Why do we have managers who can’t manage finance?

The failure rate of startups has always dismayed me. In my consulting, I see two main reasons for business failure. First, people don’t have a firm grasp of their financials. They just don’t know their numbers. Second, people underestimate the toll on their physical and mental health. Depression, divorce, heart attacks and strokes from stress are all too common and dismantle many companies that have everything else going for them.

Let’s look at the first reason for failure – Managers who can’t manage finances. The bulk of our entrepreneur class consists of people who start a business out of passion – I love to bake, to farm, to fix computers – but they don’t have any business background. How do they get their start? They are disgruntled employees who are so fed up with the way their boss does things that they quit and start their own business, with the barest of plans.

If you think about it, the entire restaurant industry has managers who do nothing but sooth irate customers and make sure people show up for work. Manufacturing is no different. From line managers to shift managers, financials are hidden from people. The focus is make your production numbers, or we will find someone who can. Anyone who has had a sales job knows it is all about hitting the sales quota. Just sell more, more, more. Rarely does anyone get to see the whole financial picture.

Is it any wonder todays entrepreneurs are missing critical skill sets? Budgeting. Reading financials. Financial controls. Cash flow. Profit and loss. Balance Sheet. Net Worth. Top that off with the misconception that having a CPA do their taxes once a year is more than enough and you have a small business at a disadvantage.

Here is a news flash. If you can’t put your hands on rock solid financial numbers to back up a decision and plan for the future, you are not managing. You are working hard and hoping for the best. Maybe it’s time to start working smarter, not harder. Focus on your financials.