Strategic financial planners plan. They outline the steps necessary to achieve your business goals, then draw up a roadmap of how to hit those marks. Strategic financial planners help businesses allocate their resources appropriately to maximize the efficacy of each resource, from human capital to investments to revenue.
Strategic financial planners look at your business as a whole before winnowing down their focus to your projected revenue and expenses, cash flow management, and capital budgeting. Only once they have a thorough understanding of the ins and outs of your business can these master strategists then construct the plan best suited to your business goals.
It’s easy to get bogged down in the technical minutiae of what a strategic financial planner does. The details of these planners’ work can be highly technical and require a fair bit of financial, accounting, and economic expertise. By zooming out a bit, however, you see that a strategic financial planner's work all comes down to one main exercise: planning. After the data gathering, interviewing, and intense analysis, strategic planners have to come up with a unique, personalized financial roadmap for your business.
The work necessary to create a comprehensive strategic financial plan is significant and complex. It can, however, be roughly broken down into five steps. These are steps that your strategic financial planner will involve you in to determine the best course of action for your businesses financial health. They are:
Without a good understanding of the core vision of your business, your financial plan won't have a sturdy foundation. Clearly establish what it is that your business does, the services it provides, and what success looks like for you.
2. Set Goals
Your strategic financial planner will collaborate with you to set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. These goals will be implemented (either in the short or long term) and tracked. Accountability is paramount when setting these goals, and regular check-ins should be scheduled and performed faithfully.
3. Execution
Here's where the strategy comes in: the execution of your goals must be carefully planned. Your financial strategy should address short and long-term goals, inform your products or business offerings, account for changing customer needs and attitudes, address improving long-term shareholder value increases, and set the tone for revenue growth.
4. Check the Team
Once you have a transformative plan in place, it's crucial to have the right people on your team. An expert strategic financial planner that you trust is critical, as are accountants and managing leaders in your organization. Buy-in from these key players makes implementation run smoothly and helps iron out wrinkles early.
5. Keep Calm and Gather Data
An intervention in your business is only as effective as its implementation. Trusting in your financial planner and your collaborative plan is the name of the game for success. Seek buy-in from employees to maximize the efficacy of your plan and guarantee that it is implemented with fidelity. Make accountability the norm, and keep organized track of data to bolster your understanding of your plan’s success. Later, revisit your plan with your strategic financial planner to audit the roadmap’s success and make adjustments where necessary.
Engaging with a knowledgeable strategic financial planner can make the difference between your business thriving or just surviving. Strategic financial planners benefit businesses of every size, no matter the industry. Proactive financial planning is the most prudent way to future-proof your business.
When you are ready to work with the best strategic financial planners, contact OWLFI. Our team of experts can help you develop the best solutions for your business.
