.png)
Episode 14 // Four Key Ratios to Strengthen Financial Fortitude
Championed by our friends at Community Futures Saskatchewan
Ratios are the bread and butter of financial analysis. They're numbers offering us important insights into the financial health of our business.
However, if you’re like most Founders, you’ve probably not taken the time to calculate (let alone analyze) them. Perhaps, you didn’t know where to start, or weren't confident with interpreting them.
Clarifying ratios and making them meaningful is why we’re excited to have NTN Pro, Ron Robichaud back in the Lab with us. Today, he’s walking us through calculating and interpreting ratios like the champs we are, so we can take charge of our business and its financial well-being.
Part 1 // Key Ratios: Learning How to Read the Signs
Founders, if you’re not looking at your ratios, you’re potentially missing out on important warning signs—red flags letting you know what areas of your business require your attention.
So where to start? In Part 1, Ron walks us through the four critical categories of ratios: Leverage. Liquidity. Efficiency. Profitability.
What’s "good" when it comes to a given ratio? Clueless? Well, Ron helps us crunch the numbers and gives us some possible fixes for when ratios look unfavorable.
The Ron Robichaud Ratio. Fix this ratio and the others take care of themselves.
Part 2 // Converting $ to %: A Simple Way to Find the Issues
Turn dollar signs into percentages and watch the numbers light up. This one small adjustment can give you a simple yet powerful new perspective on your income statement.
Watch these numbers follow a trend over time or highlight abrupt and potentially costly inconsistencies. Either way, when you’re done with Part 2, you’ll have some powerful numeric tools for understanding and controlling what’s been impacting your bottom line profit.
Part 3 // Industry Benchmarks: Inconsistencies and Flaws
As mother always said—don’t go comparing yourself to others. This advice holds true in business as well. Many of us turn to industry benchmarks to get a sense of how we’re stacking up against the competition.
Industry benchmarks pool data from a large group of businesses with varying cost structures and competitive advantages. In Part 3, Ron expresses his apprehension to comparing our numbers against industry benchmarks and offers an alternative approach to establishing healthy and profitable milestones to strive for.
About the Pro // Ron Robichaud
Founder + CEO
C&R Care & Consulting Limited
With career experiences that span over thirty years, Ron Robichaud has worked in diverse industries: manufacturing operations, finance, small business management, community development, the service sector and municipal government. During his 10 years in manufacturing, Ron gained expertise in work-flow processes as well as industrial engineering. He and his wife later purchased and operated a retail business for 5 years, quadrupling its sales. Ron also worked with a Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) providing business coaching and small business loans.
Ron holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Université de Moncton and is an accomplished and passionate educator. He has been an adjunct Professor both at Acadia University and Université Sainte-Anne where he taught classes in Small Business Management and Economics. His work in outreach community development departments in both universities led to world-wide recognition in community economic development. He served as President of the Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and of the International Professional Standards Committee for APEC-IBIZ, an internationally recognized program that certifies Small Business Counsellors around the world.
About the Champ // Community Futures Saskatchewan
25 years of loans, advice and support for Saskatchewan Founders
Community Futures Saskatchewan has been in the business of encouraging and supporting their communities, volunteers and small business owners for more than 25 years. They know what it takes to start and grow a business, to raise money for a community project or organize to provide a much-needed community service. And they'll approach your idea in a way as individual as you are.
Connect //
GAB LAB CHAMP // Community Futures Saskatchewan www.cfsask.ca
GAB LAB HOST // Taunya Woods Richardson taunya@nailthenumbers.com // 1.844.844.3660
NTN PRO // Rob Robichaud www.demystifyyourprofits.com // ronrobichaud2@gmail.com
Have an idea for a Gab Lab episode? Looking for help with a specific topic?
Hit us up at helpdesk@nailthenumbers.com
.png)
Comments