Feb22

Do I need business interruption insurance? A two-step decision Feb 22, 2012 08:23

Most large, multinational corporations know that disasters like those in 2011 could cause significant disruptions to their supply chains and production, so they often hedge their risk with business interruption insurance coverage.

Smaller businesses sometimes struggle with the decision to expand the scope of coverage or increase the limits included in their property policies. But overhead costs are not easily reduced and can add up quickly following a disaster, potentially creating losses when sales are halted,” said Sageworks Chief Operating Officer Nicole Wolfgang. Here are some ways to decide whether business interruption insurance is right for your business.

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Feb20

Private grocers’ margins unspoiled by higher food prices Feb 20, 2012 17:03

Higher food prices couldn’t spoil the profit margins of privately held grocers and convenience stores in 2011. That’s good news, considering the USDA projects continued, albeit moderating, food inflation this year.

New data from Sageworks, a financial information company, shows that private grocers and convenience stores generated higher gross profit margins and were able to generate a material increase in adjusted net profit margins for 2011. That’s despite a 4.8 percent increase in the USDA’s Consumer Price Index for food at home during 2011 after prices surged in December.

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Feb16

Fumbling financials (continued)-Avoiding the pitfalls of presenting numbers Feb 16, 2012 08:01

There are many other things you can do before and during your financial presentation to make it more effective. Here are several ways other financial pros prepare as they plan for a successful presentation.

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Feb15

CFO Corner: Spending where it counts; Cash-flow impacts of turnover Feb 15, 2012 14:44

John O'Donnell, CFO of Aveksa, a Waltham, Mass.,-based developer of access governance automation solutions, discusses investing in areas with returns and the impacts of employee turnover.

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Feb13

Get your money faster: Four steps to minimize late payments Feb 13, 2012 08:30

Imagine having more than 1 out of every 3 dollars you’ve earned tied up and inaccessible.
That’s money you can’t use to advertise, to develop new products and services, or to hire employees.

For many business owners, that scenario is a day-to-day reality as they sit with 35 percent or more of their assets tied up in accounts receivable. Obviously, when it comes to money you’re owed, you want to collect as quickly as possible, says Michael W. McNeilly, director of advisory services at financial information company Sageworks. [More]

Feb10

Stress testing: who's doing it Feb 10, 2012 15:34

Banks of all sizes are facing an increasing push by federal regulators to go beyond historical risk-management efforts in the wake of the U.S. housing market’s collapse and the 2008 financial crisis. They’re being asked to evaluate more thoroughly and to prepare better for worst-case sce... [More]

Feb09

Fumbling financials (continued)-Avoiding the pitfalls of presenting numbers Feb 09, 2012 09:53

Part III. Disjointed data

Last week, we continued the topic of how to present financial information to various audiences. In addition to keeping your data simple and focused, it’s key to select the right metrics – those that address both the exact purpose of your presentation and the audience. The next step is to offer perspective about the data. Even if you select the right numbers to highlight, your financial information could be useless to your audience unless you draw connections between those numbers.

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Feb08

CFO Corner: Challenging cash-flow forecasts Feb 08, 2012 15:20

Paula Griffo, CFO of VoIP Supply, an Amherst, N.Y., provider of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) solutions, discusses reducing operating expenses and the challenge of developing accurate cash-flow forecasts.

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Feb07

Jobs report tracks with private-company trends Feb 07, 2012 17:11

January’s jobs report on Friday showed widespread employment growth in the private sector, a trend that’s consistent with improved revenue and profit trends that financial information company Sageworks Inc. has seen among private companies over the past 18 months.

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Feb06

Residential construction companies built ’11 sales – Sageworks Stats @ Forbes.com Feb 06, 2012 12:56

As recent economic reports have indicated, residential construction ended 2011 on a positive note, according to a new review of private company data by Sageworks. The data was recently published on Forbes.com.

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