A major concern of minority and women business owners is how to KEEP their corporate clients once they land them. The most common things that come to mind are delivering good quality, service, and price. An often overlooked area in your small business that is critical to corporate client retention is its financial health.
You must have a handle on the numbers and should at all times know the financial health and trends of your business. It is never a good idea to try to manage your business by gut instinct!
Here are 4 things you can do to monitor your company’s vital signs. After all, that’s what good CEOs do….
- Be able to understand your financial statements and what they are telling you.
- Have your Accounting Manager or CPA put together simple metrics to help steer your business such as daily/weekly sales, gross profit margins, aged receivables, etc.
- Make sure you have a top-notch CPA, banker, and financial planner as part of your advisory board.
- Take classes to learn what you do not understand about basic accounting concepts and financial reports.
Corporate clients are very risk averse and often check Dun and Bradstreet and other financial reporting tools to check the financial health of diverse suppliers before awarding them a contract. They may also check your risk profile to ensure your remain fiscally strong after the contract is awarded. You can lose business if your financial scorecard is not in pristine condition–even if you have a solid performance record with your corporate client.
Do not underestimate the importance of your business’s financial health–the numbers don’t lie!
I personally think this is often completely overlooked by small biz owners. Prospects DO look at your longevity and your financial health before doing business with you if they are savvy. Good points, Shayna!
Really good information! my book-keeper and CPA really do help me keep on top of things.
I am also fortunate that my husband was an accountant before he moved into project planning – so I get to bounce things off him too.
Thanks
Trudy
Good information. I’ve just gotten to the point where I have a bookkeeper (I already had an accountant) and agree that having her expertise has already made things less stressful and I believe will contribute to allowing my business to stay strong financially.
Good information. I’ve just gotten to the point where I have a bookkeeper (I already had an accountant) and agree that having her expertise will contribute to allowing my business to stay strong financially.
I do think many small biz owners overlook these key people to have on your team for a variety of reasons. Some try to handle it themselves, some don’t really see the importance and value of it and some feel they literally can’t afford it. But as you say, it’s so important both to understand where your business is and to those who may want to do business with you.
Shayna,
Solid advice. I am so grateful for my bookkeeper and CPA. I couldn’t run my business without their expertise.
Write on!~
Lisa Manyon
A critical area of any business owner to spend the time and effort
to understand and hire the right people to support your needs.
Great tips! Knowing your numbers is key in any business, and if it could mean the difference between getting and keeping that contract – well, enough said!