A lot of CEOs I work with on a daily basis struggle with designing their employee health benefit plans. For most companies, after salaries, this is the company’s biggest expense. Not surprising, given that over…
6 Steps to the Perfect Pitch
6 Steps to the Perfect Pitch Many entrepreneurs’ crash and burn when delivering their investor pitch—and ramble on and on. There’s nothing more frustrating than being told, “I only need 10 minutes of your time,”…
The 6 keys to making a killer venture-capital pitch
Venture capitalist Emily Melton still remembers the day Jacob Sattelmair, founder of Wellframe, showed up with his pitch to persuade her firm, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, to invest in his start-up. "He looked like he had…
Microsoft Finance Director’s ‘Aha’ Leadership Moment
With the role of the CFO expanding to include more organizational strategy, it naturally follows that the finance department as a whole will be expected to make a similar shift from “number historian” to a…
The 6 Must-Have Skills For A Startup CEO
Chief Executive Officer? Chief Visionary? Chief Cheerleader? Chief Salesman? Chief Funding Officer? Chief Communications Officer? Chief Team TISI -1.07% Builder? Chief Lightbulb Changer? Chief Coffee Maker? Yup, all of these titles apply to the role…
Private Placements: What happens if you fail to file Form D (or file it late)?
Form D is a document that the SEC requires a company to file when it issues securities in a private placement under Regulation D. It must be filed with the SEC within 15 days of…
The 3 Jobs Your Startup Should Outsource
If you’re running an early-stage startup, chances are there are some knowledge gaps in your core team. You may be strong on the technical side or a product whiz, but what about financial strategy, administration,…
Signs a Small Business Needs a CFO
When should a small business owner hire a CFO? While there is no right answer, there are certain indicators. I spoke with Marc P. Palker, CMA, about this topic. Marc is Director of CFO Consulting…
CFO or CEO: Who’s in the ‘Driver’ Seat?
What sort of personality should a CFO have to be influential and effective? A collaborative one, for sure. But according to research by Deloitte on working relationships between finance chiefs and their CEOs -– research that…
