Her CEO Journey™: The Business Finance Podcast for Mission-Driven Women Entrepreneurs

Cash flow management is the foundation of all business operations. Without proper financial management, your business is highly likely to face financial challenges. It is true that an entrepreneur is putting a lot on their plate and a lot at stake when running their own company. Thus, an effective accounting tool is crucial to reduce the risks of any mismanagement. In this episode, Sarah Isaacs, t...

Many entrepreneurs establish their businesses intending to earn for themselves or their families. But, having a company that also allows you to give back to your community can be a lot more fulfilling. It’s quite terrifying to start giving to others without the certainty of success with your business. However, there are steps you can take to ensure that your business thrives while remaining genero...

Cash flow and profitability are the lifelines of your business. When your business is starved of cash, it won’t sustain itself. Do you need the answers to your worries about strategizing your business? Business owners need to maintain a positive cash flow to ensure profitability. Without an effective cash flow, your business might dwindle to an extreme loss, forcing you to stop its operations. Tha...

Transparency is the key to growth. Without transparency, you don’t know your data — and even if you have data, you won’t know if it’s significant. Without analyzing your data, you can’t streamline or optimize your business, and sometimes might even land in legal trouble later on. What financial management needs and benefits from is a CFO to handle your finances, and the right tools to be effective...

Positive cash flow at the end of a cycle isn’t always a good thing. When you study your business, there are many terms that people like to throw around which can get mixed up. One common example is cash flow vs profit. These two terms sound similar, but in truth, tell very different stories about your finances. In this episode, we kickstart our new podcast series, Cash Flow Forecasting and Managem...

What is the definition of success? If you’re a mission-driven business for good, you know that success is about more than just the bottom line. However, you need to make a profit in order to survive and make a positive social impact. That’s where employee ownership comes in. Employee-owned businesses do better on average than their standard counterparts, and also do good for society. In this episo...

Raising capital often entails giving up some measure of control over your company. Granting investors ownership isn’t always a bad thing, but when it happens, your business might drift further and further away from your company vision. As mission-driven entrepreneurs, that isn’t acceptable. Thankfully, there is a solution: alternative ownership. In this episode, Camille Canon, the co-founder and e...

Owning a business isn’t as easy as starting one and calling yourself the owner—you need to structure it to suit the company’s needs. There are lots of models that you can use, each with unique benefits, drawbacks, and advantages. Some companies prefer a cooperative model—it places great significance on camaraderie and information transparency. If your company values employee empowerment, you might...

You may be excited to consider a cooperative model. If you’ve seen our case studies, you know how effective and useful they are. However, there's more to it than restructuring and diversifying your ownership—you also need to know the legal considerations, including tax and revenue allocations. In the United States, there are still several states with poor co-op laws. Do the research and know...

Cooperatives are a great way to share not only profits but also responsibilities amongst a group of individuals. It’s often known for its one member, one vote rule. But did you know that hierarchy within a cooperative can be flexible according to the employees’ needs and desires?  In this episode, we are joined by Corey Kohn, Dojo4 co-founder and co-op member. She shares how their software company...

As a mission-driven founder, you want to make sure that the mission and purpose of your business do not get lost over time. After all, you want your business for good to provide excellent products or services to your customers for years to come. Luckily, there are different ownership models you can explore.  Alternative ownership or steward ownership is a concept that can help ensure that your com...

As a mission-driven founder and business owner, you want to know that your company’s mission is still being carried out despite you not being active in it any longer. You may worry that as you exit, your business may be controlled by entities that aren’t in line with how you intended for your business to run. The founder’s dilemma may also trouble you. That is, you wonder if you’ll have to choose...

Many mission-driven female founders fear having debt in their business. However, when done right, taking on debt financing is actually a great way to grow and expand your business. One way to conquer your fear of going into debt financing is to plan your steps before you even approach a lender. In particular, it would benefit you to have a debt and interest repayment plan in place. Through this, y...

As a female founder and CEO, you might think that debt in your business is a bad thing. However, did you know that if you’re running a business, chances are, you likely already have business debt? One form of business debt is paying your suppliers a few days after they send an invoice. Now, this is a type of short-term debt financing strategy. There are many other ways you can leverage business de...

Many founders shy away from debt financing because of a lack of knowledge. However, debt financing can be beneficial to businesses with a steady cash flow and existing assets. When you play your cards right, you can secure financing for your business without having to give any ownership away.  In this episode, I’ll show you how to match your short-term and long-term capital needs to the right debt...

Having a trademark is fundamental to protecting your business assets and potential growth. A challenge that comes with growing your business is protecting ownership of your primary assets. And you can do this all by creating an identity that sets yourself apart from your competitors. In this episode of Her CEO Journey™ , trademark agent and lawyer Cynthia Mason talks about the value of trademarks...

Financing is a requirement for the growth of your business. However, traditional financing may not be the best option for the nature of your business. Luckily, there are different options available to you. Your unique ideas, processes, and technology can be protected in the form of IP. You can then leverage this IP portfolio for debt financing. Through this process, you’re able to scale up and att...

Many companies don’t realize the value of their intellectual property. Leveraging assets, such as an IP portfolio, is necessary for scaling businesses for growth. These days, venture capital investors, like BDC Capital, open opportunities for companies to receive IP-backed financing. In this episode of Her CEO Journey™, Lally Rementilla joins us to explain how IP-backed financing can scale your bu...

Filing and acquiring patents is not an easy feat. The process is expensive, time-consuming, and intricate. With so many things to consider, it's easy to be discouraged. However, it's important to remember that IPs are of great value to your company. If you want to become an industry leader, it's beneficial to learn how to patent your ideas. In this episode, Susan Blanchet shares fir...

Intellectual property allows founders and CEOs to have a firm hold of their business ideas and trade secrets. You may not realize it, but these intellectual assets hold intrinsic value. They help keep you competitive and innovative in an ever-changing market. That’s why it’s important to protect these assets with an IP strategy. Cassandra Derham joins us in this episode for an insightful chat on t...

Filing for intellectual property rights is unfamiliar terrain for some founders and CEOs. Beyond developing an IP strategy, most aren’t aware of its value and what it entails for their businesses. However, taking this precaution to safeguard your business is critical. It can not only save you money in the long run, but it can also provide you with many growth opportunities. Isi Caulder, a patent l...

Most people believe that bootstrapping is only applicable to early startups. However, bootstrapping can also be a valuable financial strategy for businesses in the growth stage. In this solo episode, we learn the definition of bootstrapping and how it’s different from getting outside investment. Then, we discuss the three instances when it makes sense for founders to bootstrap. Finally, we find ou...

When thinking about growing businesses, you may often think it requires heavy financing. However, not having investors doesn't mean that your company cannot scale. There are many financing options available to you. For a business that wants to focus on its impact and purpose, slow growth may be the right fit for you. Slow growth means that you're strategic about where you put your financ...

Businesses exist to provide value to customers while earning profit in the process. Until recently, this approach took the form of pursuing profit at all costs. Nowadays, more businesses are committing to incorporating social and environmental objectives into their plans. It is possible for businesses to grow and profit while minimizing adverse impacts on people and the environment. The key is str...

All businesses begin with a purpose. Purpose serves as the heart of your business. Your business and the decisions you make should always reflect that purpose. Thus, it significantly impacts the entirety of your business — from the materials you choose for your products to the financial decisions you need to make. For Lindsey and Alison, their purpose of providing an environment-friendly alternati...