Best rated benefits of hiring fractional CFO by Sam McQuade: CFOs may also help set technology direction, especially fintech, and make recommendations on everything from supply chain to marketing based on their fiscal insights and industry knowledge. The most-valued CFOs are visionaries — they have an eye toward the future, work closely with top leadership and aren’t shy about recommending strategic moves. The chief executive officer (CEO) is a company’s highest-ranking executive. Depending on corporate structure, the CEO may be responsible for all aspects of a company’s operational and fiscal health, or a president may share some duties. The CEO is the official face and voice of the company to press and analysts, the general public and, if applicable, the board of directors.
Smaller companies, incubators and startups could not match the salaries that the full time CFO commanded on the world financial stage. The seeds for the concept of an Interim or Fractional CFO were planted in the mind of Sam McQuade almost 3 decades ago when he first entered the world of International Finance as an Entrepreneur Consultant in Geneva Switzerland after achieving his MBA/MA at European University. During this tumultuous time at the turn of the century on the international financial scene, Mr. McQuade was ahead of his time. He offered as needed financial consultation services for international behemoths the Swiss based Nestle Corporation and the US based medical device corporation Stryker. The focus of his services, which would years later be foundational in the concepts of Panterra was a new model in product development, manufacturing and marketing. See even more info at Sam McQuade CFO of Panterra Finance.
The CFO function is evolving at lightspeed. With digital transformation and societal changes, the CFO role is rapidly turning into one of a “Chief Fiduciary Officer”, which is going beyond the traditional financials to look towards the future and lead long term value creation in a world of many unknown risks. Storytelling is a very powerful tool to engage and energize teams about value creation and potential pitfall areas. The traditional path of CFO usually starts with a solid foundation based on technical knowledge and then after about 15 years, the great leaders earn the coveted title.
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.
To make you understand it in simple words, let me explain it with an example. Suppose there is a website that allows people to buy and sell products. This website has a smart contract that governs how the transactions will take place. When someone wants to buy a product, they will send a request to the smart contract. The smart contract will then check if the person has enough money to buy the product. If they do, then the transaction will take place, and the product will be sent to the buyer. If the person doesn’t have enough money, then the transaction will not take place.
A fractional CFO helps determine how to get you from where you are to where you want to go. Growing a business requires strategic use of capital. For many fractional CFOs, one of their most important contributions will be providing a financial forecast that will act as a blueprint to achieve the growth in the most efficient, accelerated, and sustainable way possible. With a short-term (next 90 days), mid-term (rest of this year), and long-term (next 3-5 years) view of the business, a company can better anticipate its trajectory and cash position or requirements. It can make it easier to manage through the lean times, help determine when and how to secure loans or investments, anticipate future owner compensation, and help plan and prioritize future business decisions such as staffing, production, geographical expansion, etc.
Selling your business or looking to buy others? Our experts can lead the deal and make sure that you have a thoughtful ownership transition. We are happy to provide second opinions on valuations as well so you have another perspective and feel better before your close the deal.
The most important thing to understand about a DAO is that it is autonomous. This means that it can exist and continue to function without any human intervention. Once the code is written and deployed, the DAO will continue to run according to the code that governs it. This is made possible by the fact that smart contracts are immutable. This means that they cannot be changed or altered in any way once they have been deployed to the Ethereum blockchain. The DAO’s basic idea, while intriguing, is also fascinating, and it represents a point where technology trends such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and the internet of things (IoT) are coming together to provide fresh possibilities.
A properly qualified CFO is a business professional with relevant experience within various commercial environments. This important distinction between a career CFO and the CPA is key. The CFO can solve many financial and business problems in short order, due to having had experience in such matters and the ability to quickly identify and address issues and employ best practices and techniques. Hiring a CFO to perform the financial and administrative functions of the business, frees up the business owner so they can focus on other value-enhancing aspects of the business. In addition to bringing financial and accounting expertise – a CFO can deal with most administrative areas such as human resources, facilities, insurances, legal and compliance, as well as stakeholder relations.
Searching to hire your very first CFO or wanting only some interim coverage? We offer CFOs for immediate short term projects and longer term engagements. Customizable with transparent pricing so you solve the needs of your business and don’t have to get into a potentially very bad and costly full time hire. Sam McQuade CFO has successfully scaled his decades old ideas into an innovative full-service Financial Partner Solution for incubators, startups, emerging business concepts as well as well-established international companies, corporations and organizations with the introduction of Panterra Finance. The Panterra Finance professional executive team members are equipped to provide an industry leading concept of an on demand Fractional CFO and Interim CFO during pivotal transitions. Discover even more details on Sam McQuade.