Focus Management Group: March Month in Review

Each month we post an overview article that covers our recent company articles, announcements, and insights. Below is for the month of March.

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Is a Timing Difference a Real Excuse?



How many times have you reviewed financial performance or weekly cash flow budget to actual reporting and heard this explanation – “It’s a timing difference”. That excuse is a lazy explanation for not hitting performance targets and showcases a lack of curiosity in financial analysis. This lack of curiosity could be a result of not understanding how income statement and balance sheets work together, or not wanting to question people in positions of power, or not understanding the cash flow impacts of variances between budget and actual performance.

The most basic question that arises from the “timing difference” explanation is:

• Does timing mean this variance is a permanent variance for the week, the month, the quarter, or the year?

  • If it is a permanent variance, what does mean for the yearly forecast, weekly cash flow needs, and covenant compliance? What will happen to working capital?

  • If it is not a permanent variance, when will the variance come back in line with the forecast and what will be the impact on cash flow and loan covenants while the variance exists? What will happen to working capital?

Read more here!

Full Article

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Will the New Infrastructure Investment Bill Enable Businesses to Expand Green Energy Investment?

The answer to this question is YES. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides significant incentives for businesses to focus on clean energy. The energy tax incentives represent $270 billion of the total $329 billion dedicated to combat climate change.

Every business should be assessing its ability to take advantage of these programs, especially related to fuel use and any facility expansion plans.

Which programs included in the Inflation Reduction Act may be the most interesting for businesses to utilize?

Take a look in this article!

Full Article

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What Terms Should You Know When Working with a Turnaround Management Professional?

Each industry or economic sector develops its own jargon. What is second nature to members of the industry becomes a confusing mixture of words and acronyms that can be intimidating to outsiders. This is especially important for businesses to consider then they are working with turnaround management professionals. The business that is considering using a turnaround management professional is already experiencing stress – the use of words and phrases should not increase the stress level.

Here is a listing of key terms used by turnaround professionals that will help you work more effectively with your chosen professional.

Do you think you can define every term perfectly? Let's take a look at the full article and find out:

Full Article