Which Financial Consultant Do You Need?
When you’re looking for a financial consultant, the options your consulting firm has can seem daunting.
While every financial consultant the firm has to offer is a proficient, experienced accountant, some are better suited for your company’s needs. The type of financial consultant you need depends on the needs of your company. Here are some special triggers for certain financial consultants.
Planning a Special Project
Hire a staff accountant
Perhaps you’re digitizing your books and records from the last five years. Maybe it’s time to reconcile your investment accounts. When you have a project that is different from your day-to-day business operations, you need some help. Hiring a staff accountant level consultant is a great option for both short- and long-term projects. Your consultant will work with your existing accountant staff to meet your expectations in an accurate and timely manner.
Acquiring Investment Capital
Hire a CFO
Your company may need investment capital. A fractional CFO consultant will use their network to help you find the right investor for your company. They’ll help you clean up your financial data to present to the investors and serve as a point of contact for both parties. They will keep your investor informed of the state of their investment and any returns. Your CFO can also help you categorize expenses and determine what areas of your business need the cash flow the most.
Unveiling a New Product or Service
Hire a CFO
Often, adding a new product or service to your menu is a big change. You need to know whether you can afford it, whether there’s a market for it, whether it will make your company money. A consultant CFO will evaluate your business plan, financials and industry standards to determine whether the new service or product is a financially savvy move. When it is time to unveil your new menu change, they can also help you account for the new changes to income and assets in your financial data.
Tax Season
Hire a controller or staff accountant
Tax season requires more preparation than just putting together your forms. You’ll need detailed lists of assets, up-to-date accounting records, last year’s return and more. A controller will help you delegate these tasks to your accounting staff as well as approve and compile the records. An auxiliary staff accounting consultant will help your staff get the records ready in time to file your taxes and maximize your return.
Planning a Merger or Acquisition
Hire a CFO
A fractional CFO will help you and your executive team with every step of the merger and acquisition process. Whether your company is the buyer or the seller, your CFO will help you select a target, discuss terms with the other party and more. They will also be able to set the seller’s exit strategy or delineate a new business plan for the buyer. From initial due diligence to the day the contracts are signed, a fractional CFO is your go-to merger and acquisition resource.
Experiencing Low Profitability
Hire a CFO
Just because it is bringing in a profit, doesn’t mean your business is profitable. When you’re experiencing low profitability, you need a CFO level financial consultant. A CFO will help you determine your areas of low profitability and help you adjust your workflows and expenses accordingly. Using your financials and budget-to-actuals, they’ll help you save money on everything from office supplies to workflow bottlenecks. Profitability is just one financial consultant away.
Periods of Rapid Growth
Hire a CFO
Your business is thriving, and it’s growing quickly. Maybe you’re not sure what to do with all your new growth and increased cash flow. You can hire a CFO level consultant to help you set out a new strategy that takes your company’s growth into account. Using financial data and industry trends, they’ll help you determine whether the growth and increased cash flow are only temporary. Your CFO will help you adjust your budget and workflow accordingly.
Growing Accounting and Finance Staff
Hire a controller
If your accounting and finance staff is growing, it probably means your company is growing, too. You don’t have time to supervise your accounting and finance staff yourself anymore; you’ve got a business to run. Instead, you can hire a controller level consultant to supervise your staff. Your controller will help establish new workflows to accommodate the new growth by working closely with your executive team to identify your company’s needs.
Accounting and Finance Staff Support
Hire a staff accountant
Sometimes things in your accounting and finance department get crazy. Maybe it’s year-end or time for an audit. When your existing accounting staff is feeling overwhelmed, it’s time to hire a staff accountant level outsourced consultant. The consulting firm will provide you with a consultant that already has experience in your industry and with your software. This way, your financial consultant will be able to integrate with your team seamlessly to get the work done.
Ultimately, your consulting firm will be able to determine which accounting professional you need based on your specific situation. Whether it’s a merger, a change in service menu or just tax season, your consulting firm has the financial consultant you need.
