Startup 会计 Tips After Seed Funding is Secured

You’ve hit a big milestone in startup accounting—investor funding. That’s huge, but it’s not where the trail ends. Since that funding is just the first step on 你的成长历程现在，一切都变得真实起来. Your investors will be watching closely in the next 90-180 days to get a true feel for who they’ve backed. Because you’re now long on things to handle and short on personnel, 获得会计支持 from a trusted advisor like a fractional 首席财务官 can keep you on track.

It’s time to get your team excited so you can really dig in. Here are the next business and financial steps to take to help you succeed.

1. 与你的投资者沟通进展

Meeting your stakeholders’ expectations is pretty straightforward—you have to do what you said you’d do. But even if you do, they won’t know unless you clearly communicate with them on your progress. You want your investors to feel comfortable with the trust they’ve put in you. Give them regular updates whether or not they ask. As you move forward you can adapt to their style, but start with weekly communiques because things are changing rapidly. 也安排常务会议.

在你的报道中要清晰, 使用商定的指标, 基准, and financial gates that provide a comprehensive picture of what you’re doing and how it’s going. If you’ve just received seed money, you’ve “proven” your product and market fit. Now your goal is to see if your revenue model works. 

As you’re burning off your initial investment, you need to look ahead to the next raise. Another pitch is likely coming, so you should be asking yourself 这些钱从哪里来?

2. 在你的团队中找到合适的人

Whether it’s been just you or a very small group up until now, you need more brain power and hands to grow quickly and make strategically smart decisions. That makes hiring an overarching consideration. 这是一个高压点, 太, because you can’t be careful enough about who you choose to join your team. A bad fit is money wasted in every respect and it can set you back months, if not a year. Bringing in human capital consultants on a limited engagement can help set you on the right course.

There’s an entrepreneurial adage that says, “When I started my first business, a 首席财务官 was the last person I hired. When I started my second business, they were the first.”

Money powers all businesses, from startups to the largest, most venerable organizations. 马上为首席财务官做预算 ensures you will have expert guidance to plan strategically, establish efficient financial and reporting processes, 做预测, 设定预算 and make the myriad of other decisions required to grow your startup.

If you can’t give away a share in your company at this point or a full time financial expert is simply not in your budget, 还是选择分制首席财务官吧. By outsourcing your 首席财务官 duties you can get all the expertise you need plus industry experience and connections that add valuable benefits. It’s a flexible option that allows you to get just the level of support you need, which you can increase in the future if your situation changes.

3. 更新你的财务模式

It’s time to revisit your balance sheet, forecasts, and hiring plan. 现金计划是必要的. No matter how large your funding, it’s a finite amount and it will only go so far. 你需要 明智地花钱.

Set aside a cash reserve—enough to cover 90 days to six months of operating expenses. 这种方式, if getting your product to market takes longer than anticipated, you can still get there without burning through all your cash. Otherwise, you’ll have to ask for more, and that sends the wrong message to stakeholders. Avoid any unplanned purchases or anything that’s not germane to your near-term goals. Investors like to see good resource stewardship.

读一本好书

In effect, investors have hired you to make them money by making a go of your company. 花时间阅读 最初的90天 作者:Michael A. 沃特金斯, renowned for its advice for the recently-promoted, will help you settle into your expanded role.

Great Communication At the Top Pulls it All Together

One thing founders often overlook is that, with funding, you now enjoy the privilege of focus. 最后, you can quit that day job you’ve hung onto to pay your bills and pay yourself to spend 100% of your time zeroed in on growing your fledgling company.

利益相关者, 员工, 供应商, 潜在客户, or customers—communicating clearly with all of these audiences every step of the way will set up your startup for success.