10.12.17

Three Things You Must Have Before Fishing for VC and Angel Funding
Chris Arndt

Let us start with a dose of reality. Very few, as in significantly less than 1%, of emerging U.S. businesses successfully secure Venture Capital (VC) funding. According to the National Venture Capital Association, less than 1,500 companies were the beneficiaries of first time VC backing in 2015. While angel funding is more available than VC investments, only about 2.5% of companies that apply successfully attain funding. If you think your company will be one of the lucky few, here are a few things you will need before pitching to VC or angel investors.

10.03.17

How Does a Growing Company Maintain its Innovation and Competitive Edge?
Chris Arndt

How does a growing company maintain its innovation and competitive edge? By hiring great employees? NOPE. It’s by keeping them. By employing open book management and offering a stake in profits you can retain great talent to help your company thrive. Learn the key concepts, metrics and incentives needed to curate your culture for growth. We […]

08.17.17

The Do’s and Don’ts of Pricing Your Product
Chris Arndt

Do lower costs to lower prices, but do not forget to overlook value. From freemium to premium, you have to decide what’s right for your company and its product and what fits industry standards. But, there are a few things that are universal no matter which pricing scheme you choose. Read this article, before you launch. Ready to […]

08.14.17

Financial Goals: Going Beyond “Keep Overhead Low”
Chris Arndt

These are the financial goals for every business that are actually worth making. We know we don’t need to convince you to make financial goals. We’ve all heard the: “don’t spend more than you make,” and “keep overhead low” advice. But those are a little obvious. These five approaches to goal-setting are actually attainable and […]

06.23.17

How to Become a Reseller in Illinois
Chris Arndt

There are any number of variances in reseller store setups, products sold and reasons why you may want to become a reseller. Maybe you want to supplement existing services you offer with related products. Perhaps you have an “in” on a good source or manufacturer for new merchandise that you are confident will sell well. Whatever your reason, our latest Cloud Services Group blog provides a bit of advice on what you need to know if you wish to become a reseller in Illinois.

06.07.17

Company Health Check: Is Your Business Financially Fit?
Chris Arndt

How do you know your company is financially fit? We all talk it to death: profit, profit, profit. And for good reason—your profitability, and therefore your profit margin, is the single best measure of company health. However, it is a mistake to think that is all there is to it. This article outlines a handful of other metrics you should be using to gauge company health.

05.17.17

The 28 Accounting Terms Every Entrepreneur Should Know
Chris Arndt

It happens more often than you might think. High-growth business owners that think they are “in the know” when it comes to finance and accounting jargon. But, in reality, they do not understand the most important accounting terms every entrepreneur should know.

05.12.17

Is it Time for Your Company to Draft an Expense Policy?
Chris Arndt

Still don’t have a written expense policy? Do not worry, you are not alone. Many businesses and startups overlook this item at the beginning. Initially, it may seem unnecessary because there are not a lot of travel and expenses incurred and, if there are, they are mostly incurred by a select few people. However, as your business grows, you will notice more of your staff are either requesting reimbursements or you are having to add more employee credit cards to your account. Worse, you may begin to be concerned that your employees are over-spending on certain expenses. This article provides a few considerations you should take when drafting your company’s expense policy.

05.02.17

Communicating Your Financial Performance to Get Noticed By Investors
Chris Arndt

It is not easy communicating financial performance for investors. Inc. recently published an article titled, “Seven Horrifying Mistakes Founders Make in Their Pitches,” and that got me thinking about what the best approach is, specifically when communicating financial performance to investors. This article provides a few considerations business founders should take into account in order to best convey their business’ financial performance to investors.

03.24.17

Joining the ORBA Team
Frank L. Washelesky

ORBA acquired Red Granite in 2016. This blog is meant to provide an overview of additional services and benefits that we can provide to our Red Granite clients who may not yet be familiar with our service model. Over the next few months, we will highlight both the traditional and unique services that we can provide to Red Granite clients and their owners and executives.