Of all the work I have ever done, including starting, operating and then selling my own businesses, the work I enjoy the most is helping entrepreneurial business owners realize their dreams. I do this by truly listening to them and then assisting them in developing a strategy for making their dreams reality. Together, we set about aligning and focusing the business resources to accomplish key objectives. Many business owners are great at visioning, at business development and also sales but many are not necessarily financially-oriented. That is a discipline I bring to the process. I become their decision partner with a financial perspective. What I have noticed is that, once business owners know they have a decision partner they can trust, they think more creatively; more outside the box and they perform even better in their core strengths. In some cases, the strategy requires that we raise money for the business, a process that requires a great deal of internal preparation and outside relationship development with bankers, venture capitalists and/or other resources. If a business owner tries to do this without professional assistance at a senior level, typically the business suffers because the business owner has taken his or her "eye off the ball." Naturally, as the CFO, managing the funding process becomes my responsibility. The overall impact of the relationship between the CFO and business owner is very significant: Sales and profits increase, employee morale improves and the company becomes less dependent on the efforts of the business owner. In other words, it becomes larger than the business owner and is able to function independent of his or her personal efforts. This is a critical right of passage for the business if it is ever to truly have a sizable value upon the exit of the owner. Sincerely, Peggy |