Finance

Reopening, Part V: Model Your Cash Flow

2020-06-05T10:31:47-05:00June 5th, 2020|Tags: , , |

In this series, we are looking at what we can learn from entrepreneurs about restarting our businesses post-lockdown. Sadly, many of us don’t know whether our businesses can survive this restart. That is why many startups use bottoms-up financial models to quickly test new scenarios and whether they have enough cash to survive. They make decisions to increase cash, reduce burn ...

Work Stressors, Part I

2020-03-20T14:28:10-05:00March 23rd, 2020|Tags: , , , |

The American Psychological Association recently surveyed workers to determine what causes the most work stress. 49% of these interviewees said that low salaries were their highest stress factor. The perception of low wages can be due to employees living beyond their means. Their stress may need to be relieved with financial training. Some employers, however, may be guilty of enhancing profits ...

The Endgame

2020-02-20T01:11:42-06:00February 20th, 2020|Tags: , , |

An article by Investopedia says, “Your chances of being an American billionaire are similar to your chances of getting struck by lightning.” The odds of billionaire status are low, yet Wall Street and American Businesses seem fraught and consumed with focus on becoming wealthy. Proverbs 23:4 says, Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.” Today ...

Parlaying Prosperity into Poverty

2020-01-18T14:49:15-06:00January 23rd, 2020|Tags: , , , |

My first job after college was with a large CPA firm. After my first performance review and raise, I decided I deserved a reward. So, I bought a new Chevrolet Monte Carlo, borrowing every dime the bank would lend. The net result was my monthly car payment far exceeded my monthly pay increase. I parlayed prosperity into poverty. Corporate America seems to ...

Heart Filled Generosity

2019-12-25T21:49:27-06:00December 26th, 2019|Tags: , , |

Bill Gates once stated at a TED conference that his most fulfilling act has been to establish The Giving Pledge. Mr. Gates has encouraged at least 120 of the wealthiest people in the world to give away at least half of their wealth. These wealthy philanthropists are discovering causes to which they are pledging large sums of money. True generosity ...

Unconventional Giving

2019-12-02T16:20:42-06:00December 3rd, 2019|Tags: , , |

One of the unconventional concepts in the Bible is generosity. Imagine when the Israelites first learned of God’s requirement to give the first ten percent of their harvest to God. I can imagine one of these farmers saying, “Let me get this right. I planted seeds, cultivated the ground and worked hard to harvest my crops and, now, that I’ve ...

Scarcity

2019-07-30T16:36:03-05:00August 16th, 2019|Tags: , , |

A recent article from the Small Business Chronicles states, “cash scarcity is common for small businesses.” Due to capital expenditures, supply chain disruptions, competitive labor costs and more, cash flow in many cases can be lean.  When things get tight, there may be a temptation to withhold paying what is due. Proverbs 11:24 says, “One gives freely, yet grows all ...

Seasons of Drought

2019-05-21T09:45:50-05:00May 31st, 2019|Tags: , , |

An article by Small Business Trends claims, “a bit more than half of all startups actually survives to their fourth year.” With this staggering statistic, it is no wonder that the initial years of a start up business can feel like a drought financially, emotionally and spiritually. A season of financial drought can mask the fruit that is growing in ...

No More Bondage

2019-04-29T16:28:38-05:00May 2nd, 2019|Tags: , , |

At the time of writing this article, unemployment claims hit a 50-year low. There are now more jobs available than we have people to fill them. With strong employment it would be a great time for consumers to pay down their debt, freeing themselves from bondage. Instead, the American Banker claims household debt hit a record high exceeding $13.5 trillion ...

Common Mistakes for New Entrepreneurs, Part III

2019-01-02T14:25:50-06:00January 9th, 2019|Tags: , , |

While coaching a young entrepreneur I was reminded of several common mistakes made by new business owners. The third most common mistake I’ve encountered is “the lack of a clear purpose.” When one starts out in business, the pursuit of cash is so pressing that many entrepreneurs do whatever job that pays the bills. This practice expands the original business ...

Go to Top