Laura H.’s Post

If you work in finance you will probably have heard that autonomy is the golden ticket. It’s a hot topic among many professionals now because of its direct links to job satisfaction, freedom, trust, efficiency, and personal fulfilment. But is autonomy in finance roles really all it's cracked up to be? We discussed this topic and got to the bottom of autonomy, its pros and cons, practical strategies for implementing autonomy in your organisation, and how to strike the perfect balance in our latest blog. Read the article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gGsV3cp2 #Autonomy #AutonomyinFinance #Finance #JobSatisfaction

The best consumer brands are just better at finance. They may not have started that way. Their founders might not be former investment bankers (though sometimes they are). But somewhere along the way, they got religion. Maybe it took getting burned on a big inventory purchase that didn’t sell and almost killed the company when it was young. Maybe a sophisticated investor tore their numbers to shreds one time, and it stuck. Or maybe they just figured out early that you can’t fake it in this industry. Your business either works financially, or it doesn’t. The margins are just too tight, even for the winners. There is no scaling out of upside-down unit economics. Whatever the reason, the very best invested in building a strong finance function: 🗂 Great accounting that gets done on time, every time 🛫 A well-oiled 3 statement financial model that gets updated on consistently 📆 Monthly (then weekly, then daily) variance review sessions to understand beats and misses ⚖ A process to continuously run scenarios evaluate opportunities and initiatives through a financial lens (both P&L and Balance Sheet impact) 📊 Reports and tooling to make the whole team financially aware and dialed in to the numbers that matter most. Let's face it: most people don't start consumer/CPG brands as financial engineering plays. Brands are emotional, passionate vehicles. They need a heart, a soul, a sharp point of difference and creative positioning that resonates with customers. But really, that part is table stakes. The very best brands - you know, the ones with the headline exits and repeat founders and the enduring household presence - they're as good at finance as they are at brand building. Maybe better. So don't be content to build a great brand. Go build a stellar business, too.

Quite often I tend to think about things that endure. Entities, societies that are able to persevere across time and challenges. Ideas and companies that are able to stay true to their cause and retain their identity despite the constant changing nature of business and human interaction. One thing I came to quickly learn about things such as this is that what makes them endure is their culture. CULTURE How things are done ? Why things are done ? for whom they are done ? These seemingly inoucous questions answered right sets an entity up for perseverance...or not. In thinking about LEDGA FINANCE culture, I spent a lot of time thinking about what we want to be a decade from now, how we want to be perceived in a future far from where I am at. Yet the culture is not just who we want to be but also who we currently are. Away from the future, I ruminated on what we are doing and what we have done. How we have built a product that challenges the status quo within educational institutions and closed ecosystems. When we set out to build LEDGA FINANCE we wanted a way for school administrators to be able to collect payments from their students with ease without the hassle of receipt management and hefty paperwork, beyond that we took it a step further to make it possible for students to run in a closed financial ecosystem that gives them a degree of financial autonomy. Today, LEDGA FINANCE has surmounted many challenges posed by countless clients to become the best tool for financial management for any organisation of any kind. - Create Collection Accounts - Manage Multiple Sub Accounts - Implement Payroll Systems - Subadmin Role Designation - Robust Financial Monitoring System and so much more The evolution of our product is a reflection of the team's culture and it is one of the things factored when presenting the company's "Culture Statement" Perfection reflected in the little things Limitations transformed to strengths. Relentless pursuit of the remarkable. Transcend beyond all challenges. This is who we are LEDGA FINANCE https://lnkd.in/eYAtJJJ8

𝐓𝐡𝐞 $𝟐𝟎𝟎𝐌 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞?⁣ ⁣ In a rapidly evolving financial landscape, mid-sized companies face a critical decision point.⁣ ⁣ These organizations, with annual revenues between $40 million and $200 million, are caught in a perfect storm of challenges:⁣ ⁣ • Talent shortage: Struggling to attract and keep skilled professionals⁣ ⁣ • Tech revolution: Racing to keep up with rapid technological changes⁣ ⁣ • Daily grind: Overwhelmed by day-to-day tasks, leaving little time for strategy⁣ ⁣ The stark reality? Mid-market companies must choose: leap forward or fall behind.⁣ ⁣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡⁣ ⁣ Finding and keeping top finance talent is tough for mid-sized firms.⁣ ⁣ They're often outgunned by larger companies offering:⁣ ⁣ • Higher salaries⁣ ⁣ • Cutting-edge tech⁣ ⁣ • Better career growth⁣ ⁣ This talent gap hits hard, especially when looking for people with both financial and tech skills.⁣ ⁣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐓𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐯𝐞⁣ ⁣ Mid-market companies face a tech dilemma:⁣ ⁣ • Need to consider AI and advanced tools⁣ ⁣ • Still stuck with outdated financial systems⁣ ⁣ It's like needing a smartphone while still using a rotary dial.⁣ ⁣ This "tech debt" makes it hard to adopt new solutions without breaking the bank.⁣ ⁣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐦𝐚⁣ ⁣ Finance teams in mid-sized companies are constantly putting out fires.⁣ ⁣ With tight budgets and small teams, they're always in survival mode:⁣ ⁣ • No time for strategic thinking⁣ ⁣ • Struggling to improve processes⁣ ⁣ • Constantly pressured to do more with less⁣ ⁣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐩 𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐠⁣ ⁣ The gap between tech-savvy companies and those falling behind is widening fast.⁣ ⁣ Mid-market firms must make a choice:⁣ ⁣ • Take a bold leap into modern finance⁣ ⁣ • Risk becoming obsolete in a rapidly changing world⁣ ⁣ This isn't just about efficiency – it's about survival in tomorrow's business landscape.⁣ ⁣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝⁣ ⁣ The challenges are daunting, and the stakes couldn't be higher.⁣ ⁣ • How can you attract top talent when giants dominate the job market?⁣ ⁣ • Is it possible to modernize without breaking the bank?⁣ ⁣ • Can you find time for strategy when you're drowning in daily tasks?⁣ ⁣ The answers aren't simple, but they're critical for survival.⁣ ⁣ I will unravel these challenges and explore proven, practical solutions in upcoming posts.⁣ ⁣ The future of mid-market finance is being written now. Will your company be a success story or a cautionary tale?⁣ ⁣ ➕ Follow me, Andrew Diwik, for CFO insights and F&A performance improvement

No one is supporting agency founders, like you, who have a 'go big or go home' attitude, grow profitably to the £1m revenue mark & beyond. 👉🏻 You're slipping through the cracks. 👉🏻 You feel like you're constantly bugging you're 'OOO' accountant. 👉🏻 You get rejected by CFO's who want to support the big guns and get the big contracts. It's not exactly fair, is it? EVERY agency needs a solid financial strategy or they won't have the opportunity to turn into one of the big guns. Not on our watch 👀 So, we designed the ideal agency solution to help agencies between £250K & £500K scale profitably past £1 million and beyond. You don’t (yet) have the budget for a CFO in your headcount. You don’t (yet) pay yourself the salary you deserve. You don’t (yet) feel confident in your finances. But you will! Introducing ... CFO Slimline 🥳 The ONLY profitable growth partnership for ambitious agencies with revenue of £250k - £500k but want to reach the £1m revenue mark and beyond. ⚡️ Get two hyper-affordable financial wingwomen. ⚡️ Insight and support of a CFO without gaining another salary to pay. ⚡️ Simple step-by-step plan to a profitable £1m agency. Sound financially delicious? 🥧 Get a piece of that pie & sign yourself up to the CFO Slimline waitlist below before the 24th of June. Those on the waitlist get access to early bird bonuses which include: 🎁 An agency health check report and 🎁 3 additional 30 min 1-2-1's with me. What are you waiting for? GO GO GO.... 🏃🏼♀️

One thing is for sure, and that is that people working in finance are resilient! They always have been, and in the current market, they have been asked to step up once again! With a constant need for businesses to embrace change and meet budgetary constraints we are currently seeing in some pockets of the market, a conservative approach to investing in people and systems is required, which creates further challenges for existing teams. Most of us will therefore step up, take on the additional challenges, and drive improvement, but I am sensing frustration in the market. Keep close to your finance leads would be my strong advice. Read my latest blog for more feedback I received from candidates and clients in the finance sector....

Leadership in finance is about guiding a company’s financial decisions to help it grow, stay profitable, and manage risks, all while ensuring the company follows rules and regulations. Think of it like being the captain of a ship: A. The captain decides which direction to go (setting the financial strategy). B. They make sure the ship has enough supplies and fuel (managing the company's cash flow and resources). C. They check the weather and make decisions to avoid storms (managing financial risks). D. And they lead the crew, giving clear instructions to keep everyone working together (leading the finance team). In a company: A. Setting Financial Goals: Finance leaders help decide where the company should be in the future—like how much profit to make or how much to invest. B. Managing Money: They make sure there’s enough cash to run the business, pay bills, and invest in growth opportunities. C. Risk Management: Financial leaders look out for potential dangers, like economic downturns or changes in the market, and plan ways to avoid or minimize those risks. D. Compliance: They ensure the company follows financial laws and regulations, like paying taxes on time and reporting accurate financial information. A finance leader helps keep the company on a stable financial path, making sure it doesn’t overspend, and helps it grow sustainably, all while leading and mentoring the finance team. This is why, at Qallyqx Management Advisors Private Limited we leverage our expertise of more than 15 years to provide strategies best suitable for your business. #GrowWithQallyqx

I said I wasn't going to add to the noise so I won't. Instead, I'll be sharing some of the more in depth stuff I've written that gives you a better idea of the things finance folk like me and the team at EmergeOne think about on a regular basis. Let's start with Strategic Finance vs Finance Ops. In this post, I went into detail about Finance Ops being about: Managing the day to day. Managing day to day cash flow. Setting up controls and processes. Lodging regular tax returns like VAT. Chasing debtors and managing creditors. Reporting on and analysing monthly numbers. Starting with maintaining records and bookkeeping. Being mainly occupied by what has already happened. Working with external accountants to file annual tax, stats and R&D. Managing payroll, updating employees, checking vacation, approving expenses. And dealing with every query that lands on their table. If you have found a CFO that is willing to do this, then you either HAVE found a unicorn or HAVEN'T found a CFO. Because CFOs: Go beyond the numbers and turn them into narratives - data into information. Think about capital allocation over months and years, not days and weeks. Set the objectives and track how the business is performing against them. Don't manage payroll, they help plan hiring (and sadly firing). Are focussed on where we're going not where we've been. Argue with auditors about what policies to apply and why. Build out models of what that future might look like. Define what R&D activities should be undertaken. Use past results to inform future strategy. We don't just spend the money, we figure out where it should come from and where to "invest" it for maximum return. You can check this and more out on my long form newsletter - Off Balance, out every fortnight. https://lnkd.in/dddX_95e #Startups #CFOInsights #VentureCapital #OffBalanceNewsletter #finance #founder #business

🦗 Ever asked your accountant a question only to hear… crickets? 🦗 That's probably the number one reason clients switch over to us—their previous accountant took ages to respond to their questions (or never responded at all). And being ignored will just drive you plain mad! Your finance team shouldn't be a black hole where your questions go to die. You need people who actually get that you need answers and need to make quick, informed decisions, like, now! So, how do you know if you should make a switch to a more proactive finance team? Here are some not-so-great signs that you might need to make a change: 1. Ghosting-level communication If your accountant’s MIA, it's more than frustrating... it’s bad for business. The whole “sorry, just seeing this now” response three weeks after you needed an answer just isn't good enough. 2. Chronic deadline dodging Late payments, missed invoices, cashflow chaos. If deadlines are more of a loose suggestion than set in stone, that’s cash out of your pocket, stress piled up and time wasted. 3. "Strategic silence" as a growth strategy You need insights, dammit, not blank stares or radio silence. Growth requires a whole lot of communication, and a good accountant knows when to jump in before you have to ask. If any of these hit a little too close to home, it might be time to find support that doesn’t disappear when you need it. Have you ever dealt with an unresponsive team (whether that's finance, admin, HR, etc) when you needed answers? How did you handle it?

Accounting is the language of business. How fluent are you? The truth is, every financial statement tells a story, but the story depends on the hat you're wearing. Take Research and Development (R&D) for example. In the world of accounting, R&D can be an asset or expense. Why? Because you are buying something that will may future economic benefits. (Definition of asset) But there is uncertainty. Yet, when we look at it from different perspectives, the interpretation shifts. Think of it this way: - As an investor, you're looking at potential returns. - As a manager, you're focusing on resource allocation. - As an entrepreneur, you're investing in innovation (and future competitive advantage) Each role reads the same numbers but interprets them differently. That's the beauty (and complexity) of accounting! (Not so boring after all? :)) #sme #accounting #searchfunds #eta