The Games People Play

As a young boy, I played every board game imaginable. I remember playing Monopoly, Life, Clue, Parcheesi, Uno, Stratego, Dogfight, and many others. Many times, other kids would come over to my house to play board games. I let them pick the game they wanted to play. Once I figured out the strategy of each game, I rarely lost. So, I was content to play any game.

As adults – especially adults in business — we play a different game. It’s called “Finding the Cash!” I am not talking about Monopoly cash or even the cash in your bank account. That is easy to find. I am talking about real cash that is hidden throughout your business in sometimes hard to see places. Typically, businesses find cash in accounts receivable, inventory, accounts payable, or debt. However, cash can be found in other places such as sales, cost of goods sold, compensation, bonuses, commissions, operations, or other expenses. This newly found cash can help you run your businesses in a more financially sound way without playing any games.

It is our passion to help clients find more cash in their business. Finding the Cash is an ongoing “game” for businesses. It never ends. After 25 years of experience in various chief financial officer roles, we have figured out a strategy to the game. When clients are stuck on the board and don’t know where to find the cash for their next move, we provide a game plan. We start by asking questions and listening. Then we delve into areas where cash can be hidden. This may include examining all balance sheet accounts to see if any opportunities for improvement exist. Many times, it involves going through the cash inflow cycle as well as the cash outflow cycle. Opportunities usually become self-evident as we find ways to speed up the cash inflow and slow down the outflow. The beauty of finding more cash is that it is usually repetitive, thus increasing the value of your business.

Contact us to see how we may find cash in your business. Read other blogs at deepbenchcfo.com/blog.