Author: Complete Controller

Starting your own business can be a frightening but rewarding procedure. While an ideal business plan condemns entrepreneurs, financing is one of the most significant elements a company needs to succeed. However, financing a small business can be a drawn-out process, especially for those with an accounting background.

Consistent improvements to grow your small business are daunting for its success and sustainability. Meanwhile, the operations like monitoring cash flow, controlling the marketing, and identifying your strengths are the most profitable.

Here’s a list of 10 strategies to utilize the acquired funds smartly to develop your small business.

1. Enhance the product packaging

The first thing you can apply to utilize the funds in a productive chore is the packaging. Bringing innovation to the product and services will attract the clients and commit the old ones. Investment in better quality and paging of the product will help you meet your client’s requirements, and they will come back to shop from you.

2. Options for impactful Marketing

Wasting money on profitless marketing is easy. Seek out budget-friendly and impactful marketing strategies to grow your business. Experiment with a few of the latest tactics and examine their after-effects on your business. Social media is one of the great ways to market your company globally.

3. Sharpen your monetary skills

A big-win area for business growth is the sales function. Whether you’re a sole operator or managing a sales team, you’ll have to focus on sales improvements. Even the trends that don’t seem relevant on the outside might have a versatile impact on the inside. Consider all the possibilities.

4. Modernize technology

Investing in the latest technology provides you with pedantic insights into the clients and potential prospects. You can get CRM (customer relationship management) software to maintain the sales records virtually. With this software, you won’t be carrying the burden of keeping the records manually; instead, you’ll get all the documents prepared beforehand.

5. Get the latest inventory

Another great way to utilize the funds efficiently is to get the latest and fresh inventory and equipment. This way, the work procedure will improve, and the customer’s orders will be completed on time.

Instead of purchasing used machinery, get the latest machinery with advanced features to boost your business.

6. Clear the debts

Utilize your funding to clear the account payables. The higher interest rate comes with a higher debt amount, which you probably wouldn’t want to pay all at once. Also, it can utilize the rescued amount of cash from the interest rate to fulfill other company financial requirements.

7. Know your boundaries

Successful entrepreneurs have a clear idea of their boundaries. By identifying your entrepreneurial personality type, you operate your resources well and find the areas of weakness. For instance, if you excel at sales marketing but have less experience with the accounts, focus on the sales and hire a professional accountant to handle the books.

8. Host business events

Hosting business events as an entrepreneur with a small business is a great way to create an identity among the potential audience. Invest in advertising and promotional banners so everyone knows about your company’s existence.

9. Consider a niche market

A niche is a specialized portion of the market for a particular product or service. When other companies fail to fulfill the customers’ requirements, focus on the potential areas and invest to win the audience’s trust.

10. Art of franchising

Franchising provides a rapid boost to your small business. In this activity, the product is distributed among the potential audience. However, before franchising, you must do a market analysis to know the customer’s requirements and demands.

The above-defined strategies come in handy for small enterprises at every stage of business. Running a small business is quite challenging as the owner is responsible for many monetary chores. However, there are numerous options out there for the utilization of new funds. Determine your financial position and make a productive decision for the growth of your business. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

“Financial management” refers to how you manage your accounts smartly to make your business successful. With a sound financial system, you can determine your business’s financial health and make wise decisions to improve its operations.

A well-organized accounting system is vital for every business. Financial management is significant for any company and requires great expertise and planning. However, the actual worth comes from turning the primary support into the permanent growth of your business. Without financial stability, every business lacks the foundation to tackle the struggles of evolving product lines and make new investments in shipping and packaging that increase customer experience.

Financial management is the mechanism to formulate the decisions that enhance business operations.

Unfortunately, one of the top reasons for a business failure is a cash crisis or unwise financial management by fresh entrepreneurs. Money is like time, and you must utilize it exceptionally judiciously.

Are you a fresh entrepreneur entangled with the complications of finance? Here’s a list of sharp strategies for your new business venture.

1. Acknowledge yourself

Finance is a crucial department in any business; every entrepreneur must be informed about every aspect. One of the most helpful steps to intelligent financial management starts with the knowledge of radical financial terms. You must know the words like budgeting, interest on debt, income tax, and unsubsidized loans.

To acknowledge yourself, you can review the finance-related articles written explicitly on financial management.

2. Develop a clear vision for profitability

Developing strict financial principles that govern all internal and external spending is essential. If you’re seeking investment through funding, you must evaluate the cost of the expenditures and how much profit your company will predictably generate. Additionally, you will have to explain your cash flow management process and how you will scale positively.

As an entrepreneur, if you fail to illustrate your financial strategies for future profit, the investors will likely invest their money elsewhere.

3. Connect with investors

Your success is supreme, but it is equally significant to consider the success of your investors and partners. These players are backing your business’s growth, and it’s a sign of honesty when you include them in your company’s success.

 For instance, turning down the marketing strategy while keeping the business running smoothly helps further stretch the investment. Being honest with the investors allows you to ask for financial help in need.

4. Invest your time wisely

Entrepreneurs must wear many hats at once and chisel the budget wisely, including running the payrolls and maintaining accounts. You can get a subscription to the latest accounting tools. In this way, you won’t be worrying about the accounting errors that used to arise in manual bookkeeping. Also, it will save you a lot of time.

It can quickly generate monthly financial statements through the latest accounting software. On the contrary, you can also appoint a professional accountant to carry out the financial tasks instead of you.

5. Know the different business costs

The field of business finance is highly diversified and contains numerous aspects. An entrepreneur might not be proficient with financial terms. However, he must know the basics of every monetary operation and expenditure of the business. The primary financial operations and expenses include marketing, legal, business insurance, and current production costs. When you get a clear idea of the business’s expenditures and economic operations, you can have discussions with the accountant and consultants.

Owning a business should never be all about earning and making a profit, but properly managing the finances is a bridge to the permanent success of the company. By using the above-evaluated strategies, you can make the most of the investments that your business has earned. Additionally, you can seek the latest technologies to make your monetary system smarter. Technology will help you make better financial decisions regarding advertising and marketing strategies. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

As a business leader, you must consider the most common concerns about guiding your team to set goals. You expect to demonstrate valuable leadership skills, motivate your team, and carefully manage your department’s dynamics.

Many external factors can harm employees’ productivity, and you don’t have much control over them. Similarly, some internal factors can severely affect employees’ productivity or performance, but you can fix the issues and decrease their impact on your organization.

Here are some internal issues that can harm your organization’s overall performance.

Organizational Culture

Your team is likely one part of a big organization, which must have its unique cultures to follow. You might be a fantastic team leader, but the whole team will be affected if it follows a negative culture in your organization.

For instance, if a company’s overall culture encourages professionalism and promotes healthy work relationships between staff, suppliers, and customers, it will lead to an environment of productivity and progress. Alternatively, a negative culture tends to cause employee disappointment, employee turnover, and absence, as reported by Harvard Business Review.

Other common negative issues that impact your organization are workload, low incentives, salary, and poor management. Figuring out and understanding these problems will help you solve them.

Workplace Environment

Workplace environments have a significant impact on external productivity and performance. Health and team morale have positive as well as negative effects.

Some factors like hygiene, temperature, atmosphere, lighting, and noise in the office lead to late or inadequate deliveries.

Take the example of temperature. Many types of research can explain the effect of internal temperature on performance. The recommended or ideal temperature in the workplace should be between 23 to 26 degrees centigrade in summer or 20 to 24 degrees centigrade in winter. The individual preferences will differ, but the overall temperature should be within the ideal range for all workers’ comfort.

Poor Communication

Successful organizations utilize the best methods for smooth communication. Suppose there is a lack of internal communication between the employees and the organization. It could lead to a loss of productivity and a range of problems. For instance, if a project manager doesn’t share the clients’ complete requirements with workers, it would result in poor outcomes. If your employees work from home and don’t share the daily follow-ups, you will have to reach out to them constantly to inquire about the progress. Every employee must have adequate communication with one another, which builds a positive and comfortable environment. 

Resource and Tools

Resources and tools are essential for an organization to achieve good quality work. Your performance will be badly affected if your organization doesn’t have the proper resources and tools to do the job. You must identify the needs of your employees and manage the resources accordingly. 

It would help if you gave special attention to the latest technologies. If you don’t make the most of the latest tools, you may drag your organization to poor performance. 

Sexual Harassment

When we talk about an organization’s internal issues, sexual harassment is one of the significant factors. When an employee is facing sexual harassment, it directly affects their mental health. People facing sexual harassment in the workplace experience high anxiety and stress, leading to depression, which directly affects work performance.

Another factor is gossip. Victims of sexual harassment may find themselves the subject of gossip, which increases stress and causes unease in the workplace. As a result, the employee tries to avoid coming to the office, which impacts the performance.

Nepotism

In easy words, nepotism is ‘favoritism, ‘meaning helping or favoring your family, friends, or close ones. This practice lowers the potential of the hard worker. Nepotism is not entirely wrong when it is about acknowledging a hard worker or a capable one. However, when it comes to favoring people who are not qualified enough to perform the task or don’t have the ethics to work in an organization, this will decrease your employees’ morale, resulting in poor performance.

Bottom Line

The internal problems in an organization directly or indirectly affect its performance. If you are leading an organization, it would be best to investigate these issues and minimize their impact to boost productivity. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Do you want to have a career that doesn’t bind you for hours each day and pays peanuts when the month ends? The corporate model is just not working for many anymore. The post-Covid-19 world and life are different in many ways. Companies are now focusing on providing work-from-home for employees. Apart from committing to work for hours daily, working from home is another form of freelancing. However, freelancing is one of the most popular ways to make quick money these days.

Freelancers are not regular contracted employees, so they are not bound to work eight or nine hours daily. On the contrary, a freelancer can choose the hours and days he wants to work. This way, freelancers can manage a lot of time at hand. Here is how you can maintain an excellent work-life balance as a freelancer:

Choose Your Working Hours

One of the telltale benefits of freelancing is picking the hours and days you want to work. Corporate employees don’t have this luxury as they are bound to a nine-to-five routine for five or six days a week. Freelancers have more freedom to maintain a proper work-life balance as they have no such restrictions to consider.

You are Your Boss

Freelancers enjoy a few benefits compared to corporate employees. A freelancer can boast of being his boss, and rightly so. He dedicates a chunk of his time to work while spending the remaining time in any way he likes. It only makes sense to become a freelancer with so much freedom as you will experience the joys of life without working your heart out day and night in a corporate environment.

Likewise, you can control your workload by choosing the amount of work and committing to the number of days you want. Clients understand that you work freelance, and they are not bothered by your work schedule. Freelancers provide high-quality work and make recurring clients that offer employment in succession. Such clients don’t worry about time as they communicate with the freelancer about deadlines. They will deliver the work.

You Have Options

Freelancing is all about options; those who do this for a living know this. Freelancers have plenty of workloads when they have work in hand, but sometimes they’ll sit without work. Such is the nature of this profession; accept it and be forthcoming. Fresh freelancers often get frustrated knowing they have no position in hand. It is nothing to worry about as clients always come, and when they do, you will have plenty of work in hand. It is where retaining clients makes sense as they employ quantity regularly. You might need to improve your portfolio, skills, and rating to win such clients. Doing so will let clients show faith in your abilities as a freelancer.

Mention the Days and Hours You Work

To balance your life and work, mention the hours and days available for work. It might work like a two-edged sword for freshers, but experienced freelancers can play around with this. Clients will come to you for work if you are known for providing value-added work anyway. Let your clients know about the value you associate with your personal life, as they’ll understand. It will remove confusion, and they’ll appreciate it.

Avoid Overcommitting

Sometimes, clients who bring more work are willing to pay more for it. Freelancers often fall for this and end up compromising their lives for work. It is necessary not to fall for this as you will compromise the balance. To avoid this, do not overcommit yourself to the client. Be explicit about priorities and let the client know about your work patterns. You will make good money by working on the days and hours of your choice. Stay firm on your commitments and communicate those to the client before the contract begins.

Following these tips will maintain a proper work-life balance without compromising on either of your commitments. In the meantime, it is best to continue exploring work opportunities during working days to make enough money to live a comfortable, easy life.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a very adverse effect on economies in general. Small and medium-sized enterprises have taken quite a hit to their finances with reduced revenues, limited clientele, and near-to innovations. Even though industries have seen they are ever highest given the increased reliance on digital mediums during the pandemic, a more significant portion of SMEs has struggled with maintaining their liquidity position.

For any company to survive, liquid cash is quite important. You might have good credit lines and great vendor relationships, but if your money arrives later than your due payments, the interest rates will likely get higher, landing you in much more trouble than expected.

Liquid assets are primarily those that can instantly convert to cash. A company’s liquid assets evaluate its strength to overcome timely financial obligations and debts. Lack of liquid funds is one of the critical reasons SMEs fail to stay afloat for a long while in the market and file for bankruptcy. SMEs must crucially evaluate their current assets and liabilities to gauge their need for liquid assets. This data can easily be obtained and evaluated by looking at the bookkeeping records.

Here are a few things SME owners should bear in mind to ensure an ideal liquidity position for their business:

Keeping Track of Financial Resources

In times of financial crises, when a small enterprise has nothing left to fulfill its loss and run the business, the most crucial thing is the lack of financial and valuable resources, including funding, experienced labor, and lack of accounting records, and marketplace statistics.

To overcome this obstacle, ensure your accounts receivable department bills your clients timely and chase any unpaid invoices as soon as they become due. If need be, you might also want to reassess your payment terms and reduce the payment period with your clients. Cash confined in unpaid invoices can cause severe liquidity problems. Consider offering your clients a discount for settling the bills quickly. It is also essential to rush up to any pending payments or reevaluate your payment terms to increase your cash flow instantly. With your old clients, you could use your goodwill to get early payments.

Management of Cash Flow

While going through financial crises, the most aggravating factors include expenditures. Regardless of the economic situation, business owners must pay all expenses timely. However, they might not have enough cash to clear all the costs at a time. Keeping updated records is necessary to avoid a sudden burden. Optimizing costs is the most important thing to do when dealing with a liquidity crisis. It helps business owners keep enough liquidity to handle a financial situation.

Negotiation with Suppliers and Lenders

In addition to the flow of expenses, postponing liabilities and payments is a clever strategy for recovering from liquidity crises. Suppose you are generally in good relations with your vendors. In that case, it’s time to ask them for a favor and delay your liable payments for some periods without the addition of any interest.

Lack of Funding Options

In case of financial crises, there’s a possibility that no lender would like to lend you a reasonable sum of money to enhance your current situation. It is because the lenders or creditors find it hard to put their trust in your drowning company. However, now is the time to start looking for alternate funding options. You could investigate government-based programs that offer to fund private businesses. Moreover, if the fundamentals of your financial conditions are not sound, borrowing money will take you even in the worst direction down the road. If borrowing isn’t the right option, you might consider raising funds by selling your equity to investors who are interested in your business.

Given the uncertain economic conditions worldwide due to the pandemic, it is wise for business owners to make learned business decisions and maintain enough liquidity to survive a sudden brunt.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

The business world is changing, and so is the role of human resources, especially on a global level. HRM was previously a support function in an organization, but today, it is becoming a strategic partner helping brands achieve their goals at all levels. Regarding the strategic role of human resources, its responsibilities go beyond administrative tasks. For instance, instead of processing payrolls monthly, HR managers need to take a deep dive into how their employees contribute to their success.

Strategic human resource management requires all executives and managers to be involved in decision-making, giving the company a competitive edge. In his book “Strategic Human Resources Management: Where Do We Go from Here?” he says that organizations that value their employees generate more profit than those that don’t. A recent study in 2019 also showed that successful organizations ensure their employees feel engaged, acknowledged, and well-trained. Organizations must introduce information sharing and self-managing into their organizational culture in today’s competitive business world.

Today’s HR department plays a strategic role in the business world. It can create high-performing work systems and introduce practices that create an environment of accountability and greater involvement.

The Critical Role of the Strategic Human Resource Department

Studies show that creating an international workforce is more challenging than securing capital or buying new technology. How your company manages its HR can be the deciding factor for your organization’s success or failure. All in all, effective management of HR can help you outperform your competitors and identify new and better opportunities. It can also help your organization adapt to global fluctuations in the market, effectively coordinate with subsidiaries (if any), share information throughout the firm, and successfully make cross-border acquisitions.

Many organizations and multinational corporations face the most significant challenges in coordinating with different teams worldwide and keeping control of overall operations. Research shows that when handling multiple entities in other parts of the world, a balance must be between organizational culture and individual values. Achieving a balance of such a magnitude becomes more difficult as the workforce becomes more diverse.

Imagine a scenario where the parent culture differs dramatically from the culture of its subsidiary in a different part of the world. In such a situation, it may be more challenging for the parent company to exchange information, share technology, and bring innovation between foreign outposts and home offices. Another significant challenge here is the difficulty in promoting the required organizational changes and managing any conflicts between the workforce in different parts of the world.

How can IHRM Help Streamline Organizational Processes?

Fortunately, the IHRM strategies can help overcome the problems multinational corporations face today. For example, IHRM professionals can ensure that their top executives are familiar with cultural norms within the workforce and worldwide.

An HR manager can advise managers and executives on functioning across boundaries and develop cross-cultural interactions with employees for effective communication. It can teach these skills through various seminars, webinars, and training programs that involve overseas exposure.

These are just general suggestions, of course, and it can use many other HR practices to streamline organizational operations and bring coherence to the workforce. Organizations nowadays need to develop an international HR policy that clearly defines the HR values and broadly outlines its roles all over the company. After considering several internal and external factors, the HR manager and the department must select practices best suited for achieving organizational goals.

For MNCs, it is challenging to develop a compensation system that is sensitive enough to address cultural differences in the team and yet treats all employees everywhere. Studies have shown that the organizational culture significantly impacts local HRM practices – from how employees are brought on and fired to how they get promotions to the next level.

Conclusion

All in all, selecting the proper IHRM practice for your organization can pay off incredibly. As more MNCs opt for mergers and acquisitions, acknowledging different cultures and their norms is crucial to the job.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Do you want to invest money for the first time? Don’t know what to avoid and what to do? Investing your money anywhere you have not tried before can be scary and unclear initially. Investing money requires careful thought of vital economic aspects, enough information, and the sense to avoid making wrong investment moves. Instead, it would help if you described your investment aims clearly.

It would help to define specific investing goals before investing your money. For example, to purchase an automobile or asset, finance your children’s education, or want to invest for retirement? Having clear investment objectives will keep you determined and focused on accomplishing them.

Investing Do’s

• Long term investment

Most effective investors are those who invest money in long-term investment plans. These investment types have many advantages as they are stress-free and permit your investment to provide another effect. Additionally, long-term investment removes the need for you to pay various charges to the investment broker for starting different trades. Moreover, you can make more money by opting for a long-term investment plan because of compounding interest.

• Research before investing

It would be best to research that business or company you need to invest your money in before actually investing in. Initiate the company’s management, financial statement, and core values. Similarly, try to discover valuable details that offer a vision of the business investment potential. Most significantly, you must have an investment advisor to help you recognize possible investment chances to invest your money with minimal risk. Moreover, you must take some online courses to do research related to investment.

• Broaden your investment portfolio

Another way to boost the possibilities of developing success in your investment journey is to have different investments. A proper investment portfolio means having various investments and several sorts of investments. Expanding your investment portfolio helps cover bad-performance investments. If one or more investments start to incline, they may not significantly affect your overall investment portfolio. Finally, enhancing your investment portfolio is an outstanding option anytime you need to invest your money to reduce risks.

 Investing Don’ts

• Avoid taking needless risk

When you have decided to invest money, you should not take needless risks, for example. You must avoid taking a move to invest all your money in a hot investment chance and have hope to make high returns. Try to protect your cash by making reasonable returns. Making huge risks means you might have a chance of losing all your investments because of one wrong investment decision.

• Don’t let emotions guide your investment decisions

Since you can succeed in saving your money, your investment choices can significantly affect your feelings. As such, try not to bring your emotions into your investment choices, which can affect your judgment. It would be best if you settled on your investment choices when you’re quiet, confident, and have built up an existing methodology

• Avoid investing mindlessly

The second you venture into the investment procedures, chances are you’ll get unrequested guidance from investment organizations, agents, or experts. However, guarantee you try not to invest mindlessly, depending on your proposals or suggestions, regardless of whether they look engaging. Instead, pick a certified and experienced individual financial advisor to control your investment choices.

• Avoid checking your investment regularly

Anything related to your cash can be very passionate, and if you’re checking how your investment is getting along every day, it can arouse your feelings. This might lead to an unrehearsed choice to sell all your investment stocks, which may be expensive over the long haul. You should go for long-haul investment plans and try not to check their progress every day.

Bottom Line

Suppose you are a beginner and know where to invest your money and what you should avoid while investing it. Many people won’t invest for an extended period, and some invest in taking profit on a timely, regular basis or after a few days. Remember where you invest your money, don’t panic about having good outcomes.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Starting and managing a business can be challenging if you don’t have the right expertise. Thankfully, there are several tips you can follow to ease this process. If you want to grow your business and boost your clientele, developing an effective strategy is best. This piece looks at a few essential tips to help you create a winning growth strategy for your business.

Generate a Sales Funnel

To begin with, you need to curate a revenue model for your business. A sales funnel describes the series of steps that someone will take to become your customer. Your sales funnel is a crucial component of a successful business expansion. It’ll help you automate your revenue stream.

Research the Market

After establishing a revenue model for your business, it’s time for you to penetrate your market. Getting new customers could be a daunting task at first. However, careful market research can help you find clients and retain them. More importantly, keeping your existing customers loyal to the business is best. That’ll be relatively cost-effective and help you preserve valuable resources.

Get Client Referrals

An excellent way to get new clients is to ask the existing ones for referrals. It’s also important to note that merely having high-quality products and services will not guarantee more referrals for your business. You’ll need to search for referrals actively. An effective way to get started is to offer incentives to your clients. For example, you can offer special discounts or cash on new referrals. Through these methods, you can expand your clientele.

Curate a Customer Loyalty Program

Another excellent method to enhance your customer base is to begin a customer loyalty program. The program can boost sales even with a small investment. It retains your old clients and attracts new ones. If you offer a clear incentive to your customers to purchase your products or services, you’ll likely get new clients.

Develop a Digital Marketing Strategy

In today’s Internet-dominated world, digital marketing drives more buyers to your business and converts them into loyal clients. Without a digital marketing strategy, you won’t know who your online targeted audience is. Use all online platforms to your advantage to enhance your brand recognition and gain new customers.

Generate an Email List

Email is an excellent way to connect with potential customers. Creating an effective email marketing strategy can help you reach your targeted audience in a personalized manner. Start by building an email list and increasing your reach. These days, people check their emails frequently, and it’d be great for them to see your business is thinking of them.

Research Your Competitors

Your business can’t succeed in the industry unless you know what your competition is doing. If you can understand your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses, you can improvise and get ahead of them. Always test the waters before entering the market. Otherwise, it can be detrimental to your business’s growth.

Attend Trade Shows

Participating in trade shows can also contribute to your business’s success. Such events usually gather people who are interested in your type of products or services. Moreover, this will also give you access to your ideal audience, who will more likely convert into loyal customers.

Utilize User-Generated Content

User-generated content is crucial to gain the attention of prospective clients. People are more likely to trust online reviews and recommendations from friends and family members. Encourage your customers to submit reviews of your products and services and see your clientele grow.

Seek Influencers’ Services

Influencer marketing is an excellent method for achieving business growth. Start by finding influencers in your niche and connecting with them. Offer them lucrative packages to promote your products or services on their respective pages. This marketing will especially appeal to your younger clientele, who follow such individuals on their social media accounts.

Use Software for Project Management

If you aim to manage your projects manually, it can be time-consuming. To prevent this, use project management applications. The saved resources can be reinvested in your business and help you achieve business growth.

The Bottom Line

If you want your business to expand, tap into new markets, and increase sales, it’s best to follow the tips mentioned above. Create a sales funnel and research your market to mark your targeted audience. Also, develop an effective digital marketing plan to reach and retain your online audience through customer loyalty programs and user-generated content.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

By: Jennifer Brazer

Jennifer is the author of From Cubicle to Cloud and Founder/CEO of Complete Controller, a pioneering financial services firm that helps entrepreneurs break free of traditional constraints and scale their businesses to new heights.

Fact Checked By: Brittany McMillen

Break These Business Funding Rules for Financial Success

Breaking business funding rules can lead to more flexible financing options and better cash flow for your company. Traditional funding approaches often constrain entrepreneurs with outdated requirements that no longer reflect today’s business landscape.

I’ve spent over 20 years guiding businesses through financial challenges at Complete Controller, and I’ve witnessed countless entrepreneurs transform their funding approach by ignoring conventional wisdom. Did you know that 73% of small businesses securing lines of credit in Q1 2025 had monthly revenues under $15,000? This represents a dramatic shift from just three years ago when such businesses were routinely denied. In this article, I’ll share the specific funding rules worth breaking, how to leverage alternative financing sources, and practical strategies that have helped my clients secure the capital they needed when traditional paths failed them.

What business funding rules should you break for financial success?

• Break rules about perfect credit, comprehensive business plans, loan amounts, and traditional funding sources
• Modern lenders now prioritize business performance and cash flow over personal credit history
• Alternative funding options offer more flexibility and faster approvals than conventional bank loans
• Strategic financing should align with your specific business stage and growth objectives
• Breaking outdated rules opens access to previously unavailable capital sources

Why “Perfect Credit” is No Longer a Non-Negotiable

The outdated notion that perfect credit scores determine funding eligibility has fallen by the wayside. Modern alternative lenders focus primarily on your business performance and revenue consistency rather than personal credit history. This shift democratizes access to capital for entrepreneurs with complicated financial pasts.

The credit landscape has evolved dramatically, with fintech companies leading the charge in developing new underwriting models. These models analyze business health markers like customer retention rates, digital footprint quality, and consistent cash flow patterns that traditional banks often overlook.

Breaking the myth

Creditworthiness isn’t the ultimate gatekeeper it once was. Modern alternative lenders prioritize recent business performance and cash flow over personal credit history.

Strategic Approaches:

• Revenue-based financing: Secure loans tied to future earnings rather than credit scores
• Co-signer options: Bring a partner with stronger credit into funding agreements
• Profit reinvestment: Show lenders your business can consistently generate cash

Case study: Spotless credit isn’t everything

A service-based startup with a 620 owner credit score secured $75k in funding by demonstrating 18 months of consistent profit margins and signed client contracts.

“We used our existing customer relationships as collateral for a boutique lender. Our poor personal credit barely came up in negotiations.”

This shift represents a fundamental break from traditional funding requirements. Businesses can now access alternative funding sources for entrepreneurs by demonstrating business stability through operational metrics rather than personal creditworthiness.

The Outdated Demand for Comprehensive Business Plans

The days of 30-page business plans filled with hypothetical projections are fading fast. Modern investors and lenders have shifted their focus to proven results and market validation rather than elaborate documentation of untested ideas.

This evolution makes perfect sense—why would lenders prioritize speculative forecasts over actual performance data? The shift benefits entrepreneurs by allowing them to secure funding based on what they’ve accomplished rather than what they promise to accomplish.

Myth-busting

Detailed 30-page plans are not essential for all funding. Investors now prioritize proof of concept and market validation over hypothetical projections.

Actionable Steps:

1. Minimum viable plan: Focus on 3 key areas: target market, revenue streams, and cost structure
2. Validated assumptions: Use pre-revenue customer interviews to build credibility
3. Milestone-based funding: Secure tranches of capital tied to specific achievements

Tools to Implement:

• Lean Startup methodology for agile planning
• Financial scenario modeling software (e.g., QuickBooks forecasts)

Instead of spending weeks perfecting a comprehensive business plan that will likely change after market feedback, focus on developing a lean document that highlights your business model’s core strengths and evidence of market fit. This approach aligns with modern startup funding strategies that emphasize flexibility and rapid iteration.

Historical data supports this shift—SBA 7(a) loan averages dropped from $538,903 in 2022 to $443,097 in 2024, while approval numbers increased 47%. This shows that lenders are increasingly comfortable with smaller, targeted loans based on validated business concepts rather than comprehensive planning documents.

Why You Should Ask for More Than “Enough”

Conventional wisdom often encourages entrepreneurs to request only the minimum funding needed to avoid excessive debt. This approach, while seemingly conservative, frequently leads to undercapitalization and cash flow problems that can cripple otherwise viable businesses.

Smart entrepreneurs break this rule by developing funding strategies that account for growth opportunities, unexpected challenges, and the true cost of scaling operations.

Breaking conventional wisdom

Underestimating funding needs creates cash flow crises. Modern lenders reward bold strategic financing when paired with clear repayment strategies.

Revenue-driven approaches

• Growth funding: Secure capital for marketing/sales initiatives that drive future revenue
• Asset-backed loans: Use existing equipment/inventory as collateral for larger sums
• Staggered repayment: Negotiate flexible terms that match seasonal cash flows

Opportunities in 2025

SBA’s removal of $5M per borrower caps enables larger loan approvals for established businesses.

The data clearly supports a more strategic approach to funding amounts. Alternative lending applications now equal large bank applications (49% vs 49%) according to 2024 Federal Reserve data, showing that entrepreneurs have embraced non-traditional funding sources that often provide more flexible capital structures.

Understanding the full capital requirements of your business growth plan—including marketing costs, inventory expansion, hiring expenses, and cushion for unexpected setbacks—positions you for sustainable growth rather than constant fundraising cycles. This approach to navigating business funding regulations creates stability and focus.

Navigating the Hidden Rules of Start-Up Funding

Startup funding comes with its own set of unwritten rules that can unnecessarily limit your options. Breaking free from these constraints opens up creative financing strategies that align better with early-stage business realities.

The conventional startup funding path—friends and family round, seed funding, Series A, etc.—works for some business models but proves completely inappropriate for others. Understanding which rules to break based on your specific business model is crucial.

Common missteps

Rule	Why It Fails	Better Approach
“Startups can’t get loans”	New businesses lack collateral	Revenue-based lines of credit
“Equity is only for VCs”	Dilutes ownership unnecessarily	Revenue sharing agreements
“Funding must come first”	Creates debt before validation	Customer-funded growth

Alternative Strategies:

• Pre-sales financing: Secure orders before production
• Strategic partnerships: Trade equity for operational support
• Crowdfunding campaigns: Build community while raising capital

Online lender usage grew from 20% of small businesses in 2019 to 23% in 2023 per Federal Reserve surveys, demonstrating increasing comfort with alternative funding sources. This trend has expanded the options available to startups previously locked out of traditional funding channels.

By breaking conventional startup funding rules, you can maintain greater control over your business while accessing the capital needed for growth. This approach creates strategic flexibility that traditional funding paths often restrict through rigid requirements.

Real-World Application: When to Break vs. Follow Rules

Not all funding rules should be broken in every situation. The key is understanding which conventional wisdom applies to your specific business circumstance and which deserves to be challenged.

This strategic approach to rule-breaking requires honest assessment of your business stage, industry norms, and growth objectives. Some rules exist for good reasons, while others persist purely through tradition rather than practical value.

Scenario-based guidance

• Early-stage startups: Ignore detailed business plans; focus on MVP development
• Growth-stage companies: Use traditional loans with aggressive repayment terms
• High-risk industries: Seek niche alternative lenders specializing in your sector

Founder Insights:

“We broke the ‘perfect plan’ rule to pivot quickly. Lenders cared more about our pivot’s market traction than our original business model.”

OnShore Technology Services provides a compelling case study in strategic rule-breaking. They secured $500K through revenue-based financing to build proprietary software after being denied traditional loans. This decision increased their annual revenue by 53% to $3.8M while maintaining full ownership—an outcome that would have been impossible following conventional funding wisdom.

Understanding which business financing options align with your specific business situation allows you to make informed decisions about which rules to follow and which to strategically break.

Future-Proofing Your Funding Strategy

The business funding landscape continues to evolve rapidly, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs willing to abandon outdated assumptions. Staying ahead of these changes allows you to access emerging funding sources before they become mainstream.

This forward-looking approach positions your business to capitalize on innovative financing options that may offer better terms, greater flexibility, or strategic advantages beyond simple capital access.

Emerging opportunities

1. AI-driven underwriting: Platforms analyzing alternative data points (social media engagement, supply chain contracts)
2. ESG-focused loans: Green initiatives attracting lower-interest capital
3. Silent partner models: Structured debt agreements without equity dilution

Action Plan:

• Quarterly funding audits: Reassess needs as business evolves
• Diversified debt stack: Combine multiple financing types for flexibility
• Regulatory awareness: Monitor SBA rule changes for new options

The rise of tips for obtaining business financing through AI-powered platforms represents just one example of how traditional funding rules continue to evolve. These platforms can analyze thousands of non-traditional data points to evaluate business health, creating opportunities for companies that might not qualify under conventional metrics.

By staying informed about emerging funding trends and being willing to experiment with new financial models, you position your business to capitalize on opportunities that competitors miss due to adherence to outdated funding rules.

Conclusion

Breaking outdated funding rules requires strategic risk-taking and modern lender awareness. By aligning financing with your business’s unique stage and needs, you can unlock smarter capital sources that traditional approaches might miss.

I’ve seen countless businesses transform their growth trajectory by challenging conventional funding wisdom—whether by securing capital despite imperfect credit, streamlining their business plans, or boldly requesting the full amount needed for sustainable growth. These entrepreneurs didn’t blindly break rules; they strategically identified which constraints no longer served their business objectives.

Ready to transform your funding approach? Our team at Complete Controller helps businesses optimize financial strategies for modern funding landscapes. Visit Complete Controller to learn how we can help you break free from outdated funding constraints.

FAQ

What are the minimum requirements for a business loan?

Lenders increasingly prioritize recent revenue performance over credit scores. Some alternative options require as little as 3 months of consistent profitability. Requirements vary widely among lenders, with traditional banks demanding 2+ years in business while alternative lenders may approve businesses with just 6 months of operation and steady revenue.

How can I get funding without a formal business plan?

Focus on demonstrating market validation through customer contracts, pre-orders, or social proof. Lean financial projections can substitute for full business plans. Investors increasingly value proof of concept and actual customer traction over hypothetical forecasts. Prepare a concise 5-10 page document highlighting your business model, market opportunity, and key financial metrics.

What are the risks of breaking traditional funding rules?

Higher debt loads may increase repayment pressure. Mitigate this by securing flexible terms and building cash reserves matching your risk tolerance. Non-traditional funding sources often charge higher interest rates or require faster repayment schedules. Balance the benefits of quick capital access against potentially more demanding terms.

Are SBA loans still capped at $5 million?

No – recent rule changes allow borrowing beyond previous limits, though approval requires strong financials. The SBA has created more flexibility for established businesses to access larger loan amounts when they can demonstrate clear ability to service the debt and show compelling growth opportunities that justify the increased capital.

How does alternative financing differ from traditional loans?

Alternative lenders prioritize recent business performance and offer faster approvals, often accepting imperfect credit histories for higher-cost structures. They typically provide funds in days rather than weeks or months, use technology-driven underwriting processes, and structure repayments based on revenue fluctuations rather than fixed monthly payments.

Sources

• Entrepreneur. 5 Business-Funding ‘Rules’ to Break. March 22, 2017. https://www.entrepreneur.com/
• Halo Capital Group. 5 Business-Funding ‘Rules’ to Break. https://halocapitalgroup.com/
• Guidant Financial. 7 Common Funding Small Business Mistakes. October 25, 2024. https://www.guidantfinancial.com/
• PNC. 4 Mistakes That Can Destroy Your Small Business. April 22, 2025. https://www.pnc.com/
• Guidant Financial. The Complete Guide to Your Small Business Funding Options. https://www.guidantfinancial.com/
• The Funding Family. 8 Steps to Securing Funding for Your New Business. July 1, 2024. https://www.thefundingfamily.com/
• Business.com. How to Write a Business Growth Plan. December 16, 2024. https://www.business.com/
• Bipartisan Policy Center. “Increasing Small Business Access to Capital in the Digital Age.” April 29, 2024. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/small-businesses-matter-capital-access/
• LendingTree. “The SBA Provides Billions Each Fiscal Year.” January 13, 2025. https://www.lendingtree.com/business/sba-loans-study/
• Innovative Finance Playbook. “Onshore Technology Case Study.” https://playbook.innovative.finance/case-studies/onshore-technology-case-study/
• Metrobi. “Business Line of Credit Requirements: How to Qualify in 2025.” April 7, 2025. https://metrobi.com/blog/business-line-of-credit-requirements/
• NerdWallet. “Alternative Lending: What It Is, Best Companies.” November 6, 2024. https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/small-business-loans-alternative-lending

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

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About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.