Sharks in a tank make the other fish anxious to take action. Your financials and metrics should achieve have the same effect on your leadership team (if you really know them).

Your numbers and metrics should tell you the truth.

1. What’s the health of the company?
2. Are you doing the right things to drive sustainable value?
3. Are you creating an appropriate level of anxiety to take action?

This 1-hour event will give you high-impact and immediate insights you can use to strengthen your company and increase your profitability. This is business finance like you’ve not heard of before.

How do I work with a banker when my company is struggling? I’m looking to buy out a competitor – how do I go about raising the capital? What key metrics are the first to indicate to the bank that there is a problem or fraud? New Life CFO held a Mid-Market Banker Forum to help answer these questions and address many other relevant topics for small business with local banking experts.

Topics by Timestamp

00:00 :: Introductions
04:39 :: How should business owners engage with their banker?
07:21 :: How do bankers want business owners to work with them when their business is struggling?
11:55 :: When a loan isn’t right for a bank, how can the bank still help?
13:38 :: How can a banker help if a company already has alternate funding?
17:31 :: If a business is flourishing, how can a banker help with protecting their capital?
21:27 :: How does credit approval work at a regional bank?
27:04 :: What do bankers look at to determine if a loan is a quick “yes” or “no”?
29:05 :: The importance of the balance sheet
30:21 :: Each banker’s perspective on the current credit marke
33:31 :: How concerning are the economic stimulus packages, inflation and pending tax increases?
36:35 :: How to manage a company through economic downturns
37:47 :: Common circumstances that get a loan on the “watch list”
42:10 :: When is a conventional bank loan better than an SBA loan?
45:45 :: Should you borrow money when you don’t really need it?
48:20 :: Closing remarks

What’s better than bronze or silver? Gold! At our Entrepreneurial Education Forum we learned how to turn the sweat equity you have invested in your business into gold by ensuring you maximize the value of your company.

Last August our forum focused on selling your business. While selling your company is an event, maximizing its value in preparation for that sale is a process. A process that, when well executed, shores up weaknesses and prioritizes how to radically increase EBITDA and the multiple you will receive. Knowing this process and planning accordingly is the alchemy that turns the sweat equity you’ve poured into your business for years into the pile of gold you envisioned from the beginning.

Experts in finance, marketing, operations and wealth management will discuss strategies for building your company’s value through financial performance, operational execution, leadership development, revenue structure, and estate planning.

Topics by Timestamp

00:00 – 11:45 Introductions and overview of evening
11:46 – 16:10 How do I value my business, what things drive value, and how do I maximize it?
16:11 – 17:13 Transferability of your business’ value
17:14 – 18:11 Importance of purpose driven brand in value maximization
18:12 – 19:56 EBITDA vs. Revenue vs. Book Value
19:57 – 26:32 EBITDA adds and subtracts: What are biggest adjustments?
26:48 – 31:25 Working capital – how much is needed?
31:27 – 40:51 Value enhancement items
40:57 – 44:57 How far in advance of a sell should I start preparing?
45:02 – 55:55 Communicating your plans to your leadership team
56:02 – 57:17 How do you run a business today like you want to sell it tomorrow?
57:20 – 1:01:12 Types of buyers and what they want
1:01:21 – 1:02:18 Telling your story to buyers
1:02:26 – 1:04:38 Interest rate trends and strategy when selling your business
1:04:39 – 1:06:54 One thing to do to prepare for a successful exit
1:07:03 Closing comments

In August 2021, New Life CFO Services held a hosted discussion with five business valuation experts on the buying and selling sides of the equation.

Discussion topics included:

• How do I maximize the value and EBITDA multiple of my business?
• What are buyers looking for?
• How do I make due diligence as clean and efficient as possible?
• What pitfalls are deal killers?
• What is an earnout and how do they work?

Topics by Timestamp

00:00 :: Introduction of panelists
06:38 :: Current market perceptions for selling or buying mid-market companies
11:40 :: Do bankers have the same perceptions as investors?
13:35 :: How long does it take to get your company ready for sale, and what is involved in due diligence?17:44 Critical things to consider before you take your business to market
24:12 :: LOI phase – what things derail the process or blow up the deal?
28:22 :: What does my business look like to someone else?
28:53 :: Is cash or accrual basis accounting better when selling a company?
30:06 :: What timeframe of results is looked at?
31:25 :: How do you evaluate a company with explosively high growth?
33:45 :: Earnouts – what are they and how do they work?
40:23 :: What is the value of a pipeline/backlog?
45:05 :: ARR – What is it and how is it valued?
50:28 :: How risky is your revenue?
51:30 :: Is employee compensation looked at in due diligence for reasonability?
53:18 :: Culture is important
54:13 :: Type of buyer depends on what they will agree to with current employees
55:43 :: How do you handle buying a company when owner or major partner dies?
58:40 :: Closing comments

Do you want to accelerate your topline growth but find your sales and marketing efforts are stuck in neutral?

Join our previously recorded live discussion as four experts in sales and marketing share the secrets to shifting into revenue overdrive!

Topics by Timestamp

00:00 – 5:42: Welcome and panelist introductions
05:43 – 12:08: When you walk into a new company, what are 3 things you look at to determine if there is a problem?
12:17 – 20:03: How do you know if a prospect will be a good customer?
20:59 – 29:30: What are some best practices companies use to ensure Sales and Marketing work great together?
30:48 – 42:02: Help us understand timelines to real Marketing and Sales impact
42:04 – 49:33: How do you help a struggling company that needs results fast?
49:51 – 57:09: What is one thing you think most people are missing out on regarding Sales and Marketing today?
1:04:39 – 1:06:12: What does a biochemistry degree have to do with sales and marketing? (Importance of analytics)
1:06:13 – 1:07:55: Is Marketing more important since Covid given the difficulty in reaching people now?

New Life CEO Burt Copeland recently sat down with Clark Sandlin of Zyrka, who specializes in technology and IT managed services for private equity including software, hardware, systems, network, and cybersecurity. In this discussion, they cover common cyber security threats to small and middle-market companies as well as some tips and tricks for how to avoid these mistakes.

They also discuss:

• Common areas of fraud
• Fake vendors and employees
• What is phishing
• Wire requests from emails
• What to look for in phishing emails
• Software doesn’t mean security

Topics by Timestamp

00:00 :: Introduction 
02:51 :: Financial best practices: controls, fraud areas and what to look for; human side of fraud 
14:51 :: Zyrka overview 
18:23 :: Where’s your backup? Importance of software updates 
22:33 :: Phishing and how it works 
27:01 :: Email scams 
30:30 :: Simple is better; Why do we need this? 
39:14 :: Everyone is over-systemed; value of a fractional CIO/CTO 
50:30 :: Wrap up summary

“The Great Resignation”! “The Workplace Revolution”! Everyone is talking about it, and most employers are suffering the consequences. Nothing can upset a company’s upward trajectory more than not being able to recruit high-caliber talent or losing the key talent that makes you, you.

That’s why our Entrepreneur Educational Forum focuses on how you can set yourself up to WIN at recruiting and retention to ensure your company thrives. Our four panelists represent the very best at Recruiting, Retaining and Training your employees to enable your future.

Topics by Timestamp

00:00 - 5:50 :: Welcome and panelist introductions
05:51 - 10:38 :: Causes of the Great Resignation
10:39 - 14:13 :: What causes someone to leave a job without another one and what did they for?
14:14 - 16:35 :: With this turnover, are there opportunities to attract those resigning?
16:36 - 20:03 :: What effect have vaccine mandates had on resignation?
20:04 - 22:36 :: With the nature of what work is now being different, how do you attract Millennials and Gen Zs to your company?
22:37 - 28:32 :: How to create opportunities for the Seekers'entrepreneurship interests within your company
28:33 - 34:45 :: Measuring and forecasting productivity and capacity of remote workers
34:50 - 37:15 :: Recruitment is a marketing and selling process; Is this a paradigm shift?
37:16 - 42:48 :: Is the Great Resignation a false narrative?
44:00 - 47:00 :: Recruting, selling, and engaging employees
47:01 - 54:27 :: Technologies that connect with the Seekers
54:28 - 1:02:48 :: Top of the funnel tactics to identify good candidates; recruitment best practices
1:02:49 - 1:04:19 :: Being proactive and going to the candidates; continuous recruiting
1:04:20 - 1:10:38 :: Who is the best person in the company to "sell" the company to candidates (and internal employees)?
1:10:45 - 1:15:23 :: Should you hire for skill or character? If character, how to determine?
1:15:24 - 1:16:02 :: Thoughts on conducting stay interviews (vs. exit interviews)

Additional Panelist Resources

Mark Galvan, ProForce:
https://proforceco.com/reimagining-recruitment/

Download the Participant Resources & Notes
https://proforceco.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Reimagining-Recruitment-and-Retention-v1.02.pdf

More Resources… Employer Branding – Talent Attraction – Reputation Management – Recruiting Optimization
https://proforceco.com/employer-branding-thought-leadership/

Link to Schedule a complimentary Employer Brand Review
https://proforceco.com/apply

Mark Mitford, HR Catalyst Consulting:
https://hrcatalystconsulting.com/

Chris Bond, Bluewater Learning
https://www.bluewaterlearning.com/

Kim Kelley, pepelwerk
https://www.pepelwerk.com/

TruthBomb!

It is IMPOSSIBLE to make good decisions on bad numbers. But studies show the majority of CEOs have no idea what good accounting looks like nor how to ensure it’s working well without becoming a “bean counter” themselves.

Watch this webinar to gain high-impact and immediate insights you can use to strengthen your company and increase your profitability.

This is business finance like you’ve not heard of before!

Topics by Timestamp

01:05 – 02:34 Introductions
02:35 – 03:52 Importance of Accounting/Modules in Series
03:53 – 05:39 ROI of Accounting
05:40 – 07:33 Knowing Your Numbers
07:34 – 13:01 Your Best Use
13:02 – 15:36 Accounting and Selling Your Business
15:37 – 21:07 Accounting and Getting a Loan
21:08 – 24:56 Volatility in Your Numbers
24:57 – 28:50 Balance Sheet – Things to Look At; Close
28:51 – 30:28 Never Ending Minutia
30:29 – 32:01 KPIs vs. Details of Accounting
32:02 – 33:50 Processes Matter
33:51 – 35:26 Procrastination and Problems
35:27 – 41:21 Monitoring – Things to Check
41:22 – 43:08 Reporting – What are you Expecting to See?
43:09 – 57:05 Q & A Session

Do your conversations with your accountant create order out of chaos? Or do you leave more confused than before? 🧐

Your numbers should provide clarity and decision-making insight, but all too often this is not the case for business owners.

Join Burt Copeland to learn how to ensure you as a business owner have clean books and high-quality financial reporting so you can make better decisions and make great impressions on bankers, investors, and buyers.

Topics by Timestamp

00:00 – 05:01 Introduction and summary of Accounting ROI from April 21
05:02 – 11:10 Difference between accountant and CFO
11:11 – 19:25 Do you suffer from title inflation? (bookkeeper vs. accounting manager vs. controller vs. CFO)
19:26 – 22:40 Span of influence by role
22:41 – 34:03 Accounting staff problem key indicators
34:04 – 35:02 Reporting – How you discover problems
35:03 – 36:23 What good accounting looks like
36:24 – 40:06 Decision tree financials
40:07 – 47:32 Trends and comparisons
47:33 – 51:57 Dashboards
51:58 – 53:58 Setting up targets
53:59 – 59:12 Summary and wrap up

During this live session, Burt Copeland will delve deep into the topic of accounting systems.

📍 Gain invaluable insights on assessing your current system’s performance and selecting the right solution for your organization’s needs.

📍 Explore crucial factors like system functionality, alignment with your business model, data accessibility, and more.

📍 Discover the intricacies of accounting systems and avoid potential pitfalls that can hinder your business growth.

Topics by Timestamp

00:00 – 02:27 | Introduction and recap of earlier sessions

02:28 – 04:28 | Software and the Dumb Tax

04:29 – 06:31 | Accounting System vs. ERP – Complexity & Disruption

06:32 – 16:09 | Considerations when Evaluating ERP Systems
- Needs assessment
- Greatest show on earth
- Proven expertise
- Commonplace is great

16:10 – 26:30 | Steps in the evaluation process
- Plan the work
- Assess your team
- Verify vendor support
- Know the real cost

26:31 – 39:37 | Are you really ready?
- Communicate
- Define
- Clean & control
- Tie outs & reconciliations
- Report controls
- Historical data

39:37 – 53:34 | System Faves & Freaks
- Primary ERP focus
- Great install base
- Data access/App friendly
- Minimizes tribal knowledge trap

53:34 – 1:00:47 | Q&A Session

In this session we will identify and explore tricky accounting situations that, if not managed closely, can quickly distort the reported financials and what decisions you are making. We will also explore how to quantify your risks for these scenarios, how to best mange them and what they look like to a potential buyer in scoping out you as a potential investment or acquisition. All of these situations require accounting and operations to be “Very Close Dance Partners” in keeping things under controls.

We will also review the most common areas of fraud, how to detect them and who is most likely to perpetuate these scams on your company. In addition, we will touch base on some software solutions that can keep you in firm control without burying you in the minutia.

Topics by Timestamp

00:00 – 2:00 Introduction and overview of past Accounting Wellness topics

02:01 – 11:32 Accounting Black Holes and Revenue Recognition Concerns

11:33 – 13:57 Businesses with Revenue Recognition Complexities

13:58 – 22:24 Revenue Recognition Example Walk Through

22:25 – 25:29 Fraud – Where You Least Expect It

25:30 – 39:15 Common Areas Where Fraud Occurs

39:16 – 43:13 Resources that can Help

43:14 – 45:02 Summary and Q&A