
  • Provide an awareness of the benefits of appropriate tax planning
  • Have the experience required to make clear and decisive decisions

There are outsource companies that are able to provide access to highly experienced qualified part-time or interim financial managers that meet this list of criteria.

What you should look for in a financial management outsource company?

  • Experience
    Does the outsource company have a team of financial managers that have a minimum of five years’ experience within the financial field and a minimum qualification of B.Com or B.Compt (Hons), with the majority of associates holding either CIMA or SAICA accreditation?
  • Flexibility
    Is the outsource company able to tailor-make a solution that suits your company’s needs and budget?
  • Team approach
    Does their team comprise individuals with multiple skills sets that are able to provide the correct level of experience and knowledge for your business?
  • Commitment
    Are they committed to providing clients with solutions that solve their problems without adding additional challenges linked to long-term contractual agreements and other types of red tape?
  • Trust
    Does the outsource company have a good reputation within the financial management field and have excellent references?
  • Director level involvement
    Do the directors of the outsource company have a hands-on approach to clients’ needs, assessing each project personally so that they are able to find the right ‘fit’ for your particular financial requirements and company culture?

Does your business need a part-time or interim financial manager? The Finance Team is able to assist. Contact us for a free needs analysis

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December 9, 2013 / No Comments /  

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