Do you procrastinate when it comes to closing your books and delivering year-end financial statements? Lenders and investors may think the worst if a company’s financial statements aren’t submitted in a timely manner. Here are three assumptions your stakeholders could make when your financial statem...

Working capital — current assets minus current liabilities — is a common measure of liquidity. High liquidity generally equates with low risk, but excessive amounts of cash tied up in working capital may detract from growth opportunities and other spending options, such as expanding to new markets, ...

A buy-sell agreement is a critical component of succession planning for many businesses. It sets the terms and conditions under which an owner’s business interest can be sold to another owner (or owners) should an unexpected tragedy or turn of events occurs. It also establishes the method for determ...

By midyear, most businesses that follow U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) have issued their year-end financial statements. But how many have actually used them to improve their business operations in the future? Producing financial statements is more than a matter of compliance — ...

Running a business is like going on a road trip — and a detailed business plan that includes a set of pro forma financials can serve as a road map or GPS app that improves your odds of arriving on time and on budget. If your plan doesn’t cover the prospective quantitative details in pro formas, expe...

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) is commonly used to assess financial health and evaluate investment decisions. But sometimes this metric overstates a company’s true performance, ability to service debt, and value. That’s why internal and external stakeholders ...

It’s easy to think of lenders as doing your company a favor. But business financing relationships are just that: relationships. Yes, a lender has the working capital you need to grow. But a stable, successful business represents an enormously beneficial opportunity for the lender as well. So you sho...