In my last article, I talked about how much cash you should keep in your personal and business checking and savings accounts. Now, I want to talk to you about how to get paid. More specifically, you need to get paid in a timely manner in order to build up your cash reserves. The CFO or department head in charge of your treasury oversees your cash flow, which includes your accounts receivable. This AR division of your company is directly responsible for collecting customer payments. Thus, it’s directly responsible for the health and well-being of the cash flow into your business. To keep that cash flow coming in, I have 19 tips for improving accounts receivable collections.

Most of the time, business owners think that their Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or their Certified Public Accountant (CPA) only worries about company tax issues and payments. However, your company’s financial needs involve more than taxes. You need a CFO or a CPA to oversee multiple departments and to wear many hats within your organization. By creating harmony within the company’s finance departments, a CFO reduces business risk and increases the functionality of your business.

In this Value Growth Series, I’ve developed mini-series for each of the 8 Foundational Components that drive up your business’s value. Thus far, I’ve discussed planning, leadership, sales, marketing, personnel, and operations. Starting with this article, I’ll be talking about finance. Whether you are a solopreneur or an owner of a business with hundreds of employees, I want you to think about finance as a department or a distinct area of your business. And whether you’ve reached success in spite of your own financial ignorance or you are a financial guru, all business owners can improve in this area of finance.