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The Toptal Finance Blog is a hub for in-depth studies and analysis on all facets of finance, ranging from innovative strategies on raising capital to detailed coverage of new finance trends and technologies.
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Adapting for Success – A Guide to Change Management
With today’s rapid pace of technological progress, organizational change is perhaps more necessary than it ever has been. But change is hard. Countless studies show that more often than not, corporations fail to implement change successfully, losing money, time, and employee morale in the process.
Based on his 20+ years of international finance experience across a range of industries, and over a decade of experience as a CFO, Toptal Finance Expert Edwin Petersen outlines his thoughts on why change management often fails and how to get it right.
Edwin Petersen
Edwin has 20+ years of international finance experience across a range of industries, and over a decade of experience as a CFO.
Survival Metrics: Getting to Grips with the Startup Burn Rate
Burn rate is one of the simplest, yet most fundamental metrics that investors and startups focus on. It pertains to the total cash spend of the business per month, which demonstrates both growth progress and potential runway that the business has to survive. This article introduces the burn rate concept and the tactics that can be applied to optimize it.
Pierre Francois
Pierre is a strategic finance professional focused on reporting, forecasting, internal controls, and ERP implementation.
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Financial Clarity at Last: How to Reboot Your Chart of Accounts Structure in 7 Steps
It is quite common for financial reports to fall short of executives’ expectations. Accounting teams tend to focus on doing things the “right way” rather than asking readers of the financial statements what they want to see.
In this article, Toptal Finance Expert Scott Hoover demonstrates how to set up a chart of accounts and raise your organization’s financial reporting to the next level.
Scott Hoover
Scott is a CPA with three focus areas: high-level monthly financial oversight, accounting software projects, and corporate tax planning.
The Rules of Motivation: A Story About Correcting Failed Sales Incentive Schemes
Rewards programs and sales incentive schemes are necessary for any business that operates outbound customer acquisition channels. They encourage certain behavior and that, if poorly constructed, can lead to perverse results and conflicting interests. Creating a holistic plan that stimulates positive company-wide behavior is an art that has huge benefits.
Kresimir Profaca
Kresimir is an entrepreneur and CFO with more than two decades of experience in growth-stage startups and large corporations.
Aligned for Success: A Guide to What Investors Look for in a Startup
Startup investors are not benevolent creatures, they’re looking for certain signals that help to persuade them to part with their money. This guide, written from an investor’s perspective, intends to help startups understand the key areas to focus on and emphasize when raising money.
David Bradshaw
David is a financial expert who has assisted startups and companies in various growth stages to secure funding, involving deals of up to $100 million. He specializes in cash flow management and financial planning, and modeling, with a focus on real estate, consumer, and financial sectors.
The Undeniable Importance of a Business Plan
We often hear about business plans in the context of early-stage companies; however, constructing excellent business plans is difficult and time-consuming, so many entrepreneurs avoid them. But, is this a mistake?
While most people may be aware of the “soft” arguments for and against writing a business plan, in this article, a Toptal Finance Expert takes a data-driven approach to addressing the debate. In it, he finds strong evidence to support the notion that writing an excellent business plan is time well spent.
Sean Heberling
Sean has analyzed 10,000+ companies, built complex models, and helped facilitate $1+ billion in investment transactions.
AI Investment Primer: A Practical Guide to Appraising Artificial Intelligence Dealflow (Part II)
In part I of this two-part series, Toptal Finance Expert Carolyn Deng provided an overview of the world of AI aimed at investors, with a focus on understanding what factors make for a great AI company. In this follow-up post, she outlines five practical steps investors should follow when diligencing a potential AI investment.
Carolyn Deng, CFA
A Wharton MBA and CFA, Carolyn has executed 20+ VC/PE deals, managed a $700M portfolio and is a fundraising, growth and M&A specialist.
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