January 17, 2013Sacramento Business JournalJack Robinson
If the economy really improved in 2012, why did the number of
small businesses changing hands not go up?
Numbers compiled by BizBuySell, a San Francisco-based online
marketplace for small business sales, show that sales nationally
were stagnant. The number of closed sales was 4,730, barely up
from 2011. And the median sales price, measured as a multiple of
cash flow, was down.
Finance professionals are getting more involved in
decision-making, in addition to performing their traditional job
of reporting results.
CFOs want finance teams to improve their strategic planning
capabilities.
When the 86 CFOs participating in the survey were asked to name
the three capabilities they most want their finance teams to
improve, strategic planning was the only capability named by more
than half the respondents. The urge to improve strategic
capabilities was particularly important to CFOs in manufacturing,
according to the survey.
The biggest bang in this year’s UC Davis business plan
competition came from the S2E Energy founder who touted a thin,
clear windowlike material said to conduct the sun’s power more
cheaply and efficiently than existing solar technology.
As first-prize winner, Jon Servaites received $10,000 in the 12th
annual Big Bang! Business Plan Competition, run by MBA students
in the Graduate School of Management.
Second prize of $4,500 went to the creators of Happy Baby vending
machines, for on-the-go access to diapers, organic snacks and
other baby products.
May 21, 2012Grant Thornton & Financial Executives Research Foundation
Seventy-four percent of financial executives received an increase
in their salary in the last year, compared to 66 percent in 2011
and 43 percent in 2010, according to the findings of an annual
survey issued today by Grant Thornton LLP and Financial
Executives Research Foundation (FERF). While the estimated
average salary increase was 4 percent, versus the 3 percent last
year, public companies were awarded a slightly higher increase
than private companies.
The average base salary for private company corporate CFOs, is
$197,400, slightly less than last year’s average ($206,900).
After factoring in additional cash-based, long-term incentive
awards, the average total cash compensation for the private
company CFO is $277,979.
Every entrepreneur should watch this clip as a perfect example of
how not to pitch to investors. Three ice cream makers a business
does not make – you need a finance person who can articulate the
company’s financial vision in a way that sophisticated investors
will understand it.
