BABY STEPS - STEP 3 OF A 3 STEP ACTION PLAN FOR MANAGING CASH

"Gross revenue means nothing if, at the end of the day, you have no operating cash." ~ MIKE MICHALOWIZ

For a good twenty plus years, I managed cash daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly at the privately held companies I worked for.  Consistently working cash flow so we were prepared for anything.

Step three for managing cash is using a 52-week cash flow projections.

This is a 52 week spreadsheet that tracks cash receivables coming in and cash payables going out. Cash Receivables are listed at the top. You can create a variety of categories for cash coming in.  Examples, receivables from various areas of the business, coaching, products,, events, and seminars, etc.  Cash going out categories, inventory, then list your various vendors if that is how you want to track purchases. Commissions, payments to contractors, weekly or bi-weekly payroll, plus normal monthly expenses, rent, utilities, electricity, natural gas, phone, internet, water, lease payments, car payments.  The 52 week cash flow spreadsheet is a cash story book, it tells you where you have been, how you performed and the variances that have occurred, which will allow you to realign how you are managing cash.  At the end of the spread sheet it tells you if there is lots of cash left over for the following week, or not enough to cover you, so then you can plan to borrow or adjust what will go out.

Why manage cash weekly? This is the path that provides knowledge and direction for your financial goals for your business and life. This is a tool used to see where you are and where you are heading at all times. Knowledge is power. Mapping out cash coming in and going out weekly, allows you to see and plan what is needed.

A question I am constantly asked - Why do I need to manage cash flow daily when I use QuickBooks.?

Great question - the answer - CASH is KING. Cash is worked daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually.  Cash is the lifeblood of every business. If you don't manage the cash coming in from accounts receivable and going out, accounts payable you run the risk of putting yourself out of business.  When you don't manage sales and accounts receivable you run the risk of missing income. (See previous post ) If you are not managing your expenses. i.e. accounts payable you can run the risk of negative circumstances where you have to scramble.  The numbers are only information, with that information, you make choices and decisions how to move forward.

Business's fail with poor cash flow management, so why run the risk?

As I have shared in earlier posts, create that new muscle, a new habit and learn how to work your cash flow differently.  Cash happens right now, in this very moment when you receive a payment or are purchasing goods or services. Working cash daily and weekly forces you to look at and plan.  You are the CEO of your business and the CFO. Lead your finances as you lead your business.

Remember, CASH is KING, so you need to know where you are at all times.

Creating simple, easy baby step habits opens the door to new possibilities for you and your business.

Get in to action, and get cracking on managing your cash every single freaking day. Do you get my drift.  Your business will grow, grow, grow and so will you when you manage what matters.  CASH is KING!  If you have any questions or need help with managing your cash, reach out and ask for help, e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com to set up an appointment to discuss your needs.


Warmly -
Debbie Rosenfelt
President / CFO / Leader-of-the-Heart

BABY STEPS - STEP 2 OF A 3 STEP ACTION PLAN FOR MANAGING CASH

For a good twenty years, I managed cash daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly at privately held companies I worked for.  Consistently working cash flow so we were prepared for anything.

Step two for managing cash is using a weekly cash management tool.

This is a 52 week spreadsheet that tracks cash flow going in and coming out of your bank accounts. General checking, payroll account (If you have a separate account) savings account, and line of credit. In addition, this spreadsheet tracks accounts receivable, account payable and any credit card debt you may carry. 

Using this tool will have you looking at your accounts consistently and the tool allows you to manage and plan, when you need borrow from a line of credit, pay down the line, and or transfer money into savings.
For the gym, we have a savings account and we sock $500 to $1000 each month to cover the semi-annual real estate property taxes.  In addition, if there is more than enough we will put additional funds aside to cover new equipment for the gym.


Why manage cash weekly? This is the path that provides knowledge and direction for your financial goals for your business. This is so you know where you have been, where you are and see where you are heading at all times. Knowledge is power. Mapping out cash coming in and going out weekly, allows you to see and plan what is needed.


A question I am constantly asked - Why do I need to manage cash flow daily when I use QuickBooks.?


Great question - the answer - CASH is KING. Cash is worked daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly.  Cash is the lifeblood of every business. If you don't manage the cash coming in from accounts receivable and going out, accounts payable you run the risk of putting yourself out of business.  When you don't manage sales and accounts receivable you run the risk of missing income. (See previous post ) If you are not managing your expenses. i.e. accounts payable you can run the risk of negative circumstances where you have to scramble.  The numbers are only information, with that information, you make choices and decisions how to move forward.


A short story about cash flow. Back in 2008 I was working with a company that sold goods wholesale to large retailers.  There was one company that we had to constantly monitor as there were rumbles of bankruptcy in the air. Frightening, especially when there was over $500k in outstanding receivables. They continued to make promises to pay, however at the end of June we were notified they filed for bankruptcy protection. 


The good news, we had one advantage, our product the business was selling, was their best seller. They needed our product.  I immediately created a letter to the President of the company that filed bankruptcy stating all sales will be paid in advance by a wire. The President agreed. How did we do with cash flow? The cash sales from the bankrupt company funded our growth as the business grew 74% that year. You need cash to grow.


Your business will fail with poor cash flow management, so why run the risk?

Create that new muscle, a new habit and learn how to work your cash flow differently.  Cash happens right now, in this very moment when you receive a payment or are purchasing goods or services. Working cash daily and weekly forces you to look at and plan.  You are the CEO of your business and the CFO. Lead your finances as you lead your business.


Remember, CASH is KING, so you need to know where you are at all times.Creating simple, easy baby step habits opens the door to new possibilities for you and your business.

Next is step three - Cash Flow Management - Planning and mapping out sales i.e accounts receivable, expenses, i.e. accounts payable and credit card debt weekly.


Get in to action, and get cracking on managing your cash daily. If you have any questions or need help with managing your cash, reach out and ask for help, e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com to set up an appointment to discuss your needs.

Warmly -


Debbie Rosenfelt
President/CFO

BABY STEPS - STEP 1 OF A 3 STEP ACTION PLAN FOR MANAGING CASH

I was reminded back in the summer of 2012 in a blog post by Jeff Walker, creating success happens in baby steps.  I needed that reminder today, to remind myself I am on a journey to building my business and it doesn't happen overnight . . although I would LOVE the success to happen yesterday. A heartfelt YES, and you?

So I thought, why not create a post that supports you the leader, entrepreneur, business owner, CEO, a baby step action plan for managing the heart of your business, cash.

Step #1 - Manage cash daily. 

How you ask?

With the daily, 12 month cash register.

Why manage cash daily? This is the path that provides direction for your financial goals for your business. This is so you know where you are at all times, and so you see where you are heading. Mapping out cash coming in and going out daily, allows you to see and plan what is needed. You know when monthly recurring bills and loan payments happen, so map it out and plan how much cash you need daily..

A question I am constantly asked - Why do I need to manage cash flow daily when I use QuickBooks.?

Great question - the answer - CASH is KING. Cash is worked daily, you need to know how much cash you have on hand at all times. YES, that means creating a new muscle, a new habit if you want to figure out how to work your cash flow differently.  Cash happens right now, in this very moment when you receive a payment or are purchasing goods or services. Working cash daily forces you to look at and think of what is coming up next. If it is next week, the end of the month, next month or next quarter, etc.

When I was working with the privately held corporations, as the CFO I worked and planned cash daily, always looking at each day, each week, each month and each year. My team worked on and updated the financials in the accounting software used. AR, AP, monthly transactions, etc were worked on thru out the month.  Cash and financials are two different animals, cash is cash and financials are the whole picture of the financial story for the business.

Even now, with our gym business, we manage cash daily with the daily cash register. IT's like a checkbook in Excel, that holds 12 months of info in one workbook. Each month has it's own tab, and each worksheet is linked to the next. Every day we look at cash and manage it daily. Each day's deposits are mapped out and updated daily at the end of the day or the next morning. Recurring payments such as payroll, trainers commissions, monthly loan payments, purchasing supplies and advertising. By doing this we are able to make a decision how much to transfer to savings each month.  We put aside the bi-annual property tax payments or plan for additional equipment purchases.  I also balance the bank statement to the daily cash register which is a check and balance system for balancing cash to QuickBooks at the end of the month.

Remember, CASH is KING, so you need to know where you are at all times.

Creating simple, easy baby step habits opens the door to new possibilities for you and your business.

Next, I will share step two - Managing cash weekly with the cash management register.

Get in to action, and get cracking on managing your cash daily. If you have any questions or need help with managing your cash, reach out and ask for help, e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com to set up an appointment to discuss your needs.

Warmly -


Debbie Rosenfelt MBA CPCC
President / CFO.

COMMUNICATING VISION

Do you have a vision that needs to be communicated and you don't know how?  How do you want to communicate your vision?

A few thoughts and provoking questions for you to ponder.

Everybody has 3 fundamental needs.

1. To believe: All human hearts need to have faith in something or someone.

2. To belong: All human hearts need to experience community and family.

3. To become: All human hearts need to grow stretch and reach their potential.

What does your heart believe?  How do you hold faith in your vision of your business?

What does a community look like for you in your business? What is needed to create a community so you feel your vision is supported?

How are you being stretched to reach your vision?  Are you growing personally?  Is your business growing?  How?  What is different?  What do you want to be different? 

What does potential look like for you? Where do you start? Start with your values. What does potential of your vision look like for your business?  Where do you start?

Start with your values.

Want to brainstorm . . need direction . . .reach out and ask.

Warmly - Debbie

Email me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com

ARE YOU DARING GREATLY?

Have you heard about Brene' Brown's book, "Daring Greatly'?

I have been reading it every day for the last month soaking in every word.  I watched and listened intently to her wisdom when she was on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday a few week's ago.  I am exstatic to be going to see Brene' in Seattle this Wednesday night. 

Can you tell, I am truly moved by her work?  Why, she has easily put language to feelings I have felt the majority of my life, yet did not know how to articulate.  I feel seen and heard by Brene' and she doesn't even know who I am. Yet she understands my human needs, our human needs, to be seen, heard and valued.  She gives us a language that describe experiences that we've all had.  She gives us a language to understand more fully and deeply what we already knew, yet did not know how to express.

 

She speaks to vulnerability, shame and guilt and shares how to lead while being vulnerable without using shame. Powerful!!  

 

If you have not yet purchased the book, I HIGHLY recommend it. "Daring Greatly" by Brene' Brown  For every leader, CEO, senior manager and parent.  Daring Greatly teaches how to take life to the next level.

 

I am sharing the leadership manifesto below as my heart sang when I read it.  .

it speaks to brilliant heartfelt leadership.

 

You can get a free down loadable copy from her site Brene' Brown's "Leadership Manifesto"

 

"The Daring Greatly Leadership Manifesto"  by Brene Brown

To the CEO’s and teachers. To the principals and the managers. 

To the politicians, community leaders and decisions makers.
We want to show up, we want to learn, and we want to inspire.
We are hardwired for connection, curiosity, and engagement.
We crave purpose, and we have a deep desire to create and contribute.
We want to take risks, embrace our vulnerabilities, and be courageous.

When learning and working are dehumanized – when you no longer see us and no longer encourage our daring, or when you only see what we produce or how we perform – we disengage and turn away from the very things that the world needs from us: our talent, our ideas, and our passion.

What we ask is that you engage with us, show up beside us, and learn from us.

Feedback is a function of respect; when you don’t have honest conversations with us about our strengths and our opportunities for growth, we question our contributions and your commitment.

Above all else, we ask that you show up, let yourself be seen, and be courageous. 

Dare Greatly with us.

Powerful, isn’t  it?

As a leader, manager or as a parent, how do you dare greatly?

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt
Chief Heart Officer

 

Leadership Lessons from the Ant

I was given an invaluable gift this week by a fellow leader, entrepreneur, businessman, husband, father, Elder who has this quiet grounding presence. I so appreciate the gift my heart shouted, share, share, share with other leaders, entrepreneurs and business owners. The gift, the Maxwell Leadership Bible by John Maxwell.  The book shares lessons of Leadership from the word of God.  So over the course of time as a story or insight speaks to me, I will pass it on and share it with you in this blog.

If you enjoy what you read, please share it with someone that you think could benefit from giving this a read.  I'd be ever so grateful if you did.

What spoke to me from "Leadership Lessons from the Ant" was the very first sentence - "Do you want to make a difference?"  My eyes lit up, my heart jumped and my mind shouted from the roof tops a resounding YES. 

How about you? Do you want to make a difference?  Then pay attention to the metaphor of the ant.

Leadership Lessons from the Ant

It's amazing that one of the smallest of God's creatures can become one of His greatest teachers.

A - Attitude of Initiative

Ants don't need a commander to tell them to get started.

N - Nature of Integrity

Ants work faithfully and need no outside accountability to keep them doing right.

T - Thirst for Industry

Ants work hard and will replace their anthill when it gets ruined.

S - Source of insight

Ants store provisions in summer.

If we consider and learn from the ways of the ant, we can grow wise.

(The Maxwell Leadership Bible by John Maxwell - Page 770)

As you read this, what glean of insight sparked inside of you? 

Are you curious to learn more about you?  Quietly ask yourself these questions, then journal and discover.  Do you have an attitude of initiative?  Are you faithful to yourself?  With your business or job?  Are you thirsty for support?  Do you have insights yet ignore them?

I know you have it in you to dive deep.  Be curious about self discovery to open and expand your heart with self acceptance.  YOU are UNIQUE and you are here to share your UNIQUE gift of you.  When you uncover what is hiding underneath your beliefs, you will unearth what is driving you in your life, business/job and finances. 

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com

FRIDAY'S STORY TO INSPIRE - Are You Guarding A Concrete Slab?

Happy Friday . . Today's story to inspire is a thinker . . . this can be applied to anything, even business finances and personal finances.  How??  Read and I will share a couple of examples after the story. .

Are You Guarding A Concrete Slab?

There was an army barracks that had on its duty roster 4 soldiers to guard at all times a concrete slab in front of the barracks. The soldiers changed shifts guarding the slabs for many years. Different commanders came and went and the tradition continued.

After many years, a new commander was assigned to the barracks. Amongst the things he did was asking why things were done the way they were. When he asked why soldiers were guarding the slab, he was told, "We've always done it this way. It's our tradition. Our former commanders instructed us to do that."

The commander was adamant on finding out why. He went to the archives to look for answers and he came across a document that had the explanation. The document was very old.  It had instructions written by one of the retired commanders who had even passed away.

The new commander learnt that over 80 years ago, the barracks wanted to build a platform where events could be performed. When the concrete slab was laid, wild animals walked over it at night before the slab would dry. The soldiers would fix it the next morning but when evening came the same thing would happen. So the commander ordered that 4 soldiers should guard the concrete slab for 3 weeks to allow it to dry. The following week the commander was transferred to another post and a new commander was brought in. The new commander found the routine and enforced it and every commander that came did the same. Eighty years later the barracks continued guarding a concrete slab.

What beliefs, attitudes, traditions have you carried on that were relevant to certain people or a certain time and they are still being carried out by you? Is your opinion about yourself, people of a different race, the opposite sex, certain business opportunities, new products etc obsolete? Question the status quo.

Sandras Phiri

I told you it was a thinker . . . how are you guarding a concrete slab? 

 

Are you managing cash by going online every day?  Or do you have a system in place that supports you with consciously planning cash for business or personal finances?  During hard core crunch times, do you react or respond, because "that is the way you have always done it?"

Ask yourself, what needs to change? What needs to be looked at from a fresh perspective so an old belief pattern stops?  Can you see how the "concrete slab" is an old belief?

Here is today's action plan - Jot down one or two areas in your finances, business or personal that you want to change.  For example, create a check register in excel  (I offer a 12 month check register) and start tracking your cash.   What are the recurring charges on your credit card statement that has been on there for months or years and your not using? Start monitoring utility bills to see how much your using and spending.  Is usage going up? Are there inconsistencies? Check it out.  Create a spreadsheet to compare the costs sided by side for a rolling 12 months. What do you see?

If you want help, reach out and ask. If you believe that you can figure it out, yet everything stays the same, it's time to ask yourself - How is that working for you?  Stop watching the concrete slab and make a change to move forward. I woud love to support you with moving forward.

Have a questione-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com

Supporting you with moving forward.

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

CFO Made Easy

Friday's Story to Inspire - Good or bad . . right or wrong .

"A mistake is simply another way of doing things." ~ Katherine Graham

 Children are often told that they are good or bad when what is meant is that their behavior is seen as pleasing or not pleasing.  When the idea of being good and bad is planted deep into consciousness at an early age, it leads to a belief that we have two parts, one good and one bad.  such a belief divides us against ourselves.  f we believe that we are half bad, we cannot really believe that we are one with Divine. This causes major conflicts, the symptoms of which are guilt, shame and a feeling of being unlovable.

The now-famous Dr. Albert Ellis, a pioneer in the field of cognitive therapy, eloquently stated, "We are always doing the best we can, given that we know what we believe."  Believing this invites us to easily understand why we behave the way we do and why change is often difficult.  Many years ago, this insight led me to the realization that I am neither good nor bad; I just am.  we are all beings acting in accord with what we know and believe.  The good news is that we can and will change what we know and believe, and we will always act accordingly. "Change your thinking, change your life" is much more than bumper-sticker wisdom.  by  Bob Luckin

As you read today's story to inspire what thoughts came up for you?  How can you internalize this concept to allow yourself to move forward in your business? In your life?  What if there was no "good" or "bad", "right" or "wrong". From my perspective we make choices.  A choice is a choice, not a label.  Why do we feel we need to label ourselves or others?  Labeling sets our world to make us feel ok about ourselves.  When in fact we are ok exactly as who we are, (without the labels) and where we are in any given moment.

I can understand how this may be a stretch for you, yet I invite you for one day, to remove  "good" and "bad", "right" and "wrong" from your vocabulary . .and just allow what shows up to be.

For example, when working on your business or an area of your personal life something does not go the way you planned, step back and say, "wow, that is not what I expected", then let it go, move forward.  There still may be the urge to label it as "good" or "bad", "right" or "wrong' yet just notice what you learned and the feeling you were left with.  this is allowing . . allowing you to be with where you are in that moment.  Notice and let go of the "label" and just be.

This is just another way of doing things in business and in life.  Because YOU are the CEO and CFO of your business and of your life.

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

CFO Made Easy  

BABY STEPS - STEP 3 OF A 4 STEP ACTION PLAN FOR MANAGING CASH

"Gross revenue means nothing if, at the end of the day, you have no operating cash." ~ MIKE MICHALOWIZ

For a good twenty plus years, I managed cash daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly at the privately held companies I worked for.  Consistently working cash flow so we were prepared for anything.

Step three for managing cash is using a 52-week cash flow projections.

This is a 52 week spreadsheet that tracks cash receivables coming in and cash payables going out. Cash Receivables are listed at the top. You can create a variety of categories for cash coming in.  Examples, receivables from various areas of the business, coaching, products,, events, and seminars, etc.  Cash going out categories, inventory, then list your various vendors if that is how you want to track purchases. Commissions, payments to contractors, weekly or bi-weekly payroll, plus normal monthly expenses, rent, utilities, electricity, natural gas, phone, internet, water, lease payments, car payments.  The 52 week cash flow spreadsheet is a cash story book, it tells you where you have been, how you performed and the variances that have occurred, which will allow you to realign how you are managing cash.  At the end of the spread sheet it tells you if there is lots of cash left over for the following week, or not enough to cover you, so then you can plan to borrow or adjust what will go out.

You can purchase the weekly cash flow management tool to your right for $225, equal to $4.33 a week, which is equivalent to less than one Vente latte.

Why manage cash weekly? This is the path that provides knowledge and direction for your financial goals for your business and life. This is a tool used to see where you are and where you are heading at all times. Knowledge is power. Mapping out cash coming in and going out weekly, allows you to see and plan what is needed.

A question I am constantly asked - Why do I need to manage cash flow daily when I use QuickBooks.?

Great question - the answer - CASH is KING. Cash is worked daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly.  Cash is the lifeblood of every business. If you don't manage the cash coming in from accounts receivable and going out, accounts payable you run the risk of putting yourself out of business.  When you don't manage sales and accounts receivable you run the risk of missing income. (See previous post ) If you are not managing your expenses. i.e. accounts payable you can run the risk of negative circumstances where you have to scramble.  The numbers are only information, with that information, you make choices and decisions how to move forward.

Business's fail with poor cash flow management, so why run the risk?

As I have shared in earlier posts, create that new muscle, a new habit and learn how to work your cash flow differently.  Cash happens right now, in this very moment when you receive a payment or are purchasing goods or services. Working cash daily and weekly forces you to look at and plan.  You are the CEO of your business and the CFO. Lead your finances as you lead your business.

Remember, CASH is KING, so you need to know where you are at all times.

Creating simple, easy baby step habits opens the door to new possibilities for you and your business.

Get in to action, invest in yourself and your business. Purchase the weekly cash flow management tool and get cracking on managing your cash. If you have any questions please leave below or e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer

FRIDAY'S STORY TO INSPIRE - Pick Up Your Oar And Start Rowing

Today's story is a heartwarming story, that just makes you think in more ways then one.  Keeping it light for you today.  This finance stuff can get really heavy.

An inquiry - what is your heart wanting for you today?

Enjoy!

Pick Up Your Oar And Start Rowing

My boss, two co-workers and I stood behind the hard plastic seats. We were in the front section, on the first-base line at Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets. We were so close to the infield, there was a protective net over our heads. I was new to the New York City area and had never been to Shea Stadium. These were dream seats. My heart pounded with excitement.

We stood with our umbrellas held high. The rain beat down on everything around us. It bounced off the seats and quickly formed deep puddles on the cover protecting the field.

"Steve," I asked my boss, "How did you get such great seats?"

"They came from Ed at the office. His dad is a blind sports writer and has a long- standing relationship with the Mets and Yankees."

The game was called due to rain. We left the stadium disappointed. On the long subway ride back to Jersey City, I wondered about the man behind the seats. How could a man be blind and be a sports writer?

Years have passed since that rainy night. Old friends back in Canada often ask me, "Mike, have you gone to a baseball game in New York yet?"

I say to them, "I've been to a few, but let me tell you about the best seats I ever had but couldn't use."

Whenever this happens, the memory of that night comes flashing back. I wonder about the blind sports writer. What was his story?

It had to be special.

I sat at my computer one night. An email popped into my in-box. I didn't recognize the return address. The subject line said, "Inspirational SI article about my dad, Ed Lucas." I was curious.

I opened the email. It was from a gentleman sending me a clip of a story written by Steve Rushin for Sports Illustrated. It was a wonderful read about a special man. Through the article and the man who sent it to me, I learned the full story. The following is a synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Ed Lucas ran home from his school in Jersey City. It was October 3, 1951. He arrived in time to see Bobby Thomson win the pennant for his favorite team, the New York Giants.

After the game, Ed ran out to play ball with his friends. During the game, Ed was hit between the eyes by a line drive. The force of the blow detached both retinas, leaving Ed permanently blind.

Ed became depressed. His mother, Rosanna, took matters into her own hands and took Ed to a Newark, New Jersey men's store.

There, she introduced him to Phil Rizzuto, a part-time employee of the store and a Yankee star. Phil befriended Ed.

Rosanna wasn't done yet. She wrote the Giants Manager, Leo Durocher, about her son. Leo asked her to bring Ed to, what was then called, the Polo Grounds. On June 14, 1952, young Ed sat in the clubhouse with the members of the Giants. It was the beginning of a special relationship.

Ed enrolled in St. Joseph's School for the Blind in Jersey City. The nuns were demanding. Ed learned to make his bed and match his clothes. If he whined about being blind and not being able to do what other kids could, Sister Anthony Marie was quoted saying, "Isn't that a shame? We're all in the same boat here, Ed. Pick up your oar and start rowing."

Ed enrolled in university to study communication arts. He worked hard. He knew no other way. The nuns had made sure of that.

He graduated in 1962 and became a regular in the Shea and Yankee Stadium press boxes, where he interviewed the players. Years later, a young Mets rookie, Ron Swoboda, took Ed by the hand. Together they walked the warning track around the field. Ed traced his fingers along the outfield wall. His fingers, sensitive to reading Braille, seemed to read the history of the park. Every dent, scratch and chip he touched meant something to him.

Later that year, Ed married. He and his wife had two sons - Eddie and Chris. Sadly, at a very young age, their mother left forever. Ed had to raise his two sons alone. With the strength he learned years ago at St. Joseph's, Ed took on the task. He taught his sons to be strong.

It was not uncommon for the two young boys to see Billy Martin in their home. "Huge stars like Mickey Mantle would tell me my dad was their hero," Chris was quoted as saying.

Years later, a friend came to Ed and told him about a nurse, Allison Pfeifle, whose detached retina left her legally blind and unable to continue her profession. He asked Ed to speak to her.

Ed and Allison talked on the phone for many years before meeting in person. They were baseball fanatics and spent their first date at Shea Stadium.

On March 10, 2006, at Yankee Stadium, Allison walked from the dugout to home plate and became Ed's new bride.

With his two sons at his side, Ed started a new life, at the place he holds so dear, and with the woman who captured his heart.

Ed, now 68, was quoted saying, "Baseball took my sight, but it also gave me my life."

***********************

I sat in shock. Could it be? I mailed Chris back and told him about the seats we couldn't use that rainy night.

He confirmed, his father was the man who provided those unused seats. Chris told me later, "They are the first couple in the 80 year history of the stadium to have the honor of marrying there."

I finally knew the story. It was sure worth waiting for.

Michael T Smith

Michael lives in Caldwell, Idaho with his wonderful wife Ginny. He writes in his spare time and is completing a collection of his stories to be called, “From My Heart to Yours.” Michael writes inspirational stories in his spare time. To read more of Michael's stories or to contact him, go to Michael-Timothy-Smith Stories

For support e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com.

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer

CFO Made Easy

BABY STEPS - STEP 2 OF A 4 STEP ACTION PLAN FOR MANAGING CASH

For a good twenty years, I managed cash daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly at the privately held companies I worked for.  Consistently working cash flow so we were prepared for anything.

Step two for managing cash is using a weekly cash management tool.

This is a 52 week spreadsheet that tracks cash flow going in and coming out of your bank accounts. General checking, payroll account (If you have a separate account) savings account, and line of credit. In addition, this spreadsheet tracks accounts receivable, account payable and any credit card debt you may carry. 

Using this tool will have you looking at your accounts consistently and allows you to manage and plan, when you need to borrow from a line of credit, pay down the line, and or transfer money into savings.

We have a savings account for the gym and we sock $500 each month to cover the semi-annual real estate property taxes.  In addition, if there is a little cash left over we will put additional funds aside to cover new equipment for the gym.

You can purchase the weekly cash management tool to your right for $175, equal to $3.37 a week, which is equivalent to less than one Grande latte.

Why manage cash weekly? This is the path that provides knowledge and direction for your financial goals for your business. This is so you see where you have been, know where you are and plan where you are heading at all times. Knowledge is power. Mapping out cash coming in and going out weekly, allows you to see and plan what is needed.

A question I am constantly asked - Why do I need to manage cash flow daily when I use QuickBooks.?

Great question - the answer - CASH is KING. It is the lifeblood of every business. If you don't manage the cash coming in from accounts receivable and going out, accounts payable you run the risk of putting yourself out of business.  When you don't manage sales and accounts receivable you run the risk of missing income. (See previous post REVENUE PATROL ALERT ) If you are not managing your expenses. i.e. accounts payable you can run the risk of negative circumstances where you have to scramble.  The numbers are only information, with that information, you make choices and decisions how to move forward.

A short story about cash flow. Back in 2008 I was working with a company that sold goods wholesale to large retailers.  There was one company that we had to constantly monitor as there were rumbles of bankruptcy in the air. Frightening, especially when there was over $500k in outstanding receivables. They continued to make promises to pay, however at the end of June we were notified they filed for bankruptcy protection.

The good news, we had one advantage, our product the bankrupt business was selling, was their best seller. They needed our product.  I immediately created a letter to the President of the bankrupt company stating all sales will be paid for in advance by a wire. The President agreed. How did we do with cash flow? The cash sales from the bankrupt company provided cash in advance and funded our growth as the business grew 74%that year.  You need cash to grow.

Your business will fail with poor cash flow management, so why run the risk?

Create that new muscle, a new habit and learn how to work your cash flow differently.  As I shared in Step One, Cash happens right now, in this very moment when you receive a payment or are purchasing goods or services. Working cash daily and weekly forces you to look and plan.  You are the CEO of your business and the CFO. Lead your finances as you lead your business.

Remember, CASH is KING, so you need to know where you are at all times.

Creating simple, easy baby step habits opens the door to new possibilities for you and your business.

Next is step three - Cash Flow Management - Planning and mapping out sales i.e accounts receivable, expenses, i.e. accounts payable and credit card debt weekly.

Get in to action, invest in yourself and your business. Purchase the weekly cash management tool and get cracking on managing your cash. If you have any questions please leave below or e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer.

BABY STEPS - STEP 1 OF A 4 STEP ACTION PLAN FOR MANAGING CASH

I was reminded today in a blog post by Jeff Walker, success happens in baby steps.  I needed that reminder today, to remind myself I am on a journey to building my business and it doesn't happen over night . . although I would LOVE the success to happen yesterday. A heartfelt YES, and you?

So I thought, why not create a post that supports leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners and CEO's a baby step action plan for managing cash.

Step #1 - Manage cash daily. 

How you ask?

With the daily, 12 month cash register. (You can purchase it to your right for $150, equal to $12.50 a month, which is equivalent to approximately 3-4 latte's)

Why manage cash daily? This is the path that provides direction for your financial goals for your business or life. This is so you know where you are financially at all times, and so you see where you are heading. Mapping out cash coming in and going out daily, allows you to see and plan what is needed. You know when monthly recurring bills and loan payments happen, so map it out and plan how much cash you need daily..

A question I am constantly asked - Why do I need to manage cash flow daily when I use QuickBooks.?

Great question - the answer - CASH is KING. Cash is worked daily, you need to know how much cash you have on hand at all times. YES, that means creating a new muscle, a new habit if you want to figure out how to work your cash flow differently.  Cash happens right now, in this very moment when you receive a payment or are purchasing goods or services. Working cash daily forces you to look at and think of what is coming up next. If it is next week, the end of the month, next month or next quarter, etc.

When I was working with privately held corporations, as the CFO I worked and planned cash daily, always looking at each day, each week, each month and each year. My team worked updated the financial information in the accounting software. AR, AP, monthly transactions, etc were worked on thru out the month.  Cash and financials are two different animals.  Cash is cash managed daily and financials share the whole picture, the financial story for the business every single month.

Even now, with our gym business, we manage cash daily with the daily cash register. It is similar to a checkbook yet in Excel, that holds 12 months of info in one workbook. Each month has it's own tab, and each worksheet is linked to the next. Every day we look at cash and manage it daily. Each day's deposits are mapped out and updated daily at the end of the day or the next morning. Recurring payments such as payroll, monthly payroll taxes, quarterly payroll taxes, trainers commissions, monthly loan payments, purchasing supplies and advertising are mapped out in advance and updated as needed. By doing this we are able to make a easy financial decisions on the spot. One example, how much to transfer to savings each month.  We use the cas placed in savings for the bi-annual property tax payments or plan for additional equipment purchases.  I also balance the monthly bank statement to the daily cash register which is a check and balance system for balancing cash to QuickBooks at the end of the month.

Remember, CASH is KING, so you need to know where you are at all times.

The key to success for your cash is to create simple, easy, baby step habits that will open the door to new possibilities for you and your business.

Get in to action, purchase the daily cash register and get cracking on managing your cash daily. If you have any questions please leave below or e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@cfomadeeasy.com

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer

CFO Made Easy - First Radio Spot Commercial

I am so EXCITED, this is my first ever radio spot commercial.  It is 30 seconds and it was created for the radio program I was on earlier this week on KKNW, called Conversations that Heal with Susan Jacobi.  A very powerful conversation.

Listen and share the 30 second spot with others.

Have a question or a comment, leave it below or e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@CFOMadeEasy.com

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer

FRIDAY'S STORY TO INSPIRE - LET IT BE YOU!

This morning's words of wisdom come from Jim Rohn.  I love this man's leadership and style of motivation.  He truly makes my mind think.

As you read today's motivation, think of your business. If you don’t have a business, think of your life, now. Remember you are the CEO of your life. Life is your business, lead it that way.

Entrepreneurs, leaders and CEO's have a desire inside for a better life, to make a difference in our world. As the CEO of your life how do you want to have a better life, a life where you are making a difference for your family.

Enjoy today's story and why not Let it Be You.

Let it Be you!

Have you ever wanted to make more money? Have you ever looked at someone who has money and wished that it could be you? People think about getting wealthy all of the time, when only a small percentage actually does. But any of the masses could. Someone is going to start a business. Someone is going to make a great investment. Someone is going to begin the journey to great wealth. So why not let it be you?

Someone is going to decide to improve their relationships. Someone is going to enjoy love with their family. Someone is going to schedule some meaningful time with their friends. So why not let it be you?

Someone is going to go back to school to improve their life. Someone is going to become a lifelong learner. Someone is going to set a goal to read a book or listen to a CD each week for the next year. So why not let it be you?

Someone is going to look in the mirror and see that they need to lose a little weight and they will make the decision to become healthy. Someone will run their first marathon. Someone will join an aerobics class and improve their health. Why not let it be you?

I think that by now you get the point: Every day people are improving their lives. Whether you do or not doesn´t matter to those who do. They are going to do it, regardless. It is simply a matter of a decision being made. Let that person be you!

You may be asking, “Okay Jim, but how?” Well, let´s cover the very simple actions.

The first and most important is to make a commitment to work on yourself. Are you going to improve or stay the same? No matter what you have achieved, you are at a certain point right now. What you have achieved in the past is fine, but it doesn´t make a difference for the future. The decision about what you will become is made each day and every day. Each day someone is making the decision to better him or herself. Let that person be you!

The second is to make a plan. Once you have decided to become better you will have to have a plan. It doesn´t have to be a long, intricate plan. It can be simple. Save a dollar a day. Walk a mile a day. Read an article a day. That is a simple plan with achievable goals. Someone is going to develop a plan that will take them into the future of their dreams. Let it be you!

The third is to begin to act. All of the great ideas, without action, become stale and useless. The key to turning dreams into reality is action. People who have great ideas are a dime a dozen. People who act on their dreams and ideas are the select few, but they are the ones who gain the wealth and wisdom that is available. Someone will act today. Let it be you.

My encouragement to you is to stop looking at others who live the good life, wishing that you were as well, and instead begin to commit to your improvement, develop a plan and act on it. Someone is going to. Let it be you!

Jim Rohn
1930-2009, Author and Speaker
www.jimrohn.com 

Have a question or a comment, leave it below or e-mail me at d.rosenfelt@CFOMadeEasy.com

Warmly -

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer

FRIDAY'S STORY TO INSPIRE - THE BEST DAD

A short story to tribute dad's . .. . HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD'S

The Best Dad

Years ago I heard a story of a dad named Paul who gave his young son a small chalkboard to practice writing on. One evening his son called out from the bedroom, “Dad, how do you spell best?”

Paul answered him. Moments later, the boy hollered, “How do you spell kid?”

Finally he asked, “How do you spell ever?”

When the boy showed him what he’d written on the chalkboard, Paul expected to see “I’m the best kid ever.” Instead, the boy beamed as Paul read the message: “You’re the best dad a kid can ever have.”

Paul recalled that it was one of the best days of his life. In fact, he had to buy his son another chalkboard because he wanted to save this message forever and hang it on his wall. It’s still there.

Feeling appreciated is enormously important to adults as well as children. So much so that we often don’t think enough about what we’d most like to be appreciated for.

Being appreciated at work is a big deal. Who doesn’t want approval and respect from one’s boss and coworkers? Beyond the economic value of raises, promotions, and commendations, praise can be gratifying and motivating. That’s why good employers look for opportunities to acknowledge and thank employees for their contributions.

Yet as meaningful as work recognition is, if you could choose between winning your child’s “Best Mom/Dad a Kid Can Ever Have” award and being named “Best Employee,” which would you choose?

The point is not to belittle the pursuit of approval in your business life but to remind you how much more meaningful it is to know you’re important to and appreciated by the people who love and need you the most. Your most important job in life is to be worthy of that appreciation.

Being the “best ever” mom or dad, husband or wife, or friend – it doesn’t get any better than that.

Michael Josephson
www.charactercounts.org  

A tribute of heartfelt appreciation to my dad, Ken Petersen . . dad I love you and appreciate you for a life time.

I appreciate you and I am honored to be following you in your foot steps to be an entrepreneur.

Love Debbie -

A final note, know that you are all important and appreciated for who you are. We need YOU!  Each and every one of you.

Debbie Rosenfelt

Chief Heart Officer