• March 19, 2023
• By Rick Arthur
• In Business Relationships, Business success, Financial Intelligence, Financial Statements
• No Comment
• 1
• Tagged: business relationships Financial Intelligence

As a CEO, you are ultimately accountable for the success of the business – financial and otherwise. I find that a CEO’s day-to-day challenges are often 80% about people and 20% about finances. So, many of their solutions require emotional intelligence and an understanding of how to effectively deal with conflict. Yet the financial aspects of the business impact all other areas and therefore require far more than 20% of the attention and a repertoire of Financial Intelligence.

Yet financials are not the area of expertise of many CEOs. Sometimes hesitant to talk about financials, they may not have an in-depth understanding of their company’s numbers, or confidence in their level of knowledge about how to make a profit. They make financial decisions all the time but not necessarily based on the experience and data needed to support those decisions.

CEOs Need a Sounding Board

I’ve learned that many owners and CEOs – especially of small businesses and in entrepreneurial situations – don’t have anyone with whom they can deeply discuss, one-on-one, the difficult issues they face. As a CFO, my expertise is built on Financial Intelligence which enables me to help a CEO get a better understanding of their financials and how to interpret them. But even though a company’s financial situation is my starting point, my work is not just about profitability and cash flow.

I focus on the business as a whole and, while understanding the sensitivity associated with a client’s money, I care about, and speak to issues beyond those that are financial. Having built my own $20 million company, and being a CEO with a partner, I can relate to issues clients face across the board and share insight into overcoming the challenges they encounter. My goal is always to build a relationship on a foundation of trust so that CEOs feel comfortable opening up about what they do or don’t understand about their financials or when they need a sounding board about any area of business.

Get the Solutions You Need

Financial Intelligence is the core of the work I do but there’s a problem-solving component as well and tools I share to help CEOs feel confidently in control of all aspects of their business. When you work with me, you also get humor, business experience, and a lasting, trusting relationship, with focus on the following areas:

• A thorough assessment of your financials and financial processes.
• A process and financial controls to ensure financial data that is timely and accurate.
• A gap analysis to calculate where you are versus where you want to be.
• The creation and implementation of a strategic plan and initiatives to maximize profitability and cash flow by growing the business, not just revenues.
• Time and focus to work more on the business, not just in the business.
• Introductions to other trusted advisors with expertise in specific areas.
• Consideration of the tools around the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) – a practical method for achieving business success, developed by Gino Wickman, author of Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, and embraced by more than 80,000 companies.

Wired to get to know people, relationships are a foundation of my business. I’m my highest and best self and do my best work when I have healthy personal connections with my clients. Watch this short video to learn more about the value I can bring to your business. Then contact me to schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss your company’s needs – financial and beyond.