Premium advantages for startups when employing a flexible CFO by Sam McQuade CFO

Sam McQuade about cash flow advantages employing a fractional Chief Financial Officer today: Key advantages of hiring a fractional CFO: Cost! Unlike traditional businesses, startups need to remain conscious about paying only for what they absolutely cannot live without. Everything else is either in-house or done without. Fractional CFOs are the next step in this evolution of the scrappy, bare-knuckle startup. Think of a fractional CFO as a CFO on-demand. Your startup benefits from all the expertise of an experienced CFO when it is needed the most, without the additional cost of having an extra C-suite colleague on your payroll.

What Does a Fractional CFO do for a Company? Fractional CFOs most commonly partner with companies to help overcome financial challenges, achieve growth, optimize strategy, implement systems, raise capital, or navigate an audit or transaction. Overcoming Specific Challenges: Fractional CFOs are often brought into an organization when there are financial challenges that the company’s existing team does not have either the skills or manpower to overcome. In many cases, a company does not have an in-house CFO. In some cases, however, the company may have an existing CFO, and the fractional CFO acts as a partner or advisor or helps lead separate projects such as raising capital or navigating an audit.

In these early years of creating innovations in the corporate C-Suite, Sam McQuade nurtured and created a maverick approach to new finance operations for Stryker as it broke through to the lucrative emerging markets in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)). While approaching the markets in the growing economies of Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia and Romania, Sam McQuade was recognizing the need for Interim and Fractional CFO’s for the avalanche of incubators and startup companies in these underdeveloped economies that were on the cusp of being integrated into modern International Finance systems and markets. Read additional information on Sam McQuade CFO of Panterra Finance.

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 relies on the reporting generated by accounting and the financial controller to advise the CEO and board on the company’s strategic financial direction. The controller and other functional specialists report to the CFO. What informs the need for a CFO is less company size than a desire for a strategic adviser with deep financial expertise. CFOs are captains of a team that covers both accounting and finance and consists of senior leaders, such as controllers and VPs of finance, and operational staff — accountants, bookkeepers, tax specialists, data analysts. Serving as a CFO requires a background in accounting or finance and an advanced business degree, generally including an MBA. But it also takes plenty of soft skills.

Financial reports including balance sheets and P&L and cash flow statements help both internal leaders and external stakeholders understand the financial state of the business, and it’s up to the CFO to attest that these statements are accurate and complete in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Although private companies are required to file financial reports with the SEC only if they have $10 million or more in assets and 500 or more shareholders, many businesses create these statements anyway so they’re available should the company seek a bank loan or venture capital or equity funding.

Now, suppose there is a problem with the website. Maybe the server goes down, or maybe there is a bug in the code. In such a case, the smart contract will still be functional, and the transactions will still take place. This is because the smart contract is running on the blockchain, which is a decentralized network. Even if one node in the network goes down, the other nodes will still be up and running, and the transactions will take place. This is just a very simple example to show you how a DAO works. In reality, DAOs can be much more complex, and they can do many more things. For instance, they can be used to create decentralized versions of traditional companies or organizations.

We are your ally in managing business risks. In a world that is rapidly changing, we help you identify what that change means for your business and what measures you need to employ to protect it from a range of risks in the new economy.

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.

The answer is to bring in a qualified CFO to work closely with the CEO or business owner. The CFO must embrace the vision, but also translate this into the operational and financial framework to achieve success. Dealing effectively with stakeholders is another key function. This includes managing expectations, presenting financial information, and understanding the varied and legitimate interests of owners, creditors, and lenders.

Do you want to hire your very first CFO or need interim coverage? We offer solution CFOs for urgent very short term objectives and longer term engagements. Customizable with fair pricing so you solve the needs of your business and don’t have to rush into a potentially very bad and expensive full time hire. In disrupting the traditional contracted title of CFO, Panterra Finance innovatively offers all its clients thought leadership based on international financial market experiences. Panterra Finance offers a unified international approach to businesses in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Eight centrally located offices in the USA, Switzerland, the Middle East, and the emerging African Continent, offers global enterprises Fractional and Interim CFO services backed by a team with a grasp of dynamic world trends. Find additional info at Sam McQuade CFO.