Hitting the Reset Button
In order to provide guidance on future business strategy, we thought we would take some time today to look back at what happened when the pandemic first broke out in March 2020. As a financial consultant, we provide our clients general best practices on review of the internal business. However, admittedly, when a company is […]
The Pitfalls of Expanding Your Business Too Quickly
What CEO doesn’t love growth? Every entrepreneur has a dream of launching multiple products into multiple jurisdictions, expanding their empire to new heights. However, I have witnessed more instances of chaotic growth leading to losses vs. responsible and sustainable growth. While there is something to be said about moving quickly and capitalizing on a market opportunity before it […]
2019 Vistance Recap & Happy Holidays
Dear Friends, Family and Colleagues, As 2019 comes to a close, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the last year. In April, we began a rebranding exercise completely revamping our corporate name, logo, and website, working with Imprint Marketing. At this point, I did not know what to expect and questioned whether we […]
Dear friends, family and colleagues
Some of you may know that I have been going through the process of rebranding my consulting company. Over 10 years ago during the financial crisis, I launched Clarity Financial Strategy to help small businesses access all types of financing. Acting as CFO for these businesses, I helped with their financial statements, investor materials and […]
Invest in Your Investors
There’s a common cliché that says salespeople are the most easily sold. It’s a cliché for a reason. Entrepreneurs often make quick decisions without much strategy behind them, because they trust their gut. They like working with other small entrepreneurial companies, especially if they see their own qualities in individuals they work with. This leads […]
The cost of opportunity: are you unknowingly setting your business up to fail?
You are running a successful profitable business. You are cash flow positive and everything seems to be going well. It is only human nature for CEOs to explore new revenue opportunities for expansion. The CEO one days walks into the office, grabs three high performers and pulls them into a meeting. “I have thought of […]
Do you control your finances or do your finances control you?
When starting a business, hiring a finance person is often an afterthought. Many businesses engage in what I call “shoebox accounting”: dumping all their receipts, bank statements and invoices into a shoebox and handing them to an external accountant who provides a Notice to Reader and files your taxes with the CRA. This is a […]
Hiring the Right People for a Small Business – People Who Get Shit Done
The ideal skill set for a small business at an early stage is materially different from a large one. I have seen small businesses hire people with multiple designations and large business experience thinking they will fit into the small business culture. This could not be further from the truth. As a CFO, I have hired many junior […]
As sexy as it is for a company to go public, it may be the kiss of death
There is definitely a sexiness to becoming a public company. The allure is hard to resist. Business owners can proudly watch their ticker symbol glide across screens throughout the financial district. A public company offers several advantages: some which I believe are more superficial, and others that are more practical. Now let’s look at the costs of becoming […]
The Art of Attracting and Retaining Top Talent in a Small Business
Hiring and retaining top talent are the most crucial factors to any business’s success. So why do small businesses pay so little attention retaining their best people? As a general rule of thumb, I believe executives in a business should be the most highly rewarded when a company is profitable, but at the same time, take […]
