The CFO'S Perspective

Tom Broetje

Tom Broetje

Tom Broetje was an early pioneer in outsourced CFO services, founding CFO2Go, Inc. in 1991 in Bothell, Washington. From his days as a CPA, Tom saw that entrepreneurs and business founders needed seasoned, “been there” financial leadership — but on a part-time basis, with the right amount of help available as companies grew. For 22 years Tom outsourced financial professionals in the greater Puget Sound area and eventually grew his practice to a dozen professionals.

Recent Posts by Tom Broetje:

Lessons Learned as an Outside Director for an Early-Stage Startup

Admittedly, I am a sucker for entrepreneurs. I love working with people who are passionate about starting their own venture to bring their new and innovative products and services to market. It is the primary reason I started my own business and worked as an outsourced CFO for over 30 years.

In this passion, I served as a board member for the Northwest Entrepreneurship Association and was involved with several angel groups. I believe the spirit of entrepreneurship and the willingness to take risks are the primary drivers of our U.S. economy.

Topics: Leadership Start-up

Understanding the Role of Advisory Boards

The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” - Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Schweitzer

Entrepreneurs and CEOs quickly learn how lonely it can be at the top. In many cases, you may be the sole employee when your venture is first created. When it grows, and you have a more complex organization with a sizeable staff, accountability for success still rests mainly on your shoulders. 

As your company’s leader, employees look to you for guidance and vision. Investors expect you to successfully manage the company and provide them with an excellent return on their investment. When dealing with a difficult situation or approaching uncharted territory, the CEO has no peers in the organization. 

It is for these reasons that CEOs form a board of advisors to give them guidance or expertise. An increasing number of organizations are forming advisory boards. But how can you best define the role of your board and its members?

Topics: Planning Leadership

Types of Cloud-Based Accounting & Financial Apps Our Clients are Using

On to the cloud… Accounting and finance applications have been expanding into the cloud ever since the advent of the internet.  In Seattle, Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure are betting their future on the cloud which has had a huge impact on the local community.  I see more and more cloud based  accounting and financial applications that perform critical business functions. Each makes the promise to bring cost savings and efficiencies to the business owner. 

To determine how cloud applications were impacting our clients, I surveyed our associates (contract CFOs, controllers, accountants and bookkeepers) to see how extensive cloud-based applications are being used.

Topics: Planning Accounting System

Accounting is a Team Sport

Repeat after me…

Accounting is a team sport."  

This has been my mantra for the past 30 years and it’s as important and true now as it was 30 years ago.  What I have learned in my 30+ years as a CFO is that accounting works best when it is integrated with the management team and you will never be at your best if your accounting team works in a silo.    

Topics: Accounting Staffing Leadership Expenses