In my experience, poor financial management is what causes most underperforming small businesses to fail or not achieve their objectives. Often it is a lack of understanding of how basic business finance works that inhibits owners and leadership teams. You need to fully grasp what makes your economic engine work to make the right investments and calculate appropriate risks.
As we wind down another year, I thought it would be useful to share some best practices I have observed over the years by leaders who tend to end every year on a high note:
Here are a few basic truths abut business to help ensure your success: It all starts with simple math. The formula is pretty straightforward: Revenue – Expenses = Profit. You need to sell enough of something and price it properly so that it exceeds your costs of doing business. Knowingly taking work at a loss
How an organization makes decisions greatly affects whether or not it will have sustained levels of success. Any company can get lucky every once in awhile, but relying on ad hoc judgments is not a good strategy. One of the most important things a leader does is make decisions. He/she must also create a culture that knows how to make sound judgments without relying too much on any one individual. In essence, you want to foster an environment where you, your management team, and other key employees use decision making filters to increase the likelihood of making the right choices.
Tony Robbins
Read moreBernard Marr
Read moreMihir A. Desai
Read moreYou wrote a business plan to launch your company. To say goodbye to it, you need an exit plan to get the maximum possible return and to limit any future exposure to what happens to the company after your departure. But years of experience teach you that nothing in business is predictable — and that’s […]
Read moreInvestors have poured billions into AI-related companies, but adoption is moving slowly across American firms. According to the Census Bureau, just 5% of American businesses have used AI to produce goods and services over the last two weeks, highlighting that market enthusiasm is not yet matching the real economy. Despite this slow progress, AI has the […]
Read moreFor years, the simple answer was that the CFO leads a company’s finance function. But the role has expanded tremendously. Today’s CFO is a key colleague across businesses and functions, and is the CEO’s strategic partner in maximizing value creation. The CFO helps with shaping portfolio strategies, undertaking major investment and financing decisions, and communicating with […]
Read moreThis is a platform that provides valuable insights and analysis specifically tailored for mid-sized businesses. The site covers a wide range of topics, including market trends, investment strategies, industry challenges, and leadership tips, all designed to help business owners and executives in the middle market grow and succeed. It’s a great resource for staying informed […]
View moreKPI.org is an online resource for KPI practitioners sponsored by the Balanced Scorecard Institute (BSI), a Strategy Management Group company. BSI provides consulting, training, and professional certification services to commercial, government, and non-profit organizations worldwide. BSI specializes in helping organizations: Become a high-performance organization Increase focus on strategy and results Improve organizational performance by measuring what matters Align the […]
View moreThe CPI inflation calculator uses the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) U.S. city average series for all items, not seasonally adjusted. This data represents changes in the prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by urban households.
View moreCreated by Ray Dalio this simple but not simplistic and easy to follow 30-minute, animated video answers the question, “How does the economy really work?” Based on Dalio’s practical template for understanding the economy, which he developed over the course of his career, the video breaks down economic concepts like credit, deficits and interest rates, […]
Ed facilitates panel of successful Maryland-based CEOs (for Founder City) to share their experiences as a founder and offer some valuable lessons learned for others who are following in their path, or are already in the midst of their own journey.
Ed’s books on Leadership, Life and Business will elevate your knowledge and give you the confidence to apply it to your personal and professional life.