Creating A Sustainable Financial Strategy

33% of CEOs don't trust their CFOs. The 5 areas I focus on (first 90 days): 𝟭) 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀 The first thing I do with a new client is lower their expenses. This provides a quick win and frees up resources. Common cost-cutting opportunities I see: • Extra licenses • Unused subscriptions • Costs that feel worth it but are not –– 𝟮) 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 If the books are messy → I clean them up. If the books look good → I put together the core financial statements and make sure everyone understands them. I like to involve the whole team by opening the curtains wide on the company’s financials. This increases trust and accountability. –– 𝟯) 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 I work with clients to streamline: A) Invoicing Many of the cash flow issues I see with clients can be traced back to slow collections. So I make sure invoices are going out in the correct amount and in an easy-to-understand format. B) Closing the books faster I understand the urge to close the books and move on. But clean books don’t mean much if you don't study them shortly after closing. That’s where I work with clients to get their books ready in about half the time. The result is ample time for reviewing performance. C) Monthly financial reviews A good financial review = meeting with the accounting team to study the P&L and Balance Sheet and investigate any budget variance Your goal is to explain each variance and put together an action plan to reverse any concerning trends. –– 𝟰) 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 We set goals and KPIs, determine what’s doable, and come up with a specific roadmap. For your strategic plan to work, it needs to tie back to the financials and be broken out into manageable steps. –– 𝟱) 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 I’ve yet to work with an SMB that didn’t have any room for improvement here. Collections tend to cause the lion’s share of cash flow issues. But clients often overlook the other side of the equation: when and how they pay their own bills. It’s pretty common for owners to pay bills as soon as they get them. But I don’t recommend it. It's better to wait until the day they’re due and set them up for autopay. This way you keep cash in the business longer without running the risk of dinging your credit. Took me a LOT of scrambling in my early days to have this clarity... But after helping over 75 SMBs, I feel confident these are the first steps a CFO should take with a new client. If you enjoyed reading this, let me know and follow me for more strategic finance, SMB, and business content. — Need help with your finances? Feel free to send me a DM. Always happy to help.

As sustainability continues to be a strategic imperative, CFOs are uniquely positioned to drive meaningful outcomes—enhancing resilience, uncovering growth opportunities, and building long-term value. The CFO’s sustainability playbook outlines key areas where finance leaders can make the biggest impact. Three points stood out to me as powerful levers to help reach sustainable success: 1️⃣ Embed sustainability into corporate strategy:  By integrating sustainability into the core of business strategy, CFOs can align initiatives with long-term planning, measure the cost of carbon, and prioritize projects that balance financial performance with environmental impact.  2️⃣ Leverage technology and data for ESG reporting:  Trusted, actionable data is the foundation of any effective sustainability strategy. CFOs can collaborate with technology leaders to implement advanced analytics and generative #AI solutions, enabling compliance and transforming decision-making processes.  3️⃣ Unlock value through tax incentives and credits:  The wave of new tax regulations, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, provides CFOs with opportunities to fund sustainability initiatives while driving cost savings and innovation. These aren’t just compliance exercises—they’re pathways to creating resilient, forward-thinking organizations that can thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape. 💡 What strategies have been effective for your organization in integrating sustainability into financial operations? I’d love to hear your thoughts. https://lnkd.in/eMMAN5Tq #PwCSustainability #Sustainability #CFO Ron Kinghorn J.C. Lapierre Ellen Walsh Bobby Marandi #esgreporting

If I were a Chief Sustainability Officer, here’s how I’d talk to the CFO. I wouldn’t lead with targets. I’d lead with impact. I’d start by mapping the line between non-financial performance and real business outcomes: cost, capital, pricing, and risk. I'd show how fuel switching cuts unit cost. How energy data correlates with margin by site. How better supplier traceability reduces delays and builds resilience into ops. And I’d walk into the CFO’s office with one goal: To show that sustainability is not a report — it’s a lever. But none of that matters if the data doesn’t hold up. So before I made the case, I’d build the system. Every emissions number traceable. Every assumption sourced. Every calculation repeatable. Because the best way to speak a CFO’s language isn’t with frameworks. It’s with numbers that drive the business. This is what separates sustainability programs that stay buried in compliance — from the ones that shape investment and strategy.