Posted on Monday,

Year-End Finish Line Finance: Close Strong and Hit January Running

As the year winds down, most owners fall into one of two camps.

Some coast. They assume December is already lost, push decisions to January, and hope momentum magically appears.

Others treat the final weeks as both a finish line and a starting line, cleaning up numbers, tightening cash, and entering January with clarity instead of chaos.

This post is for owners in that second group, or those ready to join them.

You do not need a retreat or a reinvention. You need a focused, practical year-end reset you can complete in a few hours. Here’s a streamlined Finish Line Finance playbook to help you close strong and step confidently into the new year.

1. Define what “finishing strong” means.

Before you touch a spreadsheet, decide what success looks like. That might be:

Hitting a target cash balance
Reducing AR aging to a defined threshold
Cleaning up reconciliations so there are no open questions
Setting a realistic Q1 revenue and margin target.

Pick two or three outcomes. These become your filter for every year-end decision.

2. Clean up the numbers.

You cannot make good decisions with messy data. Focus on three core areas:

Reconcile key accounts
Ensure bank accounts, credit cards, and loans match actual statements.
Tighten AR and AP
Act on receivables over 60 to 90 days. Sort vendors into must-pay, flexible, and non-essential groups so you regain control of cash instead of reacting to whoever shouts the loudest.
Eliminate mystery items
Clear uncategorized expenses, odd balances, and confusing entries so you are not dragging problems into January.

3. Turn this year into insight.

Once the numbers are clean, shift from history to insight. Ask what the year is telling you.

Review trailing twelve months instead of just year-to-date snapshots.
Apply the 80/20 rule to see which customers and offerings truly drive profit.
Scan overhead for subscriptions, headcount, and creeping costs that could erode 2026 margins.

The goal is simple: know where your profit is coming from and where it is quietly leaking out.

4. Build your 13-week cash runway.

The 13-week cash model remains one of the most powerful tools in finance. Map cash in and cash out, week by week, including payroll, taxes, key vendors, debt service, and planned investments.

This reveals:

When cash may tighten
Where to accelerate collections
Which spending to delay or phase.

The goal is no surprises in Q1.

5. Choose three must-win moves for Q1.

Focus beats complexity. Select three specific, measurable actions for the first quarter. For example:

Cut AR over 60 days in half
Improve margins on top service lines
Shorten the month-end close from 20 days to 10.

Assign clear owners and deadlines. Put the first check-in dates on the calendar now.

6. Run a 90-minute finish line session.

Block 90 minutes to pull this together.

30 minutes: Confirm reconciliations and list priority cleanup items
30 minutes: Review trailing twelve months and extract key insights
30 minutes: Finalize the 13-week cash model and Q1 Must-Win Moves.

Document the decisions and the next steps. This becomes your bridge into January.

7. Carry a CFO mindset into the new year.

The habits that help you finish strong are the same habits that reduce stress and boost profit all year long.

Clean, timely numbers
Weekly visibility into cash
A short list of focused execution priorities.

If you want help putting this system in place, download the tools on my Resources page or reach out for a working session here.

Use December intentionally. You do not control the economy, but you do control how you finish the year and how prepared you are for the next one. Contact me for help!

Posted on Tuesday,

Execution Over Excuses: The Real Reason Businesses Struggle

Lately, I’ve been thinking again about what really causes businesses to struggle—or worse, fail.

You’ll hear the usual list: cash flow issues, declining sales, or lack of capital. And while those are valid pain points—(hey, I talk about cash flow all the time and am a strong advocate of the 13-week cash flow tool)—these are often symptoms, not the disease.

At Verbeck Associates, we work with growing companies every day. And what we see again and again is that most business owners know what to do. They just don’t do it consistently, clearly, and with accountability.

Years ago, I read the book Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan—it’s one of those books that sticks with you. Larry Bossidy, the former CEO of Honeywell and a longtime executive at GE, understood what it took to make strategy a reality in a complex organization. Their premise was simple: “Execution is a discipline, and integral to strategy.” In other words, it’s not enough to have a plan. The real work is in driving that plan forward—week by week, person by person, number by number. That’s where most businesses fall short.

Execution Is the Missing Link

You can have the best strategy in the world. But without execution, it’s just a document on your shared drive.

Execution means:

Translating goals into actionable steps
Holding people accountable—not just assigning tasks
Reviewing progress regularly (weekly, not quarterly)
Creating a culture where results are expected and tracked.

In Execution, Bossidy talked about something we see all the time with our clients. Businesses fail not because the strategy is wrong, but because no one owns the follow-through.

What Gets Measured Gets Done

This is where accountability structures come in. If you’re not tracking execution at the weekly level, you’re relying on luck and memory—two things that don’t scale.

At Verbeck Associates, we emphasize:

Weekly scorecards with clear metrics
Role-specific dashboards
Simple meeting cadences (financial and operational)
Forecasts that aren’t just financial—they’re operational, too.

The most successful companies don’t just set goals. They create visibility around who’s doing what, by when, and what “done” looks like.

Bottom Line

Strategy sets the direction. Execution delivers the result.

If your team isn’t hitting targets, the first question to ask isn’t “What’s wrong with the plan?” It’s “Where are we falling short in execution—and who’s accountable for that?”

October is the ideal time to thoroughly review your Q4 execution plan. If you’re not on pace to hit your year-end goals, don’t rewrite the strategy—tighten the execution.

Ask yourself:

What are the top targets by department over the next 90 days?
And more importantly, how are you tracking the tactics to get there each week?

If you need help establishing structure, setting scorecards, and implementing accountability around your goals, let’s talk.

Posted on Wednesday,

Halftime 2025: Reset, Refocus, Reforecast

We’ve hit the halfway mark of 2025. Before the second half sprints ahead, now’s your chance to pause the hustle, zoom out, and make sure you’re on the right track.

Summer is here with its slower pace, family getaways, and a well-deserved breather. But it’s also a golden opportunity to hit pause with purpose. Mid-year is the perfect moment to reset your business GPS and ensure you’re headed toward the finish line—not just coasting, but accelerating.

You don’t need a full-day offsite or a retreat center (though I’ve helped facilitate a few powerful ones with clients this year). A few laser-focused hours with the right numbers and the right mindset can create serious alignment and focus for Q3 and Q4.

Why Halftime Reviews Matter

Every year, I observe the same phenomenon: companies that pause mid-year to review, reforecast, and refocus always finish stronger. They don’t wait until December to figure out what went wrong. They course-correct now.

A strategic halftime review helps you:

Spot what’s working and what’s not before minor issues become big problems
Adjust your forecast based on reality
Re-align your team around fresh priorities and targets
Prepare for the unexpected curveballs
Finish the year with purpose and renewed energy

Halftime isn’t a break. It’s a power play.

5 Steps to Run a High-Impact Halftime Review

1. Zero in on the Right Numbers

Start with a clean, fast financial close—no guesswork, no fuzzy math. Then dig into the key metrics that tell the real story:

Sales by segment
Gross margin trends
Operating expenses vs. budget
Net income YTD
Cash and receivables position
Capital needs through year-end.

Don’t just glance. Analyze. Look at actual vs. budget vs. prior year—monthly, quarterly, and YTD snapshots. What trends are emerging? Where are you outperforming? Where are things slipping? This is where insights emerge—and strategic decisions take shape.

2. Re-forecast with Realistic Assumptions

If your original plan doesn’t reflect today’s reality, it’s time to let it go. Be honest with the data—and yourself. Update your sales and margin expectations, reset spending plans, and revise your cash forecast. Think forward: What do the next six months look like? Build your roadmap on facts, not wishful thinking.

3. Recommit to Laser-Focused Q3 Priorities

Don’t try to fix everything. Instead, identify 2–3 key priorities that will move the needle this quarter. Think:

A margin-improving initiative
A smarter pricing strategy
A key hire or team restructure
A tighter, more actionable reporting cadence.

Whatever you choose, make it count. Assign a clear owner. Define success.

Set timelines. Then focus relentlessly. In Q3, clarity beats complexity every time.

4. Evaluate Your Team and Execution

Halftime is the perfect time to take a hard look at your org chart and execution muscle. Ask yourself:

Do you have the right people in the right seats?
Is your sales and marketing effort performing or coasting?
Is finance or ops keeping pace with growth, or falling behind?
Are your teams exploring tools like AI to work smarter, not harder?

Have the tough conversations in Q3 so you’re not dealing with costly surprises in Q4.

5. Stop Doing What’s Not Working (The 80/20 Wake-Up Call)

Finishing strong isn’t about piling on more—it’s about cutting what’s holding you back. This is your cue to apply the 80/20 lens.

Which 20% of your customers or services drive the majority of your profit?
Which ones eat up your time, team, and energy—for little to no return?

I find that many times, the top 20% of your customers drive 150% of your net income, while the bottom 80% drag it down. Let that sink in.

It’s Time to Make the Calls

This is where good intentions turn into authentic leadership. Ask the tough questions:

What do we need to stop doing?
Which customers or offerings are hurting margin and focus?
What’s the true profitability by customer?
What projects or meetings have outlived their usefulness? Or reporting, data collection, or general processes.

Zoom out. Take a 10,000-foot look. Then apply a simple decision filter: Repair it. Refine it. Replace it. Or remove it.

Sometimes the smartest move isn’t adding more—it’s clearing the clutter. Freeing up energy and resources can be more powerful than adding something new.

Your Second Half Checklist

I recommend gathering these essentials to power your halftime review:

YTD sales, margin, and net income vs. budget and prior year. Clean, accurate numbers only
Income statement & balance sheet by month (trailing 24 months)
Updated org chart
Sales by segment/customer type
2025 budget by month (vs. actuals to date)
Updated 13-week cash flow forecast
Capital needs through year-end
Your “Stop Doing” list powered by 80/20 insights.

Final Thought: Halftime Is a Leadership Moment

You don’t need to blow up your playbook. But you do need to pause, reflect, and lead intentionally.

A solid halftime review realigns your team, re-centers the focus, and reignites momentum. It gives you—and your people—confidence to finish 2025 strong.

Do the work. Build your second-half plan.
It might be the highest-impact move you make all year.

Contact me for guidance!

Posted on Tuesday,

How to Run a Monthly Financial Review Without Putting People to Sleep

Let’s face it—most business owners and staff don’t look forward to monthly financial reviews. They either dread them, delay them, or delegate them. Why? Because too often, the meeting feels like a confusing spreadsheet parade or a guilt trip over missed targets.

But it shouldn’t be that way.

A monthly financial review is one of the most powerful tools you have. Done right, it gives you a clear snapshot of where your business stands, where it’s heading, and what adjustments you need to make. I’m a numbers guy and love numerical tables, but that’s very dependent on the audience of the meeting. For most owners I deal with, it’s less about crunching numbers and more about telling the story behind those numbers.

Here’s how to run a financial review that’s efficient, insightful, and yes—worth staying awake for.

1. Focus on Trends, Not Just Numbers

Stop obsessing over a single month’s data. Business performance rarely moves in a straight line. Instead, zoom out and study patterns across time.

Ask:

Are sales steadily growing or losing momentum?
Are margins staying strong, or slowly slipping?
Is your cash flow behaving as you expected—or are there surprises?

Lay out the last 6–12 months side by side. This birds-eye view helps you catch subtle shifts before they become full-blown problems. It also enables you to recognize what’s working so you can do more of it.

Pro Tip: Color-code or graph key metrics to make trends jump off the page. Visuals beat walls of numbers every time.

2. Look at KPIs, Not Just Financial Statements

Your income statement and balance sheet tell you what happened. Your KPIs tell you why.

Choose 5–7 key performance indicators that reflect the true health of your business. These will vary depending on your industry, but may include:

Gross profit margin – Are you pricing your products or services effectively?
Accounts receivable days – How quickly are you collecting money?
Labor efficiency – Are you getting the correct output for your payroll investment?
Inventory turns – How fast is inventory moving? Are you overstocked or running lean?

Understand the impact of slight improvements. For example, a 5-day improvement in DSO could mean a $65,000 increase in cash.

Track these KPIs consistently—monthly, quarterly, annually—and discuss them out loud. When you put numbers in context, they become tools for decision-making, not just reports.

Pro Tip: Assign ownership. Make someone responsible for each KPI, so there’s accountability and follow-through.

3. Ask Two Simple, Powerful Questions

Once you’ve reviewed the data, don’t stop there. The real value comes from discussion and decisions. Ask:

What’s working that we can double down on?
What’s not working that we need to fix—or what do we need to stop doing altogether?

These two questions force you out of passive observation and into active strategy. They help your team focus, prioritize, and align on what to do next.

Pro Tip: Write down the answers. Turn them into real action items and assign next steps with deadlines.

4. Keep It Short, Structured, and Actionable

If your financial review takes two hours, you’re doing it wrong. Aim for a meeting that’s:

45 minutes max
Driven by a one-page summary or dashboard
Ending with 2–3 specific action items

The goal isn’t to analyze every penny—it’s to surface what matters and make clear decisions. I use our CFO report as the basis for the discussion. A tight, focused structure keeps your team engaged and turns the review into a rhythm, not a chore.

Pro Tip: Stick to a consistent format and time each month. Make it a habit that your business can rely on.

Bottom Line: Use It to Lead, Not Just Look Back

Your monthly financial review shouldn’t feel like punishment. It’s your chance to lead your business on purpose, not just react to what’s already happened.

When you bring strategy, structure, and storytelling to the table, financial reviews become energizing. They spark new ideas, surface issues early, and give your team confidence in the direction you’re heading.

So no more dreading the numbers. Use them to drive clarity, alignment, and momentum.

Contact me for help in crafting a better approach to monthly financial reviews.