Welcome back to Her CEO Journey, the podcast empowering women entrepreneurs to build thriving businesses that make a difference!

Throughout this season's Finance for Change series,our host Christina Sjahli has been breaking down complex financial concepts and translating them into actionable strategies for mission-driven founders like yourself.

As a founder with a social impact mission, you understand the importance of financial health. It's the foundation that allows you to turn your passion into a powerful force for good. But managing the financial side of things can feel overwhelming, especially as your business grows.

In today's episode, Christina is going to explore a solution that can change the game: the power of a fractional CFO.

Many founders mistakenly believe their accountant or bookkeeper can handle everything. While these roles are essential, a fractional CFO brings a whole new level of strategic expertise to the table.

Key Takeaways:

• A fractional CFO is a strategic financial partner, not just a bookkeeper. Think of a fractional CFO as your financial confidant, someone who can translate your vision into clear financial roadmaps.
• Fractional CFOs provide cost-effective expertise, allowing you to focus on your mission.
• Fractional CFOs can help with cash flow management, financial statement analysis, budgeting, and problem-solving.

Episode Highlights

• [01:15] The Difference Between a Fractional CFO and a Bookkeeper: A fractional CFO translates your strategy into financial roadmaps, while a bookkeeper focuses on record-keeping.
• [02:55] Proactive Cash Flow Management: A fractional CFO helps you forecast and manage cash flow, preventing financial disruptions.
• [03:55] Financial Analysis – Deeper Insights: They can help you decipher financial statements and identify potential issues.
• [05:00] Data-Driven Budgets and Forecasts: Fractional CFOs use their expertise to create financial roadmaps for informed decision-making.
• [06:05] Collaborative Problem-Solving: Working together, you can analyze metrics, test strategies, and address challenges proactively.
• [08:10] Improved Efficiency and Resource Allocation: A fractional CFO handles financial reporting, freeing you to focus on core mission-driven activities.
• [09:16] Risk Mitigation for Sustainable Growth: They can identify and assess potential risks to safeguard your financial health.
• [10:23] Unique Financial Expertise: Gain access to specialized knowledge in areas like mergers and acquisitions or investor relations.

So, whether you're feeling overwhelmed by cash flow management, struggling to decipher financial statements, or simply want a strategic partner to guide your growth, a fractional CFO could be the missing piece you've been searching for.

Resources

• Connect with Christina Sjahli on LinkedIn
• Explore Profit Reimagined and discover how you can turn purpose into profit: Website and LinkedIn

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Connect With the Profit Reimagined

Ready to turn purpose into profit? Transform your financial strategy and embark on a journey toward a sustainable and thriving business. Schedule a chat with the team today!

Forecasting is naturally imperfect.

It is imperfect because businesses are always changing, and economic conditions are always shifting.

So, as a founder, you have to be ready to adapt and deal with uncertainty.

Today, our host Christina Sjahli will take you into the world of forecasting.

In this episode, Christina will guide you through the art of forecasting by breaking down the key steps to creating an intentional forecast, even with the understanding that things can change along the way.

She talks about why forecasting is essential for any business.

Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, grasping the essence of forecasting can serve as a formidable asset in ensuring your business's success.

Keep in mind, forecasting isn't just about predicting numbers; it's about shaping the future of your business with purpose and clarity.

Let's jump in!

Key Takeaways:

• Benefits of a good forecast:
  • Early identification of deviations from predictions (positive or negative).
  • Understanding the cause of these deviations.
  • Ability to adapt quickly based on potential scenarios.
• Forecasting can help you:
  • Predict future resource needs to support your mission-driven initiatives.
  • Stay ahead of the curve and adapt to unexpected situations.
  • Align your financial growth with your social impact goals.
  • Make strategic investments that fuel both profitability and positive change.
• Start with Impact: Define the impact you aim to achieve so you can prioritize accordingly.
• Gather and analyze data: Analyze historical financial data and consider historical operational data. Understand what happened and the reasons behind it. Then assess potential future scenarios based on external factors (economy, market, marketing efforts). Finally, determine how to achieve goals without compromising your values.
• Utilize a Forecasting Tool: Input the gathered information and assumptions into a financial forecasting tool.
• Regularly Update the Forecast: A forecast is a living document that improves over time with updates.

Episode Highlights

• [02:30] Forecasting is an imperfect process.
• [03:33] Start with impact - Why you started this business in the first place.
• [05:12] Gather information - historical financial and operational data
• [06:34] Analyze the Data
• [07:10] Build Assumptions
• [08:05] Utilize a Forecasting Tool
• [08:30] Regularly Update the Forecast

Resources

• Connect with Christina Sjahli on LinkedIn
• Explore Profit Reimagined and discover how you can turn purpose into profit: Website and LinkedIn
• Discover if our Fractional CFO Services are your perfect fit by taking this quiz.

Enjoyed This Podcast?

Each review you write helps us reach more women in business. Your insights are invaluable—share this with your friends and amplify the impact!

Connect With the Profit Reimagined

Ready to turn purpose into profit? Transform your financial strategy and embark on a journey toward a sustainable and thriving business. Schedule a chat with the team today!

If you're building a mission-driven business, there's one particular number you definitely need to check. Understanding this number will quickly pinpoint any issues in your business and determine if you're building a sustainable, profitable venture.

In this episode of Her CEO Journey, we demystify the significance of this essential metric for business vitality: Gross Margin.

Join our host Christina Sjahli as she unveils the power of this metric, teaches you how to calculate it in minutes, and explains what it tells you about your pricing, costs, and overall financial sustainability.

Access the path to informed decision-making and build a thriving business that resonates with your purpose!

Listen and move from panic to power.

Key Takeaways:

• Gross Margin Explained: It's a profitability indicator representing revenue minus the direct cost of delivering your service or product.
• Calculating Gross Margin Percentage: Revenue minus Cost of Goods Sold divided by Revenue.
• Interpreting Your Gross Margin:
  • Below 30%: Potential issues with pricing or cost of goods sold (too high or too low).
  • Too High Cost of Goods Sold: May indicate missing costs or unadjusted pricing.
  • Too Low Cost of Goods Sold: May indicate incorrect pricing not reflecting all costs.
• Resources for Further Exploration:
  • Listen to our Pricing Series (Episodes 160-163) on Her CEO Journey
  • Profit Reimagined's Fractional CFO Services

Profit Reimagined CFO services can be a game-changer when it comes to understanding and optimizing your gross margin and pricing strategy.

A fractional CFO brings deep financial expertise to the table by analyzing your financial data to pinpoint areas where your cost of goods or services sold might be inflated or where your pricing might not be fully capturing your value.

Having a fractional CFO will help you develop strategies to streamline your operations, negotiate better deals with suppliers, and implement data-driven pricing models that ensure you're covering your costs and generating healthy profits.

Episode Highlights:

• [00:54] Introduction to the importance of a single number for business health.
• [01:33] Understanding Gross Margin.
• [02:45] Calculating Gross Margin Percentage and why it is important.
• [03:25] Interpreting Your Gross Margin: What a low percentage tells you.
• [05:20] Resources for further exploration on pricing and financial solutions.

Resources:

• Connect with Christina Sjahli on LinkedIn
• Check out Profit Reimagined's Fractional CFO Services
• Turn your purpose into profit, visit our Website and LinkedIn
• Discover if our Fractional CFO Services are your perfect fit by taking this quiz.

Enjoyed This Podcast?

Each review you write helps us reach more women in business. Your insights are invaluable—share this with your friends and amplify the impact!

Connect With the Profit Reimagined

Ready to turn purpose into profit? Transform your financial strategy and embark on a journey toward a sustainable and thriving business. Schedule a chat with the team today!