Businesses are unique entities that grow and mature at individual rates. The challenge is knowing when and how to adapt to each growth stage to ensure that the business continues to increase. Perhaps the most important aspect of a business is the financial sector, and when it comes to success, CFO can bring three advantages to a business.

What is a CFO?

A chief financial officer is a senior executive responsible for the financial actions of a company. A CFO is like a treasurer who handles the finance and accounting divisions and ensures that financial reports are completely correct and on time. Additionally, he or she monitors tax issues for the company. It’s the third-highest position within a company and can be essential to strategic initiatives. 

Roles and functions

The CFO works directly with the chief executive officer giving input on a company’s investments, capital structure, and the management of income and expenses. CFOs also help with forecasting, cost-benefit analysis, and securing funding for initiatives. They are responsible for the financial, administrative, and risk management operations of a company. 

This role entails developing an operational and financial strategy, metrics related to overall group strategy, and the continual monitoring and development of control systems designed for reporting accurate financial results and preserving company assets. The primary functions have evolved from a focus on compliance and quality control to business planning and process changes. 

Reporting. The primary role of a CFO is to accurately present the financial details of a company to stakeholders, investors, creditors, research analysts, government, and regulatory bodies. This means preparing annual financial reports, reporting on revenue and expense, news releases, and developing and monitoring budgets. 

Liquidity.  A company’s overall financial health is maintained by the CFO. He or she considers risk, liquidity and market conditions to decide how a company’s funds should be invested to increase financial positioning. A CFO must understand the best debt-equity mix to ensure funds are managed in the best possible way. 

Return on Investment. A CFO not only focuses on past and present financial conditions but also monitors a company’s future financial health. This hinges on identifying the most efficient divisions and capitalizing on them. This role involves participating in new business development and working in tandem with the CEO and COO in drafting prospective programmatic budgets, pinpointing funding opportunities, and determining the cost-effectiveness of proposed service performance. 

Not all businesses and companies need a chief financial officer. It depends on how dynamic business is. As a company grows, it typically hires outside accounting firms. As financial reporting requirements and strategic decisions become more complex, a company should consider hiring a CFO. 

Hiring a financial chief to organize finances and track performance is beneficial, but the cost can be a deterrent. This is when outsourcing talent to help with account needs becomes a practical solution. Ideally, you can choose from experienced CFOs who create customized solutions to address the challenges and opportunities of small to midsize companies. What is cfo advisory? It’s a team of seasoned CFOs who know how to help make decisions about growth and profitability and work with companies to strengthen a competitive edge. 

Just like financial operators are not a one-size-fits-all solution for every company, production and manufacturing needs can also vary. In the business-to-business realm, companies often rely on outsourcing the production of ideas or strategies because of financial constraints or physical limitations.  

Supplement manufacturers are an example of how businesses can benefit from outsourcing. Makers Nutrition is a next-generation facility that can produce any size order of supplements, designed to handle raw materials in optimal conditions. Within the facility are two laboratories for raw material testing, label analysis, and product quality assurance. These capabilities give Makers Nutrition a competitive edge on production, supplement testing, packaging, and labeling, and purchase order distribution.