FP&A
-
Debt Covenants: Educating Senior Executives on the Risk of Non-Compliance
I would like to try once again to generate some discussion within the group. How do you effectively “sell” committing resources to covenant compliance? Do you think that finance has a chance in folding this under an ERM framework? Compliance is often managed outside of the treasury function, h…
5
-
Getting money out of a company
I work for a company that has developed some software for an interesting vertical market. However, we are still founder run and our interesting vertical is a niche that has us at in low millions without much organic growth. The company has promise, but the founders and other long-time employees …
2
-
Stock Option Plans
My Company is looking at potentially making some changes to our current stock option plan. I am interested in hearing from others who have gone through changes in stock option plans as their company progressed from start-up to early or mid-stage. We are looking at the the award levels for diff…
3
-
Leveraged ESOP
I am interested in expanding my knowledge base related to accounting for a leveraged ESOP. Please provide me a free source which will summarize the current FASB (codified, if available) pronouncements. Thanks.
7
-
Managing credit rating
As a private company, there is no need or desire to publish financial statements and so third party vendors often use D&B to obtain credit reports. In the companies I have worked for we always had sufficient cash to pay our bills and made a point of paying one a month invoices like cleaning,…
13
-
Venture Funding basics
My company is interested in raising a round of Venture Capital funding and I need to help our CEO put together a pitch, find VCs to pitch, and with some luck close on a round with all the legal docs, etc. I would love to hear from this audience how we can best go about this. What should our pitc…
27
-
How to properly identify opportunity through Re-Sellers without being taken advantage of.
I receive numerous calls from various re-sellers (utility primarily) who offer to save me a lot of money. While I am interested in efficiency and cost savings, I am concerned that I will be taken advantage of since this is an area I am not familiar with. Other than the basic sales pitch on the p…
1
-
Fund Raising & Cash Handling
We are a 501(c)(3) with 14 distributed locations and a "corporate office". There are fundraising events at each of the various locations. I'm looking for some input on what types of controls I can put in place to provide integrity to the fund raising cash handling process."
2
-
Health care accounting systems
I would like to get some feedback from my peers on good entry level accounting systems for a start-up imaging company. They will provide CT scans, and ultrasounds services for hospitals and clinics. Insurance billing will in all likelihood be done by a third party. Any advice on entry level…
2
-
Working with Founders after Sale of Control to PE/VC Firm
I was wondering if anyone had any advice/experiences they could share about challenges they encountered if they were brought on as CFO to a PE/VC Portfolio Company and the founders remained in the business as part of the executive team (including the CEO position). We have a great triad of en…
3
-
Private Company Option Pool Overhang
We are in the process of refreshing our stock option plan. We are a high-tech company and I have been trying to ascertain what the appropriate overhang percentage should be. I see public high-tech companies at 15% to 20%, but it is hard to find private company information. Any suggestions? T…
1
-
Valuation of a Book Publishing Title List
I have been asked to value the book list for a small publishing house. I have finalized the pure data anlysis of annual net sales, units, royalty rates, transferability and assignability, inventory obsolesence, etc. Now I am at the point of valuing the list itself. This will be a simple asset…
5
-
Compliance programs, proposed revision to federal sentencing guidelines
The following is a link to a brief discussion about the proposed changes to the federal sentencing guidelines, and why it would benefit corporations to have sufficient compliance programs. I am not associated with the people who wrote the materials, but I assume them to be correct. www.bakerbo…
1
-
Adaptive Planning
Is anyone out there using SAS Financial Management for their adaptive planning needs? Could you comment on pros and cons vs. other providers, how well it works in scenario analysis and rolling up multiple operating budgets? How easy is it to learn?
5
-
Maquila Dora Agreement
I have identified a manufacturer in Mexico that works under a Maquila Dora program. I am now in need of an agreement that outlines the terms of the engagement. Does anyone have an agreement then can share or direct me towards a resource that can assist in the procurement of said agreement. …
2
-
Looking to "de-consolidate" a division - ln search of insight...
We have a division of our company that we wish to separate from, with a goal of ensuring it is de-consolidated. We could sell it outright, but market conditions are poor and a successful sale is highly unlikely. We could shut it down, but that poses huge customer risks and large shut-down and sever…
1
-
How Many Projections Do You Have for 2010?
I am wondering how many different sets of projections everyone has for 2010. Some go with just one. Others like to use three - high, medium, and low. Still others have more than that. Depending on the situation, I usually function with 2 or 3 financial plans for the year and track progress…
3
-
Indemnity for IRC 409A valuation challenges
I have just seen my first lawyer prepared employee stock purchase agreement in which the employee is required to indemnify and make good any tax assessment, interest and penalties that may be imposed on the Company in respect of any subsequent IRS 409A challenge to the fair market value at which…
3
-
Bank Failures Reach 130 for the Year: Managing Counterparty Risk
The number of bank failures for the year has reached 130. As a Director of the Corporate Treasurers Council I was often was involved in discussions on how large corporations tried to manage counterparty exposures to banks. I.E., what are the financial and operational consequences of one of my …
1
-
409a valuations
I am curious about how various VC backed companies are handling the 409a issue. The IRS requires that each company have a valuation performed to support the price of employee stock options. This may make a lot of sense for public companies but makes little sense for early stage (even pre-reve…
5
-
Biotech investors
We are a 27 month old biotechnology company with 3 pending patents. Our IPs are very well received by the leading companies in our field. We recently signed a contract with one, we expect to sign at least another one in January but the licensing revenue won't kick in until we get the FDA appro…
2
-
Key Performance Metrics
What are the top key performance metrics that you regularly track and monitor in your business?
8
-
Any luck with equity + commission-only sales plans/people?
Like everyone here we're trying to save money. One of our "bright" ideas is to look for salespeople willing to work for equity plus commission only - no base. We hate paying base for non-productive salespeople for all of the obvious reasons. As a many-time CFO I have created any number of sal…
3
-
Common Valuation Errors
Hi all, I am interested to see what, if any, errors or problems people commonly see with business valuations, either theoretical or empirical. One of the most common errors I see is the double-counting in the assessment of risk, which is often reflected in the cap rate (WACC) and in the appl…
3
-
Recommend Business Vaulation Specialist/Consultant
Need recommendation for a business valuation specialist/firm who can assist potential buyer with analysis of a small busines (<$1M in revenues) related in the healthcare/hospitality industry. Please no large, big name firms. Looking for experienced independent consultant or small valuation fi…
2
Previous
