The quarter is behind us. Financials are (hopefully) closed. Leadership teams are evaluating where they stand now versus the goals they set in January. When results start slipping behind expectations, leaders often respond in the same way: Push harder.Work longer.Add more initiatives.Move faster. That’s the old me too. But in many businesses, the issue isn’t …
Reducing Friction: Why Working Harder Isn’t Always the Answer Read More »
Q1 is over. Now what? For many businesses, Q1 can create more confusion than confidence. January starts with energy. There is a budget, a plan, and usually some optimism. But then the quarter gets rolling. Sales may come in a little soft. Margins may not hold. Cash gets tighter than expected. A few large receivables …
Are You Running Your Business Through the Rearview Mirror? Read More »
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that smart people still have blind spots. In fact, the more experienced someone becomes, the easier it is to fall into familiar patterns. You begin to see problems through the same lens, use the same playbook, and rely on the same assumptions that have worked in the …
Most business owners don’t have a “numbers problem.” They have a timing problem. When your close takes 20–30 days, you are making February decisions based on January’s fog. When auditors show up, that fog turns into a fire drill. A strong close is not about prettier financials. It’s about control: faster decisions, fewer surprises, and …
Most owners treat cash like a scoreboard. They glance at the bank balance. If it’s up, they relax. If it’s down, they tense up. Then they return to running their business. The problem is that cash is not a scoreboard. It’s a system. And when that system is missing, the business can feel reactive even …
As the year winds down, most owners fall into one of two camps. Some coast. They assume December is already lost, push decisions to January, and hope momentum magically appears. Others treat the final weeks as both a finish line and a starting line, cleaning up numbers, tightening cash, and entering January with clarity instead of chaos. …
Year-End Finish Line Finance: Close Strong and Hit January Running Read More »
At Verbeck Associates, we work with small and mid-sized businesses all the time—most with lean finance teams and owners wearing multiple hats. Sometimes, we need to think like a turnaround. Mission-critical survival. When cash is tight or operational chaos hits, we may have to make hard calls—cut off a leg to save the body. I’ve …
From Surviving to Scaling: Profit Levers for Growing SMBs Read More »
Lately, I’ve been thinking again about what really causes businesses to struggle—or worse, fail. You’ll hear the usual list: cash flow issues, declining sales, or lack of capital. And while those are valid pain points—(hey, I talk about cash flow all the time and am a strong advocate of the 13-week cash flow tool)—these are often …
Execution Over Excuses: The Real Reason Businesses Struggle Read More »
I’ve been using financial ratios for years, and they’ve never failed me. I remember when I was leaving KPMG and pitched my value to a few companies. I had developed a forecast model on Excel that worked beautifully. I took the target company’s financials and highlighted the primary cash flow ratios (DSO, DIO, and DPO). …
The Value of Ratios: How Smart Financial Metrics Drive Business Performance Read More »
We’ve hit the halfway mark of 2025. Before the second half sprints ahead, now’s your chance to pause the hustle, zoom out, and make sure you’re on the right track. Summer is here with its slower pace, family getaways, and a well-deserved breather. But it’s also a golden opportunity to hit pause with purpose. Mid-year is …