Ask the CEO or CFO of any small or midsize business if there are ways they could improve their finance function, and chances are you’ll hear something like: “We run pretty lean.”
Look around the offices of the finance department, and you’ll find plenty of evidence to back that up. Everyone is busy, no question, and [...]
Markup vs Margin Differences
Is there a difference? Absolutely. More and more in today’s environment, these two terms are being used interchangeably to mean gross margin, but that misunderstanding may be the menace of the bottom line. Markup and profit are not the same! Also, the accounting for margin and mark-up are different! A clear understanding [...]
One of the critical keys to managing your company’s receivables is to measure and control your Day Sales Outstanding, the average number of days your company takes to collect sales revenue. Treat a high DSO number as a red flag — it means you’re taking too long to collect revenue and extending credit to customers [...]
Overdue receivables obviously have a major impact on your company’s cash flow. If you don’t have a clear, detailed, firm credit policy in place, expect customer confusion, resentment, and an ever-increasing gap between your receivables and your payables.
Credit Where Credit Is Due
To whom will you extend credit, and how will they qualify? Small businesses should [...]