Career Choice: Employee or Boss

Posted on April 8, 2024August 16, 2025 by Jennifer Brazer

One of the most critical questions one faces while thinking about one’s career is finding a job in a company or becoming an entrepreneur with one’s own business. Both choices have benefits and drawbacks; one must consider the tradeoff before deciding.

Weighing the Pros and Cons

In decision-making, one must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of working in an organization and running a business. Working as an employee in someone’s company means the liability on one’s shoulders is limited. Although they will lose their job if the performance is continuously declining, they do not have to suffer financial burdens with the decreasing profitability of the company.

Employee vs. Entrepreneur: A Matter of Liability

Let’s assume the company is struggling with a supplier and cannot profit; the employees’ monthly wages are unaffected. All one has to worry about is working hard and giving the best of one’s efforts. However, an entrepreneur’s liability is unlimited. As the owner, any issues will fall on their shoulders.

Profitability and Motivation

Every loss and expense incurred directly impacts the entrepreneur; therefore, there is constant pressure to generate profits and ensure the venture’s sustainability. Similarly, an increase in profitability is hardly enjoyed by an employee as the salary remains the same with specific bonuses; hence, the motivation to travel the extra mile is often missing.

The Role of an Employee vs. an Entrepreneur

However, entrepreneurs enjoy all the profits that motivate them to work tirelessly daily. Employees work to help the company enhance its profitability, foster customer loyalty, and take the organization to new horizons of success.

An employee focuses on helping the company prosper, while an entrepreneur does the same for themselves and their company. An entrepreneur can stand out in the crowd with their work and identity, but an employee cannot claim the company’s success, as it is credited to the company, not to a team or an individual.

Work Stress and Job Satisfaction

People often suffer from stress because they spend their entire day at work trying to give their best performance and make ends meet. Typically, individuals find themselves working in organizations with which they have little personal connection or interest. For example, think of a creative marketer who is made to make sales of a product that they do not find interesting. Their skills, abilities, and creativity are wasted as they work with products they do not like. Therefore, their frustration and stress must not come as a surprise.

Entrepreneurship: Pursuing Your Interests

On the contrary, you can start a business that you like. For example, starting a small café or a restaurant would be an excellent choice if you love food. If you are a painter or are interested in art, having an art gallery would be a great choice. Entrepreneurship allows you to practice your interests and enjoy the work.

Freedom and Authority in Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs are bosses and do not have to report to a superior authority. Hence, entrepreneurship gives one the liberty to work with freedom and authority. If you cannot wake up early and struggle to follow the rules, you will likely have a tough time on the job. But if you are an entrepreneur, you enjoy the freedom of working whenever and however you like.

Values, Policies, and Traditions: Employee vs. Entrepreneur

Also, employees must abide by the values, policies, traditions, and rules of the company they work for, which may contradict their personal beliefs and values. This contradiction leads to conflicts and demotivates the employee. However, entrepreneurship lets one choose the vision, values, and policies they want to live by.

Finances and Risk-Taking

Employees do not have to worry about the finances required to fund a project. The company provides all the resources needed to implement an idea efficiently. However, entrepreneurs must look after all the aspects, which is stressful and demands tireless efforts. Also, some entrepreneurship is about risk-taking, while employment is about security and safety. One must look at both options and choose the one that complements them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, deciding between working for a company as an employee or venturing into entrepreneurship involves carefully considering the pros and cons. As an employee, one benefits from limited liability and a steady income but may lack motivation due to detached profitability. Conversely, entrepreneurs face unlimited liability but enjoy the potential for greater profits and the freedom to pursue their passions.

The tradeoff extends to job satisfaction, work stress, freedom, values alignment, and financial risk. Ultimately, individuals must weigh these factors against their goals, interests, and risk tolerance to determine the best path. Whether choosing the security of employment or the autonomy of entrepreneurship, embracing one’s strengths and aspirations is vital to finding fulfillment in one’s career journey.

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.

Jennifer Brazer Founder/CEO

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.

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Analytics for Business Growth

Posted on April 8, 2024March 18, 2024 by Stephen Huck

As modern businesses become more customer-centric, marketing analytics becomes an essential aspect of their significant growth. The remarkable benefits of marketing analytics procedures saw them register a CAGR of 14% during the forecasting period of 2019 – 2024.

Moreover, with the retention of consumers in the minds of these business owners, they continue to try various methods to achieve business supremacy. Let’s unfold how the concept of marketing analytics impacts the growth of a variety of industries.

Complete Controller. America’s Bookkeeping Experts

An organization’s more extensive processes should guide its decision-making regarding expository choices. Organizations frequently distribute showcasing dollars without a procedure depending on the previous year’s spending plan or what business line or item fared well in late quarters. Those methodologies can regress into “magnificence challenges” that reward the most extraordinary proposition or the division that yells the most intense instead of the zone that most needs to develop or protect its present position.

An increasingly helpful methodology estimates propositions dependent on their crucial return, financial worth, and compensation window. Assessing choices utilizing such scores gives a steady focal point to correlation, and these estimations can be joined with preconditions, for example, standard spending, limits for specific media, and earlier responsibilities.

While new wellsprings of information have improved the study of showcasing examination, “workmanship” holds a significant job; business judgment expects to challenge or approve approaches. However, imagination is essential to improving methods for utilizing information or recognizing new open doors for opening information. These “delicate” abilities are beneficial because information accessibility and quality can run the array. For instance, while online data empowers the crowd to estimate in extraordinary detail, obtaining information about another shopper is often deeply guarded and challenging to uncover. Such difficulties shouldn’t block data utilization for better dynamics if groups follow three straightforward advances.

Better Decision-Making

Relentless marketing analytics leads to effective decision-making necessary for effective business operations. By validating approaches and developing new ways of using data, marketers can unlock different means to improve their business transactions.

The Advent of Social Media

For the past few years, everything has gone social, and so has the valuable data needed to unearth the next level of marketing analytics. In other words, social media is an area where marketers can acquire information to ensure they follow customer-centric trends. The rapid updates on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Snapchat, offer an excellent medium for advertisement.

Generating Valuable Insights

The concept of data and marketing analytics is at the peak of its game because of its forecasting models. As a business owner, you need to generate valuable insights and predictions that can efficiently assist you in strategizing for future operations. Procedures like integrated approaches pull direct responses from data and insights, providing flexibility to shift budgets if necessary.

Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape of marketing analytics has paved the way for different players to contribute to the success of any business. From buying market shares to becoming partners, companies have now found ways to expand their horizons extensively.

The Increased Usage of AI

Artificial Intelligence is the future of a business’s technological infrastructure, where automation is the fruit that business owners cannot help but taste. With the leniency of chatbots to automated statistics models, marketing analytics has never been so innovative. Moreover, the advent of AI has also benefitted organizations by allowing them to perform in-depth analyses of the data acquired from social media.

Conclusion

In conclusion, marketing analytics is indispensable for modern businesses focused on customer-centric growth. Its transformative influence, from improving decision-making to harnessing social media insights and AI, is undeniable. Analytics is crucial for unlocking opportunities and ensuring sustainable success in today’s competitive digital landscape. While marketing analytics is a critical catalyst for industrial growth, maximizing its benefits requires careful consideration and practical implementation strategies.

5 Growth Tactics for Success

Posted on April 8, 2024March 18, 2024 by Stephen Huck

Growing a business has always been challenging. No matter how great or out-of-the-box your idea, it would be best if you always had the most suitable way to get it across to the masses. However, to achieve that properly, you need to define your target market and, of course, have something of value to sell your customers.

Once these basics are taken care of, you must address marketing, one of the most disturbing aspects of business growth. Without the right marketing tactics, your business will be on the verge of survival and will not be able to maintain its market position. Furthermore, let’s look at some business tactics you can use to take your business to a new level.

Social Media

There is no question that social media is one of the most effective marketing platforms of the 21st century. It’s where all the magic happens – for free. Social media is all about stable connectivity and communication in real time. Additionally, all products and services serve a purpose; these are solutions to a group’s problems, and the bigger the problem they address, the higher the perceived value. But how are these problems identified?

Organizations use social media to understand their customers’ needs and create viable, tangible solutions based on that data. Moreover, the platform is cost-effective and responds significantly promptly. Some of the most used social media platforms include Facebook, X, TikTok, and Instagram.

Video Tutorials

You must have heard the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, a video works a lot better. Visual aids have always been a more effective way to communicate a message. Furthermore, a short and simple video tutorial helps the target customer understand the product or service much better within a few minutes. Not only does it help develop a sharp brand image, but it also boosts product sales and visibility.

SEO

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization.” For many marketers, SEO is frightening and challenging to understand. To simplify, SEO is about understanding consumers’ mentality and behavior while using search engines. Moreover, every service or product is searched on the Internet using a set of keywords that connect the relevant products and are presented in search engine results.

Using SEO’s power, organizations can quickly get their products and services to consumers. However, Google’s new SEO policy strictly prohibits keyword spamming. Therefore, only products with relevant and valuable content have a higher position on the search query.

Affiliate Marketing

Most people underestimate the power of affiliate marketing. Affiliations can provide significant growth to your business as it works as a catalyst. However, the only tricky thing is to look for the right partners.

Affiliate marketing is one of the few marketing strategies that outsource work to experts. These marketing specialists do the heavy lifting for you, guaranteeing the expected results. Furthermore, it would be best to consider investing more where the returns are guaranteed rather than spending less on something with low or insignificant results.

Email Marketing

The best way to reach your targeted audience and strengthen your business foundation is email marketing. Additionally, if you drive this process correctly, it will take less effort and minimum cost to convey a message directly to the targeted audience.

Customized email marketing always has an influential impact as the client will spend minimal effort. Businesses check their emails at least three times a day. However, you can reach your targeted audience through a marketing channel they already use.

Your clients will not impede the time of emails as there is a guarantee that the emails from their favorite brand will always carry something valuable. Additionally, some emails offer to customize the value, while others interfere with their social media experience. Possibly, they will not have anything that interrupts their eyes. Email marketing generates an average ROI of $38 for each dollar invested. However, it is one of the significant reasons for email marketing’s popularity as one of the most profitable digital marketing strategies.

Conclusion

Navigating growth in the ever-evolving business landscape requires a strategic blend of innovation and connectivity. From defining your target market to implementing robust marketing tactics, the journey toward success demands adaptability and foresight. Additionally, businesses can transcend limitations and reach new heights by leveraging social media, video tutorials, SEO, affiliate marketing, and email campaigns.

Each tactic serves as a vital conduit for engagement, amplifying brand visibility and fostering lasting connections with customers. As you embark on this growth journey, remember that the most effective strategies resonate with your audience and propel your business forward. Embrace innovation, stay agile, and chart a course toward unparalleled success in the dynamic realm of entrepreneurship.

Business Hurdles: Communication’s Role

Posted on April 7, 2024March 18, 2024 by Stephen Huck

Effective communication is essential in any business, even more so in today’s competitive business environment. Your company might be facing dire consequences because of poor communication. In some industries, poor communication leads to conflicts. Still, failure in communication can also lead to health hazards and negatively affect the employees and the company.

Here are a few issues your organization might be facing due to poor communication:

Stress in the Workplace

High workplace stress levels can be the first sign that your organization has a communication problem. Poor communication can leave your employees feeling unacknowledged. Effective communication allows a sense of predictability and stability, but a lack of communication introduces fear and tension, which is severely counterproductive.

When employees are stressed, they go home all worn out, which affects their personal lives. In a professional crisis or stressful situation, the words of a caring boss or manager can make a significant and positive difference. It would help if you communicated to your employees that they can share their concerns with you without any reservations.

Unmet Needs and Expectations

Being able to communicate in a professional environment is a basic need for many employees in the workplace. How can your employees feel safe in a professional setting when they are uncomfortable asking questions and raising concerns? Missed deadlines, clients missing opportunities, and people on your team not aware of their roles—this is what miscommunication or no communication can do to your business.

Financial Errors

Poor communication between managers and team members can result in misunderstandings about business objectives, which leads to poor outcomes and loss of sales, eventually resulting in the customer’s disappointment. Poor communication also results in your customer being inadequately informed, which may lead to severe financial losses and psychological stress among employees.

Email Overload

Email overload across various industries has become a significant issue for communicators. Employees are constantly bombarded with emails hitting their inboxes every day. Given the nature of the sector, employees don’t have time to open all of them, resulting in missing important information.

The healthcare sector’s email open rate is just 39%, with less than a 6% click-through rate. This means that when you send vital information such as procedure or policy changes, most of your workforce misses it.

Relationship Breakdown

What is a team? A group of people comes together to face common problems and challenges. What if these people don’t communicate and are only concerned with individual performances? However, this will raise conflicts, and the team will be divided before the project is executed.

A team happens with mutual respect and appreciation for each other’s work. Without communicating and breaking the ice between members, there can never be a synergy for successful project completion.

Outdated Communication Technology

Traditional communication means such as telephones, pagers, and faxes are becoming obsolete but are still being used in healthcare organizations and other businesses worldwide.

These are inefficient communication methods that can’t reach large groups of people simultaneously. Disseminating information using outdated equipment is time-consuming, time that you can use better to respond to customer queries and solve other operational problems.

Wrong, Expensive, or Delayed Service

It’s common for your customers to feel frustrated because of the long wait times—in some cases, they might even leave the website without talking to the customer representative. Studies show that customers’ perceptions of quality service in the business sector depend on their interaction with the sales representative.

One of your topmost priorities as a business executive is eliminating redundancies. When your customers face procedural delays, undergo improper treatment, or receive incorrect information, you will be held responsible for these setbacks as the organization’s decision-maker. Your business might face severe reputational and financial consequences in the worst-case scenario.

Bottom Line

Overall, we understand your struggles in managing a business. If you are willing to implement strategies, we recommend providing ongoing support to your team and customers, thus developing a safety culture and a robust error reporting system in the workplace. Remember, you can continually improve as a leader within your organization regardless of your experience and skill set.

Entrepreneurial Finance Tips

Posted on April 7, 2024December 3, 2025 by Jennifer Brazer

Essential Entrepreneurial Finance Tips for Business Success

Entrepreneurial finance tips provide business owners with practical strategies to manage cash flow, secure funding, create sustainable budgets, and make strategic financial decisions that drive long-term growth and stability. These fundamental practices separate thriving businesses from the 82% that fail due to poor financial management, giving entrepreneurs the tools they need to navigate economic challenges and capitalize on opportunities.

When I launched Complete Controller over two decades ago, I discovered that financial discipline—not just passion or innovation—determines which businesses survive and which become statistics. Working alongside thousands of entrepreneurs across every industry has shown me exactly which financial habits create lasting success. The business landscape has become increasingly unforgiving: companies that lasted 33 years in the 1990s now survive just 21 years on average, with first-year failure rates jumping from 20% to 30%. This guide shares battle-tested strategies and real stories from the trenches, so you can build a bulletproof financial foundation that withstands market volatility and positions your business for sustainable growth.

What are essential entrepreneurial finance tips for business success?

Essential entrepreneurial finance tips include mastering cash flow management, separating business and personal finances, creating realistic budgets, securing appropriate funding, planning for taxes, and building emergency reserves.
Cash flow management prevents the fate of 82% of failed businesses—monitor incoming and outgoing funds daily, use forecasting tools, and maintain at least three months of operating expenses in reserve.
Separation of personal and business finances creates clean records for taxes, protects personal assets from business liabilities, and provides accurate data for strategic decisions.
Strategic budgeting transforms financial chaos into clarity by tracking every dollar, identifying cost-cutting opportunities, and allocating resources toward growth initiatives.
Smart funding choices balance control with capital needs—understand the true cost of loans versus equity, prepare thorough documentation, and choose partners who add value beyond money.

Building a Solid Financial Foundation

A rock-solid financial foundation starts with structured systems and disciplined habits that support every business decision you make. The most successful entrepreneurs I’ve worked with treat their financial infrastructure like the backbone of their operation—because it is.

Your business plan acts as your financial roadmap, incorporating entrepreneurial finance strategies through SMART goals, detailed revenue projections, and a personal survival budget that covers your living expenses during the startup phase. Set concrete benchmarks for revenue milestones, customer acquisition costs, and profit margins that guide daily decisions and long-term growth. Smart founders also build contingency plans, knowing that 42% of startups fail from misreading market needs while 29% simply run out of money.

Separating personal and business finances

The cardinal rule of startup financial management demands complete separation between personal and business finances through dedicated accounts, credit cards, and bookkeeping systems. Mixing these streams creates tax nightmares, clouds decision-making, and can pierce the corporate veil that protects your personal assets. Open a business checking account before your first sale, apply for a business credit card to build commercial credit history, and track every transaction through accounting software from day one.

Accurate bookkeeping and record-keeping

Maintain pristine financial records using cloud-based accounting tools that provide real-time visibility into your business health. Current, accurate books support funding applications, enable data-driven decisions, and keep you compliant with tax obligations. Schedule weekly bookkeeping sessions to categorize expenses, reconcile accounts, and review financial reports—this habit alone separates professional operations from amateur ventures.

Mastering Cash Flow Management to Avoid Disasters

Poor cash flow kills 82% of small businesses, making it the single most critical factor in entrepreneurial survival. Cash flow management tips that save businesses focus on timing, forecasting, and maintaining healthy reserves for unexpected challenges.

Build comprehensive cash flow forecasts that project income and expenses for the next 12 months, updating them weekly based on actual results. Track key metrics like days sales outstanding, inventory turnover, and payment cycles to spot problems before they become crises. Smart entrepreneurs plan for seasonal fluctuations, customer payment delays, and unexpected expenses by maintaining cash reserves equal to at least three months of operating costs.

Collecting receivables and managing payables

Accelerate cash inflow by offering early payment discounts, requiring deposits on large orders, and following up on overdue accounts within 24 hours. Simultaneously, optimize outflow by negotiating extended payment terms with suppliers, taking advantage of vendor discounts, and scheduling payments strategically. This cash flow optimization creates a buffer that helps you weather storms and seize growth opportunities.

Using digital cash flow tools

Modern financial technology transforms cash flow from guesswork into science through integrated banking, automated invoicing, and real-time dashboards. Connect your business accounts to accounting software that categorizes transactions automatically, sends payment reminders, and generates cash flow reports instantly. These tools provide the visibility and control that manual systems simply cannot match.

Budgeting Tips for Entrepreneurs: Your Map to Financial Control

A dynamic budget serves as your financial GPS, guiding resource allocation and highlighting when course corrections are needed. Effective budgeting tips for entrepreneurs focus on flexibility, accuracy, and regular review cycles.

Creating and sticking to a budget

Start your budget by listing all fixed costs (rent, salaries, insurance) and variable expenses (materials, marketing, utilities), then project realistic revenue based on historical data and market conditions. Review actual versus budgeted performance monthly, adjusting projections based on real results rather than wishful thinking. Your budget becomes a living document that evolves with your business, supporting financial planning for entrepreneurs through every growth stage.

Track spending by category to identify areas where costs creep upward without corresponding value. Many businesses discover they’re paying for forgotten subscriptions, redundant services, or inefficient processes that drain thousands annually. Use zero-based budgeting annually—justify every expense from scratch rather than assuming last year’s spending was optimal.

Cost control strategies

Audit recurring expenses quarterly, renegotiating contracts with vendors, insurance providers, and service companies who often offer better rates to retain customers. Analyze your customer acquisition costs versus lifetime value, cutting marketing channels that don’t deliver profitable customers. Implement approval processes for purchases above set thresholds, creating accountability that naturally reduces unnecessary spending.

Building emergency funds

Set aside 3-6 months of operating expenses in a separate high-yield business savings account, treating this reserve as untouchable except for true emergencies. Build this fund gradually by allocating 5-10% of revenue until you reach your target, then maintain it as your business grows. This financial cushion provides peace of mind and flexibility to navigate challenges without desperation decisions.

Finding and Securing Small Business Funding Options

Smart funding strategies balance immediate capital needs with long-term business goals, recognizing that 59% of businesses actively seek financing while 77% struggle with rising costs. Understanding small business funding options helps you choose partners and structures that support sustainable growth.

Ways to secure funding for new ventures

Evaluate funding sources based on your business stage, growth trajectory, and willingness to share control:

SBA loans offer low rates and long terms but require extensive documentation and collateral
Bank lines of credit provide flexible access to capital for established businesses with strong financials
Angel investors bring expertise and connections along with capital, typically taking 10-25% equity
Venture capital fuels rapid growth but demands high returns and significant control
Revenue-based financing aligns payments with income, ideal for businesses with predictable sales
Crowdfunding validates market demand while raising capital from future customers

Each path involves tradeoffs between cost, control, and complexity that impact your business far beyond the initial funding.

How to prepare for investors or lenders

Success in raising capital for startups requires meticulous preparation and compelling storytelling backed by solid numbers. Develop a comprehensive business plan showcasing your market opportunity, competitive advantages, and path to profitability. Prepare three years of financial projections with detailed assumptions, monthly cash flow forecasts, and sensitivity analyses showing various scenarios.

Create a pitch deck that captures your vision in 10-15 slides, focusing on the problem you solve, your solution’s uniqueness, market size, business model, and team qualifications. Practice your pitch until you can deliver it conversationally, anticipating common questions about customer acquisition, competition, and exit strategies. Professional preparation often determines whether you secure favorable terms or face rejection.

The real costs and trade-offs

Understand that funding comes with strings beyond interest rates or equity dilution—consider the time commitment for investor relations, reporting requirements, and potential loss of decision-making autonomy. Some founders discover that bootstrap growth, though slower, preserves the freedom to build according to their vision. Others find that strategic investors accelerate growth through industry connections and operational expertise worth more than their capital.

Startup Financial Management Strategies for Growth

Once your foundation is stable, shift focus toward scaling sustainably through investment strategies for startups that multiply resources rather than merely consuming them.

Revenue diversification

Build multiple revenue streams to reduce dependence on any single source—add recurring subscriptions to one-time sales, create digital products alongside services, or expand into adjacent markets. A specialty pharmacy facing $200,000 monthly losses transformed their business by consolidating operations, renegotiating contracts, and adding new service lines, ultimately achieving break-even and $2 million in annual savings. This diversification creates stability that supports aggressive growth in core areas.

Monitor revenue concentration regularly, taking action when any single customer represents more than 20% of income. Develop systematic approaches to customer expansion, upselling existing accounts while continuously acquiring new ones. Create predictable revenue through contracts, retainers, and subscription models that smooth cash flow volatility.

Capital budgeting for smart investments

Apply rigorous analysis to major purchases and expansions, calculating expected return on investment, payback periods, and impact on cash flow. Prioritize investments that directly increase revenue or reduce costs, deferring nice-to-have purchases until core needs are met. Consider leasing versus buying for equipment, weighing tax advantages against long-term costs and flexibility needs.

Tax and compliance planning

Stay ahead of tax obligations through quarterly planning sessions with a qualified accountant who understands entrepreneurial ventures. Maximize deductions by tracking every legitimate business expense, understanding which personal expenses qualify when you work from home. Set aside 25-30% of profit for taxes in a separate account, preventing year-end scrambles that force poor financial decisions.

The Human Side of Financial Decision-Making

Entrepreneurship challenges your emotional resilience as much as your financial acumen—building trusted relationships and managing stress become essential skills for long-term success.

Building trust with partners and advisors

Select financial advisors, accountants, and funding partners based on their track record with businesses like yours, not just credentials or promises. The right advisors challenge your assumptions, provide honest feedback, and connect you with resources beyond their direct services. Interview multiple candidates, check references, and trust your instincts about personality fit—you’ll work closely with these partners through both victories and setbacks.

Managing stress and risk

Recognize that financial pressure affects decision-making quality, building systems and reserves that prevent desperation moves. Create worst-case scenario plans during calm periods, identifying specific triggers and responses for various challenges. Surround yourself with mentors and peer entrepreneurs who provide perspective, accountability, and emotional support through inevitable ups and downs.

Final Thoughts: Your Next Steps Toward Financial Mastery

Twenty years of building Complete Controller taught me that entrepreneurial success flows from disciplined financial habits practiced consistently, not dramatic moves or lucky breaks. The entrepreneurs who thrive master these fundamentals early, giving themselves room to innovate and grow without constant financial stress.

Start this week by choosing one area for improvement—perhaps separating those mixed finances, building your first real budget, or scheduling overdue collection calls. Small actions compound into transformational results when you maintain focus and accountability. Your business deserves the same financial expertise that large corporations take for granted.

For hands-on guidance implementing these entrepreneurial finance tips in your unique situation, connect with our team at Complete Controller. We help entrepreneurs build financial systems that support ambitious growth while maintaining the flexibility and control you need to succeed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Entrepreneurial Finance Tips

What are the most important financial metrics for entrepreneurs to track?

Focus on cash flow, gross profit margin, customer acquisition cost, lifetime customer value, and monthly burn rate to maintain clear visibility into business health.

How much should I pay myself as a business owner?

Start with minimum personal needs during startup phase, then establish a regular salary once you achieve consistent profitability, keeping personal and business finances clearly separated.

When should I hire a financial professional for my startup?

Engage a bookkeeper when you reach $10,000 monthly revenue or 20+ transactions, and add a CFO or controller when approaching $1 million annually or seeking significant funding.

What’s the difference between cash flow and profit?

Profit shows earnings after expenses on paper, while cash flow tracks actual money movement—you can be profitable yet still run out of cash due to timing differences.

How do I know which type of funding is right for my business?

Match funding to your goals: debt for maintaining control with steady revenue, equity for rapid scaling with high growth potential, and bootstrapping for maximum flexibility with slower growth.

Sources

“10 top finance tips for entrepreneurs.” AMBA & BGA, 2024.
“Essential Financial Planning for Entrepreneurs.” Farther, 2024.
“5 Financial Habits of Highly Successful Entrepreneurs.” CashFlowFrog, 2023.
“The 5 Most Important Financial Decisions for Entrepreneurs.” InsuranceAdvisor, 2024.
“Financial Management Strategies for Accounting Success.” Onlinemba.ku.edu, 2024.
“10 Strategies for Effective Cash Flow Management.” Truist, 2024.
“Manage your finances.” U.S. Small Business Administration, 2024.
“10 Tips to Manage Your Business Finances.” PSBT, 2024.

Jennifer Brazer Founder/CEO

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Elevate Data Quality

Posted on April 7, 2024March 18, 2024 by Stephen Huck

We live in a world where data is everywhere. Collecting and analyzing that data gives businesses a competitive edge in their respective industries. Organizations spend millions on improving their data quality by investing in novel tools and techniques, but they still suffer from severe data quality issues. The quality of data and information is fundamental to any company’s marketing and public relations department. Quality data helps support customer management, inform public policy, and increase public awareness about new products and services.

Here are ways your business can improve its data quality:

Using CRM

The business world has become highly competitive, with new brands entering now and then. The traditional methods of managing data will no longer be effective if you want to increase your market share. Using a well-designed, User-friendly CRM can help your business manage data effectively.

A CRM will allow you to maintain and manage your data without causing redundancies and inaccuracies. It can also help you visualize your company’s performance through charts and graphs. When your whole team has access to the CRM, they can keep one eye on how they perform and eventually fix it on their own. Using a CRM will also allow you to set metrics for judging employees’ performances, giving them a clear picture of what you expect.

Training and Reminding

Learning to enter data correctly is mandatory, whether for you or your employees. It would be best to make sure that your employees know how information needs to be entered, updated, and shared within the team. Building on our previous point, having a CRM will normalize how your company handles data. Your personnel will also appreciate the benefits of this training, as it will show how much you, as the manager, care about their learning.

Data Quality Assessment

To improve data quality, you first need to measure it and identify what needs to be improved. The CIHI Data Quality Framework uses multiple data quality dimensions to query a particular data or holding aspect. The data quality dimensions are as follows:

Timeliness

Timeliness refers to how updated the information is at the time of release. Furthermore, it can be measured by measuring the gap between the end of the reference period (when you collected the data) and the date it becomes available to users. For example, timeliness is used when a data delivery from a source system conforms to a delivery schedule. Data in large delivery systems are available once processing is complete. However, if the processing is unsuccessful, it can delay data availability.

Relevance

Numbers don’t lie. Relevant data can prove that the project you’re working on produces the best outcomes. It also supports your strategies for future improvements. In general, relevant data quantifies the purpose of your work. For example, you use big data in the medical industry to benefit medical agencies. It addresses issues such as forecasting epidemics and combating existing diseases more efficiently.

Accuracy

Lower levels of data accuracy at the start of any marketing campaign can lead to poor decision-making. Data can quickly become inaccurate, given the daily influx of people visiting online stores and e-commerce platforms. Identifying erroneous information is one of the most challenging data quality issues. For instance, a fair but inaccurate social security number can go easily unnoticed by a database.

However, this is why healthcare organizations should realize that quality is more important than quantity. Inaccurate information leads to poor service quality, which can cost businesses a significant amount of money.

Bottom Line

There is no getting away from the fact that data comes from everywhere nowadays. The list is endless, from mobile devices and social media to healthcare membership cards and market research. You must ensure that your organization’s data has integrity and is valuable enough to promote informed decision-making.

Essential Insurances: Secure Future

Posted on April 6, 2024March 18, 2024 by Stephen Huck

Insurance is a risk management method that protects an individual or a company from financial losses. A policyholder or insured individual buys an insurance plan from a company, called the insurance policy, for a premium price.

An insurance policy is based on sharing risks between the insured and the insurer. If the insured experiences a loss covered by the policy, they will file a claim with the insurer. Here are five types of insurance every person needs to consider having for protection.

Life Insurance

The idea behind life insurance is that one leaves some money for his family when he dies. Often, the family is dependent on one or two breadwinners who provide for the family. Therefore, if the breadwinner dies, the family must have something to meet the needs of life.

According to insurance experts, the premium for a life insurance policy should be 10% of your yearly income. When provided to the family, this amount will easily cover the deceased’s funeral expenses, other ongoing expenses like mortgage payments, and some money for the future.

Life insurance has two types: Term Life, where the insured pays for a set time, and Traditional Whole Life, where the insured pays until he dies.

Health Insurance

They say that one is only an illness away from bankruptcy! Health insurance covers medical expenses for any disease or medical procedure. It also provides for other needs one cannot earn due to bad health.

There are various types of medical insurance. Some cover private hospitals and medical bills. Some cover traumas and major diseases like heart disease, paralysis, cancer, and others. Some plans regularly pay a certain percentage of the income to cover ongoing medical conditions such as diabetes.

Some plans cover permanent disabilities and sickness, while others cover the mortgage if one can’t work. These plans vastly differ but have one goal in common: They are used to cover a person’s financial challenges when medical issues arise.

Auto Insurance

Automobile insurance is one of the most common types of insurance people buy. Millions of car accidents happen on the road every year, killing thousands and leaving several disabled for life. Therefore, one must get the vehicle insured to be a bank on the road soon after the accident.

It covers the repair expenses or replaces the car if it cannot be recovered. Some auto insurance companies also cover property destroyed in accidents. It also pays for damage caused to another person or persons due to the accident. If an insured vehicle is stolen, the insurance policy replaces it with another car.

General Insurance

A general insurance policy covers everything besides one’s life. However, it is essential to properly study general insurance as it can be misleading by the company or misunderstood by the individual. General insurance policies usually last for one year only, while the premium is generally paid at one time.

Some things covered by a general insurance policy include property loss, such as a stolen car or a burnt building, expenses arising due to the loss incurred by a third party due to the insured, accidental death, travel insurance, and more.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance covers a wide range of aspects. The policy covers medical expenses while traveling, any personal liability if one is sued for causing an injury or damaging property, and lost belongings like bags and devices.

The travel insurance policy also covers canceling, cutting, or delaying flights and trips. However, the insurance does not cover any pre-existing medical condition in the insured before traveling. It is essential to know that the policy does not cover any injury incurred in an adventurous sport or other dangerous activities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, insurance is crucial for managing risks and protecting against financial losses. From life and health to auto and travel, having the right insurance coverage ensures peace of mind and economic security in the face of unforeseen events. Each type of insurance discussed plays a vital role in safeguarding individuals and their assets, highlighting the importance of understanding and investing in comprehensive insurance plans.

Master Data Quality: Avoid Mistakes

Posted on April 6, 2024March 18, 2024 by Stephen Huck

We live in an era of unprecedented data abundance and aggregation. The sheer variety of information available in databases, on the Internet, and from other sources has dramatically changed the way leaders conduct business, communicate, and conduct research.

One of the fundamental questions business leaders seek to answer is how to improve data quality. One serious problem that leaders in the business sector need to address is “dirty data” – inaccurate or missing information that resides in the abundance of data.

Poor data quality leads organizations to lose a lot of money. Research states that bad data or poor-quality data costs organizations nearly 30% of their revenue, which is a staggering number considering the investments.

The bigger your organization, the more data it will generate from different departments and sectors. The more information you handle, the more likely you are to make mistakes. However, you want to improve your operational performance, add value to services, and have reliable access to data to make informed decisions.

Avoid these mistakes to improve data quality.

Wrong Assumptions

The first mistake organizations tend to make with data is the assumption that their current data and information are accurate and clean and that there is no need to fix that. However, organizations are often oblivious that there is no problem with their existing data flowing between the businesses. Unfortunately, that is not the case at all.

Improper Documentation

Incomplete or inaccurate data documentation of client records is a standard and significant error in the business world. Examples include adding or updating information in the wrong client’s name or inaccurate coding for customers with the same name. Additionally, these issues could raise confidentiality-related issues, as personal and private details can be released to others by mistake.

Not Investing in Better Technology

In 2017, 188 leaders were surveyed to assess the business sector’s current state of data quality. The results showed that 66% of respondents believe data entry errors contribute significantly to data redundancies, leading to ill-informed business decisions. Another survey conducted in 2018 showed that duplicate customer records and repeated product serving cost an average of $1950 per customer and over $800 per website visit. The survey noted that the absence or repetition of even a single product could negatively affect business performance.

There is no denying that data quality has and will always be affected by one major issue – human error. Human error makes it easy for data to be repeated or duplicated. Data duplication is a significant and relatively common problem in all business sectors. All organizations face this issue at some point, but that doesn’t mean it should be left unaddressed, thinking it will get solved independently. Data duplication can jeopardize data analysis and reporting, making it difficult to cleanse the data. Regardless of what the circumstances may be, it’s something that needs organizations to be proactive.

Use of Outdated Information

Outdated customer information automatically populates in various fields because the data was not updated promptly. Not having access to the correct information could lead to wrong service and product recommendations.

Department Isolation

The fifth mistake that organizations tend to make is isolating all their departments. When all your departments start working in isolation without having any synergy or sync, it creates departmental silos. Once this happens, all your departments interpret data differently, without coherence. Consequently, data redundancies, conflicts between teams, and data reconciliation become difficult between groups and applications.

Poor Data Governance

Poor data governance can also be one of the significant reasons why data quality issues occur in organizations. Organizations invest substantial capital in improving their data quality measures, which can lead to poor data quality if the governance is inappropriate. Without proper procedures and policies, it’s easy to assume that bad practices in any organization can be so prevalent.

Conclusion

Improving data quality is one of the primary responsibilities of organizational leaders, as it leads to dramatic quality improvements. However, issues with data quality can sometimes be hard to spot. Therefore, your organization must follow all the protocols mentioned above.

Understanding Asset Management

Posted on April 6, 2024March 18, 2024 by Stephen Huck

Asset management is the organization, maintenance, and growth of tangible and intangible assets, including cash, goodwill, buildings, intellectual property, and more. It commonly refers to the firms and individuals who manage these assets and invest on behalf of others.

Asset management is one of the responsibilities of an advisory company that helps people make the most of their assets. An asset management company, such as an investment bank, does not help individuals with just some assets; rather, it facilitates corporations, government agencies, and individuals with high net worth.

The goal of an asset manager is to maximize the client’s assets by expanding the portfolio to profitable assets. Asset management companies are well-versed in the industry patterns of different assets, such as identifying interest rate trends to make intelligent investment decisions.

With their expertise and insights, asset managers advise corporations to invest their finances in investments that are likely to yield the most profits, considering the client’s interests and goals.

On the contrary, corporations cannot decide independently, as their expertise may not necessarily be in investments and asset management. Some companies are likely to have in-house asset managers who provide round-the-clock assistance. Most asset management companies work with asset management accounts.

The investor deposits the money in the account and can use it to invest in bonds, buy stocks, earn interest, acquire mutual funds, and write checks if required. However, investment decisions are often made by the asset manager with expertise in portfolio management.

The corporation can make the investment decision but generally relies on the advisor. However, the company charges a fee between 1% and 2.75% against the account. It provides other benefits, such as giving collateralized loans to exploit an external opportunity, making the fees worthwhile.

Choosing an Asset Management Company

Companies and wealthy individuals must carefully analyze the asset management company against specific standards before trusting it with the assets. Here are some of the critical aspects to consider before hiring the company.

Requirements of the Asset Holder

Asset management companies provide different services, such as helping a corporation manage its assets against its expenses, helping a firm improve its liquidity, aiding in financial planning, and managing asset portfolios.

Knowing one’s needs helps one choose the right asset management company by answering a simple question: ‘What are we looking for?‘ The decision may change depending on whether one needs financial advice or wants an asset manager to manage it.

The Expertise of the Company

Every individual or corporation has different investment interests, and every asset management company has its expertise. One must assess the competence of the advisory company to determine whether it has relevant experience. Taking help from other corporations that have faced similar situations can help them decide.

Also, the asset management company will likely have a portfolio with different clients to analyze before choosing the company. This information will help one know the types of businesses the advisor has helped in the past, allowing one to select or deselect the company based on its performance with similar companies.

Fees of the Service Provider

Knowing that assets of great value are in question, asset managers often charge higher fees than one can imagine. It is essential to ask and agree upon the fee in relation to the services provided by the advisory company.

Asset management companies charge Various fees, such as custody fees for record-keeping, performance fees charged as a percentage of profits earned through the investment, and other hidden costs that appear later.

Asset managers have years of industry experience to help large-scale organizations and wealthy individuals enhance their assets with efficient portfolio management.

Conclusion

In conclusion, asset management is pivotal in optimizing both tangible and intangible assets for individuals and corporations. By entrusting asset management companies with expertise in portfolio management, clients can maximize their assets while considering their goals and interests. However, selecting the right asset management company requires careful consideration of factors such as the client’s needs, the company’s expertise, and the fees charged. With asset managers’ industry experience, clients can navigate the complexities of asset management and achieve optimal portfolio performance for long-term success.

Remote Work Revolution

Posted on April 5, 2024March 18, 2024 by Jennifer Brazer

As the world slowly emerges from intense lockdowns and workplaces begin to open, a startling trend takes shape. People are resigning from their jobs instead of returning to offices. Unsurprisingly, employees are unwilling to give up remote work entirely. However, they’ve found comfort and autonomy in working from home and would go to extraordinary lengths to preserve it to some degree.

Let’s delve deep into the reasons behind employees’ refusal to go back to the office.

Safety is a Significant Concern

Although vaccines have significantly declined infection rates and deaths worldwide, many employees still fear for their safety. Moreover, many have lost a loved one in the pandemic and thus don’t want to take any risks. A recent report by McKinsey and Company reveals that many workers now want to work from home three days a week. Furthermore, 25% said they would quit their current job if their company resumed full-in-office work.

Mental Health is Gaining Priority

Before the pandemic took the world by surprise, most organizations didn’t consider mental health essential or have any leave policies. However, COVID-19 has changed that. According to a study, almost half of American workers claim that the pandemic has adversely affected their mental well-being, and they look up to their companies for additional support. However, this unease is even greater among personnel from diverse backgrounds.

Employees Need a Better Work-Life Balance

COVID-19 has left millions dead and millions more mourning after their dear ones. It has also made workers realize that life is fragile and that they should make the most of their time with family and friends. Furthermore, around one in five employees are reported to plan for early retirement. It shows that workers’ perceptions are changing, and they would no longer prioritize their work lives over family time.

Improved Salaries are Gaining Traction

A study suggests that around 40% of employees will switch to a new company if it offers them better benefits. It shows that employees are no longer interested in working for the same compensation packages. Covid-19 has pushed millions into crippling financial crises and upended their entire lives. It’s only fair that employees don’t want to return to offices to hustle for their previous wages.

Now that we’ve discussed why employees aren’t returning to offices, let’s examine how businesses retain them.

Offer More Work-From-Home Opportunities

Workers don’t want to abandon work from home completely. They’ve found a certain comfort and autonomy in remote work. Companies must provide more work-from-home options if they’re going to retain their best-performing employees. According to research, around 73% of workers want their bosses to continue offering remote work options.

Support Employees’ Mental Health

The pandemic has taken many precious lives, and almost every other person is experiencing mild to severe mental health issues. Companies can best deal with this pressing challenge by providing their employees with mental health support. It will also enhance worker productivity and save the company money in the long run.

Consider Appraisals for the Best Employees

A significant majority of the working class has undergone crippling financial issues during the pandemic that continues to this day. As people return to offices, they need revised salary packages to sustain themselves and their families. It’s, therefore, best that employers immediately investigate changing the compensation of their best performers.

Give Credit Where it’s Due

Your employees have endured a lot during the Covid-19 catastrophe. A small gesture of appreciation can go a long way. Make your workers feel cared for by highlighting their strengths. For example, if a particular worker gives a good suggestion that yields positive results, convey it to the entire team.

Promote Star Performers

Finally, to retain more employees, you should promote the best performers to leadership positions. This way, you can keep the best talent and incentivize workers to excel further at their positions.

The Bottom Line

The pandemic has wholly revolutionized the office culture. What started as a precautionary measure has gradually morphed into standard practice. Remote work is here to stay. The sooner organizations adapt to this new reality, the quicker they can get back on their feet.