You Know You Need An Executive Swat Team When…

What do you get when you combine an Indian Chief, “Joe Isuzu”, a Bean-Counter, and a Computer Geek? No!… not the business version of the Village People… Rather, you have an Executive SWAT Team that can quickly turn around a company that is in desperate need of reorganization, or help a small company get to the next level in its profitable growth and evolution.

You may be asking… “So just what is an Executive SWAT Team comprised of?” Well for one, you the business owner are the Chief; The Boss; The Man/Woman; The Big Dog; The Buck Stopper; The Big Cheese; The Final Decision-Maker; The Stakeholder. The Sales/Marketing Expert, Bean-Counter, and Computer Geek are the other members of your Executive SWAT Team. They are people you hire who offer their services in a scalable and affordable way that is appropriate for the size of your business. These folks obviously have an expertise in sales/marketing, accounting/finance, and information systems respectively.

“Now that I have my Executive Swat Team, what can I do with it?” Fabulous question! With you at the helm, this small group of talented experts can quickly chart a course and rapidly deploy the marketing strategies, business processes, systems, and new technology to jet you and your company into a profitable future! This will quickly add value and profitability for the company’s stakeholders (you!) and will create opportunities for stock offerings, acquisitions, or a company sale.

How do I know I need an Executive SWAT Team? (I thought you would never ask!)

• You know you need an Executive SWAT Team when: Your cash inflow is significantly less than your cash outflow!
• You know you need an Executive SWAT Team when: Your Bookkeeper thinks A/R Aging is a process related to Cheese.
• You know you need an Executive SWAT Team when: The words Timely or Accurate are not words you would use to describe your company’s financial statements.
• You know you need an Executive SWAT Team when: You call your Banker to ask for a loan, they break out laughing and say, “So now, why did you really call?”
• You know you need an Executive SWAT Team when: You just realized that, in the last year, your company has purchased twice as many computers than you have employees!
• You know you need an Executive SWAT Team when: Your Strategic Business Plan for the future ends next Wednesday!
• You know you need an Executive SWAT Team when: You’re spending all of your time telling everyone else how to do their job, and you have no time to do your job of cultivating new customers and business alliances.
• You know you need an Executive SWAT Team when: The only Exit Strategy you have for yourself involves Quadruple By-Pass Heart Surgery!
• You know you need an Executive SWAT Team when: You suddenly realize that consulting others on Key Business Decisions often involves a conversation with the family dog.

So if any of these items strike a sensitive nerve of reality, you may want to start assembling your own Executive SWAT Team so that the future you envision for your company, your family and yourself can become tomorrow’s reality… And tomorrow’s reality can get here as soon as possible!

M. Martin Mercer, J.D., CPA, FCPA, CFE

Mr. Mercer is a partner in Denver, Colorado with B2B CFO. He can be contacted at (303) 621-5825.