Opinion
The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders
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The Corporate Transparency Act: Shedding Light On a Stealth Statute
Here is a high-level summary of the CTA and its requirements.
Robert B. Lamm • Sept. 28, 2023 -
AI in Hiring: 4 Steps to Avoid Legal Headaches
These steps are a starting point for hiring teams to help their companies identify useful AI tools.
Jeremy Locklear and Tory Summey • Sept. 19, 2023 -
The Data-Driven CFO: 5 Steps to Unlock Financial Data for Growth
Here’s how to help get a handle on your data and make the most of it for your company.
Ben Goodyear • Sept. 19, 2023 -
The Importance of 13-Week Cash Flow Forecasts
Here are three ways 13WCF can help CFOs make better decisions.
Zach Chandis and Adam Stevens • Sept. 12, 2023 -
The Return to Office Battle: What’s the Right Approach?
Using this strategy can help assist in the process of deciding which work model is best for your company.
Jesse Meschuk • Sept. 8, 2023 -
4 Ways Finance Leaders Can Leverage ChatGPT
When used responsibly, finance leaders can utilize the AI chatbot to enhance decision-making, improve operational efficiencies, and drive business growth.
Ori Pearl • Aug. 22, 2023 -
A Full-Blown Debt Crisis Is Avoidable
Higher interest rates have not impacted the real economy as strongly as they have in the past.
Aylin Somersan Coqui • Aug. 21, 2023 -
5 Steps CFOs Should Take to Mitigate Workplace Misconduct
Avoiding bad hires who engage in misconduct can help companies avoid costly lawsuits and ensure employees are the best representatives of the company.
Ben Mones • Aug. 17, 2023 -
3 Signs an M&A Deal Is in Trouble
“M&A deals promise strategic business growth and value creation, but they rarely come easily,” writes Frank Williamson.
Frank Williamson • Aug. 15, 2023 -
Line Up Credit Now — Your Growing Business May Need It Later
Borrowing in an uncertain economy may seem counterintuitive, but it may help your business navigate short-term risks for long-term success.
Dean Kaplan • Aug. 10, 2023 -
Bankruptcy vs. a Wind Down: A Choice for Troubled Companies
A wind-down can be cost-effective for small and midsize businesses and offer management more control than Chapter 11 or 7. But it doesn’t include an automatic stay of creditors.
David Dragich • Aug. 8, 2023 -
5 Ways to Upgrade Your Finance Team
As a company grows, it needs a finance team with well-defined roles, clear procedures, and a willingness to collaborate.
Tim Jung • Aug. 3, 2023 -
3 Strategies for CFOs to Thrive Amid Economic, Financial Uncertainty
These three actions will help CFOs transform today’s uncertainty into an opportunity and help develop more resilience to face tomorrow’s challenges.
Gregory Daco, Todd Ulrich, and Greg Hisenberg • Aug. 1, 2023 -
CFO Soft Skills: 4 Ways to Accelerate Development
“Being a strong and empathetic communicator is vital to creating a positive work environment, but I have found that a CFO who can delegate accelerates team development,” writes John Touey.
John Touey • July 27, 2023 -
Operational Efficiency: CFOs Face a Dilemma and an Opportunity
Cost reductions shouldn’t be made defensively but as an offensive play to reimagine an organization.
Gideon Walter and Mai-Britt Poulsen • July 25, 2023 -
How CFOs and Controllers Can Partner on Finance Automation
The rising interest in finance automation presents a compelling growth opportunity for controllers to establish themselves as de facto finance chief information officers.
Bryce Armbruster • July 18, 2023 -
Why CFOs Should Have AI On Their Minds
AI is a powerful tool for finance teams and CFOs play a crucial role in ensuring its successful integration.
David Roberson • July 6, 2023 -
4 Tactics for CFOs to Navigate Economic Uncertainty
With inflation still high and the Fed pushing rates higher, talks of whether or not the world is headed into recession continue to persist. While a potential recession is concerning, it’s not all doom and gloom. Economic downturns provide opportunities to level up: finance smarter, do more with s...
Sonalee Parekh • June 27, 2023 -
5 Steps to Navigating a Sale-Leaseback Transaction
As a CFO, you may consider a sale-leaseback to manage your company’s real estate and support its growth goals. While the process of a sale-leaseback can be complex, with the right advisors and a detailed planning process, it can provide many benefits to your company. Camille Renshaw You’re not...
Camille Renshaw • June 20, 2023 -
4 Tips for Pitching Investors in Today’s Economy
Any company that intends to grow past a certain point eventually reaches the familiar milestone of pitching to private capital sources in hopes of securing additional funding. Those businesses that tend to be most successful are the ones that are best at considering the point of view of investors...
Frank Williamson • June 13, 2023 -
3 Ways CFOs Can Drive a Cohesive Company Culture
The CFO has a large role to play in building a company’s vision and strategy — especially in times of economic uncertainty. That means stepping into roles that may not traditionally call for a “numbers person,” such as promoting a strong company culture. Bryan Jones Successful leaders recogniz...
Bryan Jones • June 8, 2023 -
How CFOs Can Optimize Cash Flow: 4 Steps
CFOs have always served as mission-critical liaisons between different units within a business, conduits to sponsors of private equity-backed businesses, and overseers of efforts to scale business growth. They plan for and measure success while holding people accountable for achieving that succes...
Junaid Samnani and Sanjay Purohit • June 6, 2023 -
How to Win Favorable Deal Terms in a Company Sale
As prepared as a business owner may be for negotiating an M&A or other exit transaction, Murphy’s Law promises that things will go wrong when they can. Therefore, sellers must understand and adopt relevant, appropriate negotiation strategies to achieve a favorable result and mitigate unexpect...
David Siegel • May 30, 2023 -
5 DE&I Strategies for Small Businesses
Since 2020, many organizations have invested in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) strategies to strengthen internal culture, cater to shifting global culture, and respond to political, social, and racial unrest. While there have been notable strides in recent years, DE&I is still a ...
William P. Cooper • May 26, 2023 -
How AI Will Transform the Ability to Collect Business Debt
Artificial intelligence (AI) holds tremendous promise for creditors who want to reduce the impact of bad debt on cash flow and profitability. Already, AI is helping B2C lenders predict which customers are likeliest to fall behind and design strategies to quickly resolve past-due amounts. Because...
Dean Kaplan • May 23, 2023