A CFO is a critical member of any startup team. But what is a CFO? What does the CFO actually do? What are their duties? And why are they so important to your company’s success? The CFO’s roles and responsibilities are to help a company grow and keep it maintained as it grows.
What is a CFO?
CFO full form stands for Chief Financial Officer is a high-ranking person in a company who is responsible for the finances. They usually have a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business. They are usually the one who signs off on the financial statements and can help you with your taxes. They usually lead the company’s financial team, including budgeting, managing cash flow, overseeing accounting functions, and reporting to the board of directors. They are in charge of managing all of the important financial decisions in your business.
What do CFOs do
The CFO is the person who fulfills the role of financial officer for a company. One of their main duties is to provide information about cash flow, the company’s finances, and other related statistics. CFOs also work to identify ways in which they can maximize profits by reducing expenditures.
A CFO’s role is to notice trends and patterns in finances or anything else related to running a successful company. For instance, how much cash is being brought in each month? Moreover, where is the cash going? Additionally, to what extent can we afford to expand our business? These are just a few of the questions a CFO should be able to answer.
In order to answer these questions, a CFO will typically use spreadsheets to analyze data and spot trends. In conclusion, a CFO is a person who analyzes the finances of a company and takes steps to improve it to ensure that the company is successful.
How does a CFO help your company?
The CFO has several roles;
- They oversee the company’s finances and make sure it is following all the necessary financial regulations.
- They are responsible for overseeing how much money should be allocated to different departments within the company, as well as how much money should be put into investments.
- They are in charge of making sure that the company has enough money to keep operating.
- Handling the company’s assets and liabilities, establishing budgets managing spending and income, and providing guidance to the board of directors in making corporate decisions.
- They make sure your books are in order and that you pay the appropriate taxes and fees to the government.
- They assist in business planning and research, etc.
5 ways a CFO can help your company
A CFO can be a great asset for a company, handling many of the day-to-day financial tasks that can bog down a business owner. This frees them up to work on the parts of the business that they enjoy, and better manage their time.
Financial Planning and Forecasting
The CFO will often be asked to perform financial planning for the organization. It’s important that your CFO has an understanding of your startup’s financial strategy and the ability to communicate with other members of your team (including investors, business development team, marketing team, etc.).
The role of the CFO is often to answer questions like: “How much money do we have? What are the risks involved in our financial model?” Along with these financial modeling questions, CFOs also have to be able to discuss the “big picture” of the company’s finances in terms of cash flows, cash balances, projections, and expected income and expenses.
Management of Capital and Debts
The role of a CFO is to manage the money of a company, its assets and liabilities, and make sure it all adds up. Your startup needs to do this in order to stay on top of its financials in a fast-paced business environment and work with potential investors.
The CFO usually begins with the very basics and spends a few months just making sure the books are up-to-date. Once a month, or more frequently if the startup is growing at a healthy pace, the CFO will meet with other key stakeholders and will do an analysis of the company’s finances, so that they can understand the strengths and weaknesses of the company.
You also might want to think about a CFO if you want to raise capital from outside investors.
Cash Management
CFOs are the finance chiefs of companies. They are responsible for managing the company’s finances, debt, and inventory. For a startup, the role of the CFO is multifaceted, but in general, they should be tracking the company’s cash flow. This is a must if the startup is to survive.
If the startup can’t pay its bills, it will fail. For example, if you do any online ordering for your restaurant, and you don’t get paid immediately, your CFO must pay the vendor immediately.
They’ll need to set up a payment arrangement for the vendor. If the vendor is slow in paying, it will get to the CFO, and the CFO will come to you and let you know it needs payment immediately. CFO also has to watch out for risk, including government audits, potential lawsuits, new regulations, and changing payment methods.
Internal Control of Accounting and Finance Functions
Whether you own a company, manage a team, or have a part-time job, you probably perform financial reporting. Without a formalized internal accounting system, entrepreneurs and employees would be running a risk of financial and operational incompetence.
Financial reporting errors can potentially lead to operational problems. However, the role of the CFO is to help run an efficient accounting and finance system.
They analyze and report on financial results, and work with you to create and manage accounting policies and procedures. CFO does Preparing Financial Reports The CFO’s duties might seem a little straightforward. But they are very important. Without a financial reporting system, the entrepreneurial founder can’t control the narrative of their business.
Also Read: Why VCFO is Good for Small Business?
Tax Compliance and Preparation
When a business first begins, the accounting and tax department isn’t as large as it grows and scales. But once the startup gains traction, an increasingly complex set of tax rules and regulations come into play. Even if your company is primarily small, this is a significant ongoing burden and tax time is a frustrating, complicated, and expensive period for a startup.
A CFO will help navigate these complexities and advise management on tax strategies. CFO encourages Sales and Marketing as your company continues to grow. The growth creates new opportunities for you to sell more and expand your customer base. Your CFO can help analyze where your company stands, how much revenue your company generates, and how best to approach the next stage of growth.
