You wouldn’t see a team at this weekend’s Formula 1 in Melbourne start a race without knowing exactly how much fuel they need to finish.

In business, cash is your fuel.
But many business owners are still racing without knowing how much is left in the tank.

Do you know:

• how long your cash will last?
• when pressure points are coming?
• what decisions today mean for cash in three or six months?

If you want to build a simple cashflow forecast to see how much cash is really in your tank, send me a message.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

When business owners talk about what keeps them awake at night, they usually talk about costs.

Wages feel too high.
Suppliers keep pushing prices up.
Overheads slowly creep higher.

But in my experience, the biggest drain on a business is not found in the profit and loss statement.

Financial uncertainty is the most expensive number in your business.

Why Financial Uncertainty Costs More Than High Expenses

High costs are visible. You can see them, measure them, and usually take action.

Financial uncertainty is different. It shows up in the decisions you delay or make without confidence.

When you do not know what your cash position will be next month, you hesitate to hire.
When you are unsure which customers are profitable, you discount to win work.
When you do not trust your numbers, you delay investing or invest at the wrong time.

This is why financial uncertainty becomes more expensive than wages, rent, or supplier costs. Every uncertain decision carries a hidden cost.

How Financial Uncertainty Quietly Damages Businesses

Financial uncertainty rarely creates one obvious problem. Instead, it causes a series of small, compounding issues:

• Missed opportunities because decisions are delayed
• Reactive choices driven by fear rather than strategy
• Over-reliance on gut feel instead of financial insight
• Stress and fatigue that eventually lead to poor judgement

I regularly work with profitable businesses that still feel like they are struggling. The issue is not revenue or margins. It is a lack of clarity around cash flow and timing.

This is why I often say The Most Expensive Number in Your Business Is Uncertainty.

Costs Can Be Controlled. Financial Uncertainty Cannot Be Ignored.

A business with a high-cost base but strong financial visibility can still make confident decisions.

A business with low costs but high financial uncertainty cannot.

That is why two businesses with similar revenue and margins can feel completely different to run. One owner feels in control. The other feels like they are constantly reacting.

The difference is not the numbers themselves.
It is certainty.

Reducing Financial Uncertainty Starts With Better Questions

More reports do not automatically create clarity.

Reducing financial uncertainty comes from being able to confidently answer questions like:

• How much cash will the business have in 30, 60, and 90 days?
• Which customers and services actually generate cash?
• What happens to cash flow if sales slow or costs increase?
• How much can the business safely invest or pay out?

When you can answer these questions, decisions become faster, calmer, and far more effective.

Why a CFO Mindset Reduces Financial Uncertainty

An outsourced CFO is not there to simply report on last month’s numbers.

Their role is to reduce financial uncertainty.

By turning historical data into forward-looking insight.
By testing decisions before they are made.
By focusing on timing and cash flow, not just totals.

From a CFO perspective, financial uncertainty is the most expensive number in your business because it clouds judgement, confidence, and momentum.

Final Thought

You can survive high costs.
You can recover from a bad quarter.

But ongoing financial uncertainty quietly erodes value from your business every day.

If you want to reduce the most expensive number in your business and replace it with clarity and confidence, start by improving your financial visibility.

If you would like help turning your numbers into certainty, get in touch

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

A business prenup is not about mistrust.
It is about clarity when life changes.

As an Outsourced CFO working with small and growing businesses, I have seen life changes destroy both friendships and businesses.

One example that sticks with me involved two business partners running a Christmas tree business on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. It was seasonal, profitable, and built on a strong working relationship.

Then life happened.

One partner decided to move their family to Queensland. A great life choice for that partner, but there was no agreement on what happened next with the business.

There was no plan for:

• What happens if one partner steps away
• How the business would be valued
• Whether one partner could buy the other out
• How profits and workload would be handled

What started as a strong partnership quickly became uncomfortable. Not because either person was unreasonable, but because nothing had been agreed while things were good.

Why Business Prenups Matter

A business prenup, such as a shareholders or partnership agreement, creates clarity before pressure arrives. From a CFO perspective, it helps answer critical questions like:

• What happens if someone exits
• How business value is determined
• What happens if contributions change
• How financial and strategic decisions are made

These are not negative conversations. They are protective ones.

The Real Risk Is Not Planning

Most business breakdowns do not come from bad intent. They come from changing circumstances. When there is no agreed framework, emotion fills the gap and financial decisions suffer.

Final Thought

A business prenup is not about planning for failure.
It is about protecting relationships, value, and momentum when life changes.

If you are building a business with others, the best time to have these conversations is before you need them.

👉 If you want help reviewing your partnership structure, exit scenarios, or financial arrangements, this is the kind of work I do at A Real CFO. Feel free to reach out for a confidential conversation.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

Many business owners assume that if revenue is going up, the business must be doing well.
In reality, that assumption causes more financial stress than almost any other.

Revenue growth feels positive.
More customers. More activity. Bigger numbers.

But profitable growth is what determines whether a business becomes stronger or more fragile over time.

I see this pattern repeatedly:

• Revenue is rising
• The team is busier than ever
• Cash is tighter
• Stress is higher
• Decisions feel reactive, not deliberate

On paper, the business is growing.
Operationally and financially, it is under more pressure than before.

What Revenue Growth Actually Measures

Revenue growth focuses on the top line.
It tells you how much you are selling, not how well the business is performing.

It often ignores:

• Cost to acquire customers
• Delivery costs
• Working capital strain
• Cash timing
• Operational capacity

A business can grow revenue rapidly while quietly eroding margin and cash.

What Profitable Growth Looks At Instead

Profitable growth asks a different set of questions:

• Which customers generate real profit?
• Which products or services carry sustainable margin?
• What growth can be funded without creating cash strain?
• Where should growth be slowed, reshaped, or even stopped

Profitable growth is not about growing slower.
It is about growing with intent and control.

Why This Distinction Matters

Businesses that chase revenue often experience:

• Cash flow stress
• Constant firefighting
• Overworked teams
• Reduced owner confidence

Businesses that design for profitable growth build:

• Stronger margins
• Predictable cash flow
• Better decision-making
• A business that supports the owner, not the other way around

Growth should reduce pressure as the business scales, not amplify it.

If your revenue is increasing but the business feels harder to run, that is a signal worth paying attention to.

If you want to understand the difference in your business and what to do about it, reach out.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

If focusing on strengths is the key to better performance, then the next logical question is this:
what do you do about the things you are not good at?

Too many business owners try to become good at everything.
Finance. Sales. Operations. People. Systems. Strategy.

It is exhausting, and it is not realistic.

Strong leaders do something different.
They build teams that balance them out.

Instead of spending years trying to fix their weaknesses, they hire or partner with people whose strengths naturally cover those gaps.

That is not avoiding responsibility.
That is building a business that can actually scale.

The trouble starts when business owners try to do it all themselves and end up becoming the bottleneck.

The real leadership shift happens when you stop asking,
“How do I fix myself?”
and start asking,
“Who do I need around me so the business can perform at its best?”

Strong businesses are not built by well-rounded individuals.
They are built by well-balanced teams.

So here is the question worth thinking about 👇

Are you trying to be good at everything, or are you building a team that is strong where you are not?

If this is something you are navigating right now, you are not alone.
It is one of the most common growth stages I see in small and mid-sized businesses, and it is often where the biggest gains can be made.

Related reading if this resonated:

focus on strengths, not weaknesses, a strengths-first mindset for business owners who are tired of fixing everything.
find your talent and invest in it to build real strength in business, turning natural talent into long term business capability.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

I talk a lot about focusing on strengths instead of weaknesses, but that only works if you actually understand what your strengths are 🤔.

After completing the CliftonStrengths assessment, a lot clicked for me. It helped explain why I am always looking for smarter ways to solve business problems, why I naturally focus on improving what is already working, and why I tend to cut through complexity to find the best path forward 🧠. This strengths-based way of thinking shapes the advice I give to business owners every day.

It also explains why I like to keep momentum going and why I prefer working in strong, long-term relationships where trust allows for honest conversations and better decisions.

In practice, that means helping business owners focus on the right opportunities, make clearer decisions, and actually turn strategy into action 🚀.

That is also why I believe so strongly in building businesses around strengths, not just for founders, but for leadership teams and staff as well. When people are playing to their natural talents, performance improves and frustration drops 📈.

If you are constantly working in areas you dislike or feel drained by, it might not be a workload problem. It might be a strengths problem.

Understanding what you are naturally good at, and then building your role and your business around that, can change everything.

So, I will leave you with this question 👇

Are you building your business around your strengths, or spending most of your time fixing weaknesses?

If this is something you would like to explore in your own business, feel free to message me. I am always happy to have a conversation and see where a small shift in focus could make a big difference.

Related reading if this resonated:

focus on strengths, not weaknesses, a strengths-first mindset for business owners who are tired of fixing everything.
find your talent and invest in it to build real strength in business, turning natural talent into long term business capability.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

Last week I wrote about business being a team sport, and how success depends on everyone pulling in the same direction. I also spoke about how the “I” in the A-hole of team can quietly undermine performance.

Today, I want to look at what might seem like the opposite idea:
the “I” in win — and why it actually strengthens a team.

Think about a cricket team. Eleven batters walk out to the crease.  If each one assumes someone else will score the runs, the scoreboard won’t move very far, and the team will lose (as we have seen in the recent Ashes series with tests lasting 2 days).

Or take football. If every player waits for someone else to score the goal or try, the result is predictable.

Winning teams are made up of individuals who take responsibility.

That’s the real meaning of the “I” in win.

Each person owns their effort, attitude and contribution, even if someone else ends up scoring the winning run, try or goal.

And in business, especially right now, winning may simply mean surviving, adapting and staying strong.

To do that:

• ✅ Every team member must take responsibility for performance: be the “I” in win.
• ⚠️ And any “I” in the A-hole of team needs to be addressed quickly and constructively.

Because teams don’t win by accident.

They win when individuals choose to show up, step up, and take ownership.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

I often read books where people push themselves to the extreme. Climbing Everest, crossing Antarctica, or kayaking across the Tasman are all examples of this.

One of the most impactful books I have read recently is Team Spirit by Brendan Hall, the skipper of the winning yacht in the 2009–10 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

While the book covers resilience and endurance, what stood out most were the leadership lessons that translate directly into business.

1 Skillset matters, but not how you think

Brendan learned that being a great skipper was only about 20 percent sailing skill and 80 percent people leadership.

The same applies in business. Technical expertise is important, but without strong people skills, growth quickly stalls. Great leaders build teams that complement their weaknesses rather than mirror their strengths.

2  Mindset drives outcomes

One of Brendan’s guiding questions was, “Does this make the boat go faster, safely?”

In business, the equivalent question is, “Does this help us reach our goals faster with less risk?”

Short term wins that create long term damage rarely pay off.

3  Consistency beats brilliance

Brendan often said, “You don’t win a race. Others lose it.”

Success came from persistence, discipline, and avoiding mistakes. The same is true in business. Those who learn quickly, recover fast, and keep moving forward tend to outlast their competitors.

4  Culture trumps talent

Some team members were technically brilliant but damaged morale. Over time, Brendan saw that one negative influence could hold everyone back.

We have all seen this in business. The high performer no one wants to work with. Removing that friction often unlocks performance across the entire team.

5  Leadership is a daily practice

Momentum, mindset, and consistency compound over time. Leadership is not about moments. It is about habits.

If you want to grow as a leader, I highly recommend the book.

And if you do not have time to read it, reflect on this question:

Where could improving your mindset or team dynamics create the biggest lift in your business right now?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

After my recent post about focusing on strengths instead of weaknesses (see here), a few people asked a great question 🤔:
How do you actually know what your strengths are in business?

One approach I have used is the CliftonStrengths assessment 🧠. It is an online tool made up of paired statements where you choose which one best describes you. You only get about 20 seconds per question, so it is very instinctive ⏱️. You do not have time to overthink your answers.

The goal is to measure your natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving in order to identify your top areas of talent 🎯. This is especially powerful when you are trying to understand and build your business strengths, not just your technical skills.

And this is an important distinction.

Talent is not the same as strength ⚡

Once you understand your talents, you can invest in them by practicing, developing skills, and building your knowledge 📚.

When you combine talent with investment, that is when strengths are created 📈. This is how real business strengths are developed over time.

Talent alone is not enough. You could be a golfing prodigy at 10 ⛳, but without continued practice, you might end up a golf caddy at 25.

But investment alone is not enough either. There is little point taking singing lessons for ten years 🎤 if you are naturally tone deaf.

That is why Tom Rath says:
“You cannot be anything you want to be, but you can be a lot more of who you already are.”

If you want to build sustainable strength in business, the first step is understanding your natural talents 💡. The second step is deliberately investing in them, so they turn into real capability and results 🚀.

So, I will leave you with this question 👇

What have you done to understand and develop your strengths in business?

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

This article is designed to show you how the One Page Strategic Plan can help keep everyone aligned, focused on the right priorities, and ultimately give your business a far better chance of growing profitably.

Why Alignment Matters More Than Effort

A while ago, I had the pleasure of sitting in a room listening to Dr Glen Richards, founder of Greencross and Shark Tank investor. For a couple of hours, he shared his insights into what truly underpins sustainable business success.

One message stood out clearly:

“If the foundations of a business are not clearly defined and communicated, people will naturally pull in different directions.”

And when that happens, even good people working hard can end up cancelling each other out.

That’s exactly where the One Page Strategic Plan (OPSP) becomes so powerful.

It’s a practical framework designed to help leadership teams align around what truly matters — and stay aligned as the business grows.

Typically, it fits on one A3 page or two A4 pages, simple, visible, and easy to return to regularly.

The Seven Questions the Plan Answers

At its core, the One Page Strategic Plan answers seven simple but powerful questions:

Who, What, When, Where, How, Why, and the Should / Should Nots.

Each section builds clarity, focus, and accountability across the organisation.

Column 1: Core Values – The Rules of the Game (The “Should / Should Nots”)

The first column defines your core values. These are the non-negotiables that shape:

• How people behave
• How decisions are made
• The personality and culture of the business

They act as a “should / should not” filter for everything you do.

Core values often start with statements like:

• We continually improve how we operate
• We are fiercely committed to our clients’ success
• We do what we say we will do

These values guide decisions around:

• Hiring and firing
• Suppliers and partners
• Customers you choose to work with

For example:

• If you’re interviewing two candidates with similar experience, choose the one who best aligns with your values.
• If a customer or supplier consistently conflicts with your values, it’s worth questioning why you’re working with them at all.

Column 2: Purpose and the Big Why

Column two focuses on purpose, your why.

This is about the impact your business exists to make. Why does what you do genuinely matter?

This section also includes your Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG), a long-term, inspiring target that gives your team something meaningful to strive toward.

This is not about being realistic.
It’s about being compelling.

Column 3: 3–5 Year Targets and the Sandbox

This column defines where the business is heading over the next three to five years.

It includes:

• Aspirational and aggressive financial targets
• Clear direction on who your ideal customers are
• Where you choose to play (your “sandbox”)
• What you truly sell

It also captures major strategic priorities such as:

• Launching a new product or service
• Entering new markets
• Acquiring another business

This is also where you define your Brand Promise, what customers can consistently expect from you and what genuinely differentiates you from competitors.

Many businesses also define their Profitability by X here, the key lever that drives sustainable profitability (for example, profit per customer, per project, or per product).

Column 4: One-Year Priorities

Now we bring the strategy closer to home.

This section defines what must be achieved in the next 12 months to move you toward your 3–5 year goals.

Here you identify:

• The key initiatives for the year
• The critical number, the one metric that, if achieved, makes everything else easier

Examples might include:

• X new customers
• $Y profit per customer
• Z% improvement in cash flow

This keeps focus on what really matters, rather than trying to improve everything at once.

Column 5: Quarterly Rocks

Now we zoom in even further.

This section defines what must happen in the next 90 days.

These priorities are called “Rocks”, the few critical initiatives that move the business forward right now.

The idea is simple:
Focus on the big rocks first, before the sand and pebbles of day-to-day activity take over.

Each rock must have a clear owner.
If someone is working on something that isn’t a rock, it’s worth asking why.

Column 6: The Theme

The theme is a simple, and often fun, way to keep everyone focused on the quarterly priorities.

It helps:

• Drive engagement
• Reinforce the critical number
• Create energy and momentum

Think of it as a rallying cry for the quarter that keeps people aligned and motivated.

Column 7: Accountability

This is where accountability lives.

Quarterly goals and actions are assigned to individuals or teams, creating clarity around ownership.

For small business owners with little or no team, this often mirrors Column 5, but it still plays a critical role in maintaining focus, discipline, and follow-through.

Trends, Strengths and Weaknesses (SWT)

Along the bottom of the One Page Strategic Plan is a section focused on Trends, Strengths, and Weaknesses.

This differs from a traditional SWOT analysis.

• Trends: shifts in technology, markets, customer behaviour, regulation, or society that may impact your business
• Strengths / Core competencies: what your business consistently does well
• Weaknesses: inherent limitations that are unlikely to change

This section encourages leaders to think beyond today and anticipate what’s coming next.

A Living, Breathing Document

The One Page Strategic Plan is not static.

At the end of each quarter:

• You review what was achieved
• You reset priorities
• You adjust where needed

Many businesses also use a regular rhythm of:

• Weekly check-ins
• Quarterly planning sessions
• Annual strategy reviews

This rhythm ensures the plan remains relevant and actionable.

A Few Final Tips

When completing your One Page Strategic Plan:

• There isn’t much space, so be concise
• Start with what you know, you don’t need to complete everything at once
• Progress always beats perfection

Final Thoughts

The One Page Strategic Plan isn’t about creating a perfect document.

It’s about:

• Creating clarity
• Aligning your team
• Improving decision-making
• And building a business that scales profitably

If you’d like help creating or refining your One Page Strategic Plan, feel free to reach out to me at:

Wayne@aRealCFO.com.au

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052