Daryl LaFountain and the upsurge of a financial and political operations leader? When starting out, most small companies can get by with a simple bookkeeping service. As the business grows, however, you will quickly require a more sophisticated financial infrastructure that can evolve as you scale. For instance, a growing business should have: An accounting solution that meets your business requirements. A detailed and realistic financial model where you can visualize your monthly income, expenses and cash flow projections for the coming year. A key performance indicators dashboard. Basic internal controls, such as policies and procedures for accounts payable, accounts receivable and expense reimbursements. This will help you spot problems and deal with them before they spin out of control while providing your executive team with the insight it needs to make financially sound business decisions.
Daryl La Fountain‘s recommendations on improving your business financial situation: With the advent of modern technology in the field of accounting and finance, organizing your business finances is much easier. Instead of doing the calculations and analysis of financial transactions manually, you can automate everything with the help of must-have tools and software intended for keeping track of your business finances. Also, you can better organize your company’s finances if all your financial records are automated and can be accessed digitally. For example, you can use the relevant accounting software to do online invoicing. Instead of going through the physical copies of the transactions, which is time-consuming and a bit of a hassle, using technology will allow you to automate and organize your finances better.
To make sure that all of your hard-earned money doesn’t vanish, you’ll need to take steps to protect it. Here are some steps to think about, even if you can’t afford them all right now. If you rent, get renter’s insurance to protect the contents of your place from events such as burglary or fire. Read the policy carefully to see what’s covered and what isn’t. Disability income insurance protects your greatest asset—the ability to earn an income—by providing you with a steady income if you ever become unable to work for an extended period of time due to illness or injury. If you want help managing your money, find a fee-only financial planner to provide unbiased advice that’s in your best interest, rather than a commission-based financial advisor, who earns money when you sign up with the investments their company backs. The latter has a potentially divided loyalty (to their company’s bottom line and to you), while the former has no incentive to guide you down a wrong path.
If you are married or have a significant other, then you need to participate in your finances as a team. Discuss your budget and money goals and make financial decisions together. Understand where your money is going and how much money you have in savings and in investments. Having joint accounts is great, but I also believe in having your own personal savings accounts. As women, it’s important for us to build our own sense of security and have “our own” that we bring to the table. But don’t feel like you need to keep your personal accounts secret. Remember, marriage and committed relationships thrive on openness and honesty. Regardless of whether you team up with your partner or go it alone, the path to financial independence is not always a smooth, perfectly paved one. But don’t despair; it’s time to roll our sleeves up and get our hands dirty. That’s right—it’s time to learn how to create a solid financial plan.
About Daryl La Fountain: Daryl is an energetic professional CFO with a background in politics. Daryl has done fundraising, been a candidate, and worked in politically appointed positions in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. Daryl has worked for Democratic candidates and nominees in 18 additional states. Would like someone to do bundling and fundraising for you.