ASK a CFO

In this episode of Ask a CFO, we dive into two common yet critical questions for organizations: What should you do when unexpected funding comes your way? And how can you keep a close eye on your budget spending to ensure you end the year on track?

In this episode of Ask a CFO, we tackle the challenge of scaling impact for nonprofits, even when facing potential donor loss. 

Looking for an outsourced accountant for your professional services firm?

In this episode of Ask A CFO, we discuss the challenges of hiring.  With the employment rate at a record low, how do you find qualified candidates during the great resignation?  Covid has had a huge impact on so many areas of our lives and hiring is an area that continues to be affected. 

The CFO acts as a quarterback for the internal functions and structure of the finance team. All of this is to keep the company on a growth track, eliminate risks, and attract and keep investors and donors happy and excited about your business.

In this Episode of Ask a CFO,  James Vanreusel of Vanreusel Ventures discusses the topic of reforecasting and rebudgeting should you miss your budgets at the end of Q1.

Jake Hurwitz started his first company at 8 years old, a skateboard repair company. It failed miserably. But at 18 he started a design agency and made his way into the venture studio space in 2017. In 2018 he started the Global Startup Studio Network, which later sold to the Global Accelerator Network. He now consults with about 120 studios around the world with Gallery Partners. He’s here to teach us all a lot about the venture studio space, and why it has changed SO much in the past 6 months alone.

In this episode of "Ask a CFO," James discusses the interplay between sales pipelines, expenses, and cash liquidity. Cash is the lifeblood of any organization, and it's crucial to manage both the inflow and outflow of cash effectively. Expenses are highlighted as typically predictable, especially when not scaling or hiring new personnel. In contrast, sales can be unpredictable, underscoring the importance of maintaining a well-structured sales pipeline.

In this episode of Ask a CFO, James Vanreusel of Vanreusel Ventures discusses the topic of employer covered benefits.

It's impossible to get everything done and keep projects organized! Or is it? In this Ask A CFO episode, James covers how he structures his projects and the techniques and tools he employs to eliminate bottlenecks.

In this episode of Ask a CFO,  James Vanreusel discusses more corporate finance questions focusing this week on finance and accounting tools for small to medium sized business.

In this episode, James tackles a question that is often questioned by many founders and CEO: When should I bring in a CFO? We'll explore that as the answer isn't one-size-fits-all.

This episode of Ask a CFO features "The First 90 days of a CFO during a new engagement"

Vanreusel Ventures helps young companies invest early in the financial infrastructure that will enable them to scale efficiently.

In this episode of Ask a CFO,  Co-Founder of  Stride Services, Russell Benaroya was our special host.  He and James discuss strategic tax planning, and how to prepare through the year.

In this episode of Ask A CFO, we discuss the dicey and sometimes taboo topic of --RAISING PRICES!  EEEK.   Why would you do such a thing?  Well, sometimes you have to just to stay afloat because when there is a downturn, that doesn't exclude Y-O-U. We are all "in it together," right?  So if you or your business is experiencing expenses tied to inflation, increasing overheads, and narrowing profit margins, or even better, your team is just betting faster with higher output, it may be time to raise your pricing. 

In this episode, we tackle a question that often plagues startups and companies alike when they're raising funds or engaging with investors: Should they prioritize growth, profitability, or long-term sustainability? We'll explore each term individually, dissecting the implications and considerations associated with them.

In this episode of "Ask a CFO," the host addresses the question of how to manage finances when expenses remain constant but sales are inconsistent. The focus is on understanding different scenarios, including the base case, best case, and worst case.

In this episode of Ask a CFO, James Vanreusel discusses more corporate finance questions focusing this week on non profit organizations.

Welcome to another episode of the Ask a CFO podcast. In this episode, James Vanreusel, CEO and founder of Vanreusel Ventures, explores the topic of treasury management and provides insights into the current state of the banking industry.

In the dynamic world of nonprofits, where purpose and impact drive every endeavor, managing restricted funding can sometimes be a labyrinthine challenge. Join us as we delve into the intricate landscape of tracking and reporting restricted funding, unraveling complexities and revealing strategies for a streamlined process.

In this episode of "Ask a CFO," James discusses how non-profit organizations can manage funds with donor restrictions, ensuring accurate reporting and transparency. He highlights the use of accounting software and the importance of time tracking. James also shares some useful ways to track fund releases, the significance of managing the balance sheet to avoid negative restricted assets, and the need to include and accurately track restricted funding in the budget over time.

In this Episode of Ask a CFO,  James Vanreusel discusses more corporate finance questions focusing this week on finance and accounting KPIs and metrics.

In today's episode, we delve into the venture capital world and explore the question, "How do I make my VC's life easier?" Whether you're a company seeking to build a strong relationship with venture capitalists or a portfolio company aiming to meet their needs, this episode has got you covered.

Vanreusel Ventures is a member of several networking groups in San Francisco, and one of the main questions we get is "what is the best payroll provider or HR software?  There are so many options, that it can be hard for a smaller business to choose one.  They have different setups, and need different features. In this week's Scale By Numbers podcast episode, we take a deep dive into Rippling with their Lead Channel Account Executive Joel Lacayo.  Joel discusses what makes Rippling unique, how they support companies throughout every stage of their business and what they have in store for the future. Rippling is more than just a payroll provider.  They are set up to grow with your company, and include a high level of automation, and API integration for over 500 apps.

Vanreusel Ventures supports and guides our clients through the audit process and everything that comes along with it: Prep, expectation and completion.

One of the most important things to remember when running a start up with limited resources, is that every expense is on the chopping block every month.  As we all know we live in the world of subscriptions and it is very easy to let them get out of control. If you want to keep expenses flat, to maximize profitability, you want to take some of the money from elsewhere, to invest in areas that are really going to help you as you scale. To do this, you need to go through your p&l, your chart of accounts, even all the all the operating expenses.

In this episode of Ask a CFO, , James Vanreusel of Vanreusel Ventures discusses building strong relationships with investors by learning how to offer them benefits unique to your business.

CFOs are a thinking partner to the CEO. I have said it multiple times. When you are dealing with fundraising of any kind, you must have support in your back pocket to assist with your financial functionality. Ideally, you want to start getting help from a CFO at least six months before your fundraising efforts, BUT most times, it's better late than never. Investors need complete visibility and 100% of the CEO's time. If you do not have your due diligence in order, your numbers straight, your finance team is working together as one....you will find yourself with friction that is strong enough to slow your growth momentum.

In this episode of Ask a CFO, James Vanreusel discusses more corporate finance questions. This week the subject is the role of a finance department in evaluating new business opportunities.

In this episode of Ask a CFO, James Vanreusel, founder and CEO at Vanreusel Ventures, delves into a question that plagues many startups and nonprofits in their early stages: How can they extend their runway without dilution or raising another round of funding? James outlines three insightful strategies to achieve this goal, offering valuable advice for founders and leaders seeking to secure their organization's financial future.

In the episode of Ask a CFO, James Vanreusel discusses more corporate finance questions focusing this week on what to do when you need to change vendors.

Vendors and service providers should fix problems, not create them.  When thinking about whether a switch is the right move, the first questions you should ask your self is will someone else do it better, faster, and fit within the company culture.

Carta launched CartaX in January, its a network, an ecosystem that brings companies, with lots of employees stock options together with investors. It allows investors to come in and buy employee stock options in a structured way from the company.

In this episode of "Ask a CFO," we talk about the crucial question of how to strategize to get all your company's debt paid. It might not sound like the wildest ride in the financial theme park, but managing debt is crucial for success, and our host has some insights to share.

In this episode of Ask a CFO, James Vanreusel of Vanreusel Ventures discusses the topic how a young non profit organization can begin their due diligence and begin to raise money.

This episode discusses the topic of whether "annual bonuses tie into company performance?"

In this episode of Ask a CFO,  James Vanreusel discusses more corporate finance questions, this weeks topic focuses on routine, and preparation for a successful day.

In this episode of "Ask a CFO," James explores how non-profit organizations can create a sustainable budget for the next years, especially when facing a current lack of funding but with plans for future growth. He discusses the importance of providing donors with a projection and then comparing it with the current year’s budget to identify any risks. Finally, he lists what is needed to create a sustainable budget for the future.

Welcome back to another episode of "Ask a CFO," the discussion centers around the concept of continuous accounting close. The primary focus is on how companies can expedite the monthly, quarterly, or yearly financial close process, aiming to avoid waiting until the end of the month to reconcile and finalize their financial records.

Every part of a business, whether Sales, Business Development, Marketing, or People Ops should have someone "in charge."  Someone that will ask the tough questions, make the hard decisions, and most important, mitigate risks. The same applies to the finance department. If a growing business doesn't have someone like a CFO protecting the company's financial health, the business will struggle to grow and open itself to fraud.

When we depending on how good the state of the financials are in, you know, it may take two to three weeks to get there. I would say during those two to three weeks, I would put a concerted effort on on really putting every expense on the chopping block, and seeing if it needs to go on on.

Being a CEO feels like you're juggling 30 things at once, so one of the best things you can do (for your sanity) is recognizing which tasks can be allocated to other people.

With every month-end close process being fundamental, it isn't easy to gauge how much the CEO should be involved and what aspects of the month-end close process can be dished out to others. 

The Ask a CFO series is a Q & A with CFO James Vanreusel.  James answers questions ranging from  corporate finance,  FP&A, Investor Relations, Professional Development, Business Growth, Fundraising, M& A, and more.

In this episode of "Ask a CFO," James delves into the concept of unit economics and how non-profit organizations can effectively calculate the cost per beneficiary. He explains that this can be done in several ways. James also explains why it is important to calculate the indirect cost rate. Finally, he discusses whether there is a minimum or maximum cost per beneficiary.

The episode provides valuable insights into leveraging unit economics to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of non-profit programs.

In this episode of ASK a CFO, James Vanreusel of Vanreusel Ventures discusses Non-profit boards, their common issues, and what to do if one member is causing problems.  For small to midsized for-profit and non-profit organizations, having a board of directors is extremely imperative to ensure that the company is running at its optimal level.