FAQs
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
Three times I have been a small business owner myself, and each time I found that a business must be managed "by the numbers". Hope and intuition are not the guiding principles that will make a company more successful, more profitable, or more efficient. Guess work will not beat the competition! Business can be fun, exciting and financially rewarding... but only if the owner understands finance and what the financial statements are telling him. Now, in my 4th business venture with Rock Solid Finance, I love helping other business owners come to a deeper understanding of their financials: Numbers are the language of business! Do you know what your business is trying to tell you?
- What types of customers have you worked with?
Most of our clients consider us a "Part Time CFO", because we not only fix their accounting problems, but also work hand-in-glove with them to make their business more profitable, more efficient, and more fun. In as little as a few hours a week (or as much as several days a week), we can turn your business into a lean, mean, profit machine. Here's how I've helped a few recent customers: (1) "Clean Ups and Work Outs" - meaning I'll clean up your accounting problems from start to finish. Has it been years since you had a good clean Income Statement? Had a bookkeeper that messed things up? Let me help. Get your books straight so you get back to business! (2) "Strategy, Budget & Planning" - Do you know where your business is taking you? If you are not leading the company in a particular direction, you could end up anywhere (including broke!). Let me help you plot a course for a more profitable, more efficient business. Together we will look out 1 to 5 years and make your business fit your lifestyle - and your dreams. (3) "Raise Money" -- whether you need just a little help from the bank, or a million-dollar capital infusion from investors, let me plan and execute a capital raise campaign. I've worked with VC, Angels, CrowdFunding, Banks, Commercial Lenders, and some amazing "non-traditional" sources of capital. I'm happy to describe them to you, just call!
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
To be effective, a finance person must have a complete understanding of not just accounting, but small business in general. Your needs are unique, and a CPA or Tax-focused professional is NOT the ideal resource for most small businesses. Look for a finance person who has a broader background, and one that can offer strategic / operational advice to make your business more profitable, more sustainable, and more efficient. Before hiring any finance professional, please ask: (1) Have you ever started a business before? (2) Have you ever owned a business before? (3) What record of business growth can you show me? (4) Are you QuickBooks certified? (5) What do you have if a Liability Account on a Balance Sheet has a Debit Balance? (6) What tools can you suggest to help us streamline or automate our bookkeeping, accounting, payment approvals, timekeeping, billing and payroll? (7) What three things could we do to improve our cash flow? (8) Is my business right for Job Costing? (9) How can you help me be more efficient? I think you will be able to judge from those responses whether the person you are speaking with truly understands finance -- and small business!