EmergeOne | Fractional CFO services’ Post

CFOs when the checkerrors in their financial models zero out be like... Ok now I've got your attention, back to adding value :) Things are tough out there in the early stage ecosystem but, at EmergeOne our mission is to help founders, and their startups succeed. The reality is, however, our services are best aligned with venture backed tech startups from seed through series B. So moving forward we will be choosing one early stage startup to build a financial model for every single month for zero cash. But, as your parents probably told you, there ain't no such thing as a free lunch, so instead of cash we will be building the model for a teeny tiny piece of your cap table so that not only do you get a model but we stay aligned with you for your whole journey. Why are we doing this? 1️⃣ There are a tonne of free financial model templates on the interweb but frankly, they're all pants. 2️⃣ We understand that many founders struggle with translating their business into numbers and, even more so into a financial model that investors can navigate. 3️⃣ Unlike the mass of free resources around what makes a great pitch deck, building a financial model requires not just an understanding of your business, but also, an understanding of Excel or Google Sheets and their formulas which can be quite daunting. 4️⃣ As you'll see below, we want to help founders that don't always get the fairest shot in the first place. 5️⃣ We want to give back to the ecosystem we love so much. So what are the criteria? 🙋🏽♀️ Founder must be female or of minority ethnic background. 💸 Currently raising your first round, founders only on the cap table. 🇬🇧 UK business and already incorporated. I'll be working with Joe Newbold, one of EmergeOne's longest serving startup finance pros on this, he and I have both built 100s of models for businesses from pre-seed all the way to Series C and we not only know what good looks like, we know how to make models that you can then go and use hopefully well into the future. So, if you want your model built by folk that know what they're doing, fill out the form below 👇🏾 https://lnkd.in/dwJ3zJft __________________ I'm Aarish, founder of EmergeOne, host of Nothing Ventured and author of Off Balance where I talk and write about about tech, startups, Venture Capital, finance and CFO stuff. Follow me, ring my bell and do me a solid by signing up for the newsletter 💪🏾👇🏾 ✍🏾 Sign up to Off Balance, my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e4_wZWjW 📖 Sign up for early access to my book - Off Balance - 100 lessons from 2 decades as CFO and CEO: https://lnkd.in/dDgZHrC7 #Startups #CFOInsights #VentureCapital #NothingVenturedPodcast #founder #business #finance

In our latest "Meet the Team" interview, we sat down with Chip Waller, Furey’s Chief Operating Officer. Chip was one of our first team members, and he’s been a key player in helping Furey grow and support high-growth startups across the country. We talked with Chip about his career path, the changing world of finance for venture-backed startups, and his thoughts on the future of fractional services and AI in accounting. Here’s what he had to say: https://lnkd.in/gQfuKX5z #lifeatfurey #startupfinance #startupaccounting

I wanted to express my sincere thanks to PITB Incubation Wing for inviting me to their recent session on financial challenges faced by startups. It was an honor to share insights on the importance of understanding financial aspects for a successful startup. In the session, I have covered essential topics that every startup should pay attention to: Bookkeeping: Keeping track of your money in a simple way. Cash Flow Management and Forecasting: Planning ahead to keep your business running smoothly. Budgeting: Figuring out where your money should go and how much you need. Tax: Understanding taxes and how they affect your business. Understanding of Financial Statements: Making sense of the numbers to see how well your business is doing. Business Valuation: Putting a value on your startup. Regardless of your main focus in business, having a basic understanding of finance is crucial, especially when talking to different stakeholders, including potential investors who can play a vital role in your startup's growth. I've noticed that some entrepreneurs tend to overlook finance, associating themselves more with roles like IT, Marketing, or Design. However, as a startup owner, you're at the starting line of your business journey. At this stage, having a foundational understanding of various aspects, particularly finance, is key. It might seem a bit overwhelming, but running a business isn't as straightforward as it may appear. It surprised me that some startup owners aren't familiar with basic financial metrics like Gross Profit, EBITA, or unit economics. When you're pitching to investors, it's more than just presenting a cool idea or product – they want to see the numbers that support it. In conclusion, I encourage every startup owner to grasp the basics of finance. You don't need to be an expert in everything, but having a fundamental understanding will undoubtedly help you manage your business more effectively. Thank you once again to PITB Incubation Wing for providing me with the opportunity to share insights on these vital aspects of startup life. #NEP #FinancialStrategies #StartupSuccess #EmpowerWithKnowledge #finance #financeandaccounting #budgeting #bookkeeping #tax #cashflowmanagement #businessadvisory #businessvaluations

Late-Seed/Series A startup founders often consider budgets a useless paper-exercise given the level of uncertainty at that stage, but at Unbound we believe they are a vital tool to take your company to its next goalpost. In this article we explore some best practices for creating and using a budget. https://lnkd.in/eJzab_Z8

San Francisco based fintech Uprise - Embedded Financial Advisory raises $3.3 million to help SMEs make smarter financial decisions #Uprise, a San Francisco-based #fintech startup, is launching its innovative financial advisory platform aimed at helping small businesses make smarter financial decisions. Co-founded by CEO Jessica Chen Riolfi, Head of Engineering Nanthakumar Muthusamy, and co-founder Chris Goodmacher, Uprise integrates directly into financial services that small businesses already use, such as HR tech company Rippling and SMB tax startup Carry. Uprise's platform uses an AI algorithm to analyze company-specific data and provide tailored financial recommendations, all of which are vetted by human financial advisors. This hybrid approach ensures that small businesses receive personalized advice that reflects both technological efficiency and human insight. Originally conceived as a direct-to-consumer product for personal financial decisions, Uprise pivoted to focus on small businesses after noticing that entrepreneurs and freelancers were their most engaged users. Recognizing that business finances and personal finances are often intertwined for small business owners, Uprise aims to provide a unified solution that addresses both needs. The company has just raised a $3.3 million seed round led by Blank Ventures, with participation from Graham & Walker, Hustle Fund, Dash Fund, and notable angel investors like Daniel Macklin, co-founder of SoFi, and Eddie Kim, co-founder of Gusto. This funding will support Uprise's full product launch and the expansion of its partnerships, with the vision of integrating into the suite of financial apps that small businesses rely on daily. The article on TechCrunch in the first comment.

“Businesses fail because they run out of cash or founders bail” — right? No, it’s just bad planning. EvryThink can’t prevent your co-founder from bailing, but we can help predict your financial future. Poor financial management is not only one of the key direct causes of startup failure, but’s also an indirect cause. And this is because most founders, especially early on pay zero attention to finance. Literally. Or they think their “accountants” will raise their hands and say “Buddy you are burning too much”. Accountants and bookkeepers don’t do that (most), the record stuff. It’s up to the founder to be sure it has enough runway left for “that pivot” that will save the company or achieving some sort of PMF(ish) Some are lucky and can drive blind, and make it. Can’t we blame founders if they don’t have the right tools? No, we can’t … But now that tool is here. __________ #startup #venturecapital #funding

A finance hack for startups. Let's be honest, founders: your time is gold. Every minute spent wrestling with financial spreadsheets is a minute not spent building your dream. Here's the truth: complex forecasting doesn't equal better results for bootstrapped startups. In fact, it often buries you in data & distracts from execution, the real key to growth. So, ditch the monthly forecasting frenzy and try this instead: The "Focus Five" Finance Framework: Nail your annual budget: This is your roadmap, not a fortune-telling crystal ball. Be realistic, but ambitious. Track 5 key metrics weekly: Revenue, costs, churn, CAC, LTV. Focus on trends, not pixel-perfect accuracy. Embrace scenario planning: Don't get caught flat-footed. Sketch out 3 possible futures (best, worst, expected) and adjust your plan accordingly. Do quarterly deep dives: Instead of monthly slogs, analyze performance & identify key learnings every 3 months. Go deep, then move on. ⏱️ Build a finance war room: Gather your core team for a 1-hour "war room" each month to discuss finances, risks, and adjustments. Huddle, decide, conquer. This streamlined approach frees up your time for what matters: validating your idea, crushing targets, and winning customers. Remember, action trumps prediction. Don't get lost in financial weeds. Execute, adapt, and dominate your market. What are your biggest finance headaches as a founder? Share in the comments! #startups #finance #growth #execution #entrepreneurlife

Are you an early stage founder stressed out about finances and wondering where you should focus your attention? “Often, a lot of founders are too busy to track metrics. They have a million and one things happening at once,” says Growth Partners' Managing Director, Jordan Hill. “But there’s the old adage that what gets measured gets managed, and what gets managed improves.” Check out the top 5 RBCx tips on how early stage startups can optimize their financial stack: https://bit.ly/3Cjx6Xu #RBCxPowersBold #EarlyStage #mycompany #rbcemployee

16 Great Financial Decisions We’ve Seen Founders Make in 2024 (inspired by Abbey Cameron) 💰 Pay themselves "enough" (not too much, not too little) ⚡ Bootstrap (in one case to almost US$10m) whilst maintaining high growth 📈 Increase prices based on feedback on benchmark margins for industry ✅ Be upfront with investors about good (and bad) financials in company 💸 Prioritise cash, and change payment terms and pricing to maximise 👏 Get a third party (law firm) to run a red team due diligence before raising 🔥 Instigate an acquisition while their company was 'hot' 💯 Decline an acquisition due to 'gut feel' that turned out to be 100% correct ❌ Said no to bad investment terms that would have caused issues later ❤️🩹 Cleaned up cap table privately before series A raise to reduce friction 👍 Took secondaries, and/or paid dividends to set themselves up personally 💰 Maintain a ongoing cash buffer that prevented genuine financial hardship ▶️ Choose advisers based on experience and value, rather than cost 🔥 Out perform the financial forecasts provided to investors, leading to significant follow on round really quickly ♻️ Close their business down, and return money to investors positively with their financials and reputation in tact 😃 (potentially biased) Bring in a vCFO/finance lead to help manage the finance function early, which leads to better numbers, decisions and performance. As they often say... “[A great finance team] gives you wings!” *** Hey, I'm Marc - you're friendly neighbourhood vCFO. Whenever you're ready, here's 4 ways we can help. 1. Free Founder Community - join our Founder Hub Slack Channel. 2. Sprint - 2 hour to 2 day workshops to help you make decisions, fast. 3. Projects - from financial models to ESOP's, we've got you covered. 4. vCFO Support - need a finance lead? Let's chat! https://lnkd.in/gm_K3gNj #startups #scaleups #planetstartup #founder #finance #vcfo

The funding landscape for seed and Series A startups continues to be challenging, with fewer funding rounds, reduced round sizes, and lower company valuations. In this environment, startups face increasing pressure to extend their cash runways. Burkland’s Cash Runway Extension Toolkit offers a collection of free resources—developed by Burkland and our trusted partners—to help you preserve cash, extend your runway, and delay your next funding round until market conditions are more favorable. ---------------- New Additions to Our Cash Runway Toolkit: 🛠 1️⃣ Burn Rate Calculator 2️⃣ Customizable Investment Policy Template (to help you make the most of excess cash) 3️⃣ How to Measuring & Assess Your Startup’s Cash Burn Rate #CashRunway #BurnRate #TreasuryManagement #startups #StartupFinance https://lnkd.in/g-4b9E56