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Posts Tagged ‘john lafferty’
John Lafferty is the Problem Solver – Week 4
This month, we continue to profile the work that John Lafferty has done to refocus and maintain the financial stability of various companies. As you read through these profiles, ask yourself, “Does this sound like an issue that my business is having”?
Week 4 – Specializing in Specialties
Place: Midwest
Company Type: Specialty Products
The Situation: A specialty products company was undergoing rapid growth, and in the midst of this, some management processes suffered; inventory was rapidly building, reducing inventory turns, and tying up cash—causing financial distress.
What happens when a company has trouble projecting their sales and margins, thereby putting a strain on finances? How are they supposed to deal with managing the finances of the company during the blur of rapid growth?
The John Lafferty Solution
Enter hands-on professional, interim Chief Financial Officer (more commonly referred to as CFO) John Lafferty. Under his guidance and strong recommendations, he managed to help the company reassess their “future sales levels so it could anticipate the necessary level of outside financing.”
The CFO-Pro Solution: Using his clear, well-honed talents of assessment, he was able to not only recommend an executive search for a general manager to help smooth out the day-to-day operations, but also to keep the company focused on sales and expenditures. The general manager they found then helped the company land a bank line of credit that dramatically stabilized their finances as they grew.
Struggles with inventory and profit, while simultaneously dealing with rapid growth, is a situation that could easily leave you feeling helpless; what do you deal with first? What issue do you focus on? You need to have the right financial guidance to give you peace of mind and help alleviate some of the stress of a difficult and multi-faceted situation. Contact John Lafferty at 630-269-7646 or JLafferty@CFO-Pro.com today!
John Lafferty is the Problem Solver – Week 3
This month, we continue to profile the work that John Lafferty has done to refocus and maintain the financial stability of various companies. As you read through these profiles, ask yourself, “Does this sound like an issue that my business is having”?
Week 3 – Keeping On Point–Online
Place: Around the World (international business)
Company Type: Web-based Venture
The Situation: One of the first companies to make successful use of the explosion of the internet was, despite their solid marketing and massive initial success, having difficulty in managing their cash flow and meeting consumer demand. Instead, they were dealing with a high cash burn and an inability to remain objective when faced with directing their company.
What happens when a company can no longer keep objectivity at the forefront of their business? What is the first step to remedying this lack before it disturbs the management and operations?
The John Lafferty Solution
Enter hands-on professional, interim Chief Financial Officer (more commonly referred to as CFO) John Lafferty. Putting his strong directional style and leadership qualities to use, he applied his business savvy to serve as an interface between this web-based business, and audit and venture capital firms.
The CFO-Pro Solution: Acting in his role as financial mentor, Mr. Lafferty helped to provide “the objectivity necessary to obtain a new round of venture capital funding.” He also streamlined the tracking of cash flow by directing the financial reporting and realigning the delegation of duties and reporting within the company. The refocused company was so successful in fact, that shortly afterward; a larger competitor purchased it for a handsome sum exceeding $100 million.
Confusion over the direction of your business and keeping it successfully on track can create much tension. You need to have the right financial guidance to give your business solid direction and ease the tension. With the knowledge that help is but a phone call away, your success can be assured and sustained. Contact John Lafferty at 630-269-7646 or JLafferty@CFO-Pro.com today!
John Lafferty is the Problem Solver – Week 2
This month, we continue to profile the work that John Lafferty has done to refocus and maintain the financial stability of various companies. As you read through these profiles, ask yourself, “does this sound like a issue that my business is having”?
Week 2 – Food Service and Financials
Place: Chicago, Illinois
Company Type: Food Services
The Situation: A specialty catering and food service company was doing well for themselves. Gradually, however, growth and profit slacked, before coming to a veritable standstill:
Stalled growth. What happens when you wake up one day and realize that your company has hit a plateau? How do you shift the focus of your operation (and where do you shift it to) in order to stimulate growth to the next level?
The John Lafferty Solution
Enter hands-on professional, interim Chief Financial Officer (more commonly referred to as CFO) John Lafferty. Using his keen insight, he applies his financial prowess in combination with solid business sense to aid the executive team in understanding the key financial indicators, and then how to use those indicators to drive profitable growth.
The CFO-Pro Solution: Acting in his role as financial mentor, Mr. Lafferty helped to “hone executive management skills and help department heads understand financial statements, determine product line gross margins, break-even sales points and product line contribution margins.” He also illuminated what areas they could afford to take risk, creating customizable immediate action plans, and showing which actions were necessary to meet their year-end objectives. In the years that followed, sales grew by 250% and profit margins kept pace with sales.
The plateauing of the growth of a business can be a stressful situation. You need to have the right financial guidance to give your business solid direction and replace the stress with confidence in the new path of your company. Contact John Lafferty at 630-269-7646 or JLafferty@CFO-Pro.com today!
John Lafferty is the Problem Solver – Week 1
Usually, we start the month with a series of posts that help businesses stay on track for financial growth. This month, we are profiling the work that John Lafferty has done to refocus and maintain the financial stability of various companies. As you read the profiles this month, ask yourself, “does this sound like a issue that my business is having”?
Place: Salt Lake City, Utah
Company Type: Real Estate Broker
The Situation: A company finds itself in the enviable position of rapid growth — but with the unenviable and daunting situation of being ill prepared to manage an unexpectedly large increase in working capital needs.
The question on every one’s lips is, when a company finds itself in this position, how is it to conduct itself in order to make the most of its sudden opportunity? How do they handle the very real challenge of avoiding mismanagement, with the possibility of losing out on a real opportunity of growth?
The John Lafferty Solution
Enter hands-on professional, interim Chief Financial Officer (more commonly referred to as CFO) John Lafferty. Using his keen insight and business sense, he uses his financial prowess to aid the rapidly growing company in the development and implementation of a guide tailored to their needs.
The CFO-Pro Solution: He proceeds to assist in creating a sustainable plan covering everything from tracking cash flow to recreating their financial reporting format, highlighting where and how they can achieve their goals — “to double their number of agents within a tight time frame” — without the use of outside funds. Mr. Lafferty provided their company with the invaluable tools needed to capitalize on their opportunity and make their time of growth a smooth moment in their business’ history.
Rapid growth is a gift and a curse. You need to have the right financial guidance in place to ensure that growth does not become your demise. Contact John Lafferty at 630-269-7646 orJLafferty@CFO-Pro.com today!