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Introduction
From the Field
Word on the Street
In the News
Lemonade Day
vcfo is a sponsor for this citywide event designed to teach youth how to start, own and operate their own lemonade business.
Date: May 3
Location: Austin
Any child can participate in Lemonade Day. Register today or support local kids by buying lemonade on May 3.
Social Media: What's all the buzz about?
Join vcfo for a breakfast and seminar presentation for women in finance, accounting, HR and recruiting.
Topic: Social Media
Date: May 19, 7:30 am
Location: vcfo
4601 Spicewood Springs
Bldg II, Suite 100
Austin, Texas 78759
RSVP to swade@vcfo.com.
2009 Greater Austin Business Award Nominations
The Greater Austin Business Awards will recognize small, medium, large and not-for-profit businesses.
Deadline: June 12, 5pm
Banquet: August 26
See all events >>
Need more information about vcfo's services?
Corey Blahuta
Managing Director, Austin
(512) 450-6565
cblahuta@vcfo.com
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Introduction 
Are April showers set to bring May flowers or May showers? Does the economy have as much spring in it as the weather? We are starting to pick up on some positive signs in the economy (see Word on the Street below).
Things may not be the same as they were last April in your business, but doing the following is always smart:
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Increase scrutiny of your finances, and demand disciplined planning and spending
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Optimize your team, using both internal and outsourced resources
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Stay close to your existing customers, ask how you can help them and focus on the quality you are offering
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Cultivate new opportunities by tapping and expanding your network
In the last few months, vcfo has helped new companies get started and ready to be funded, worked with others on HR audits and COBRA compliance, helped to recruit senior executives, and assisted others with restructuring and debt consolidation. How can we help you?
 Regards,
Corey Blahuta
Managing Director, Austin
(512) 450-6565
cblahuta@vcfo.com
From the Field: 7 Points to Consider when Choosing an
Outsourced Service Provider
Savvy business executives have always looked for creative and cost effective ways to positively impact their businesses. Outsourcing key roles in sync with economic cycles allows a company to secure experienced professional advice or specific expertise without taking on the overhead cost of a full time hire.
There are several things to consider when deciding to outsource any key business function for your company:
1) Clearly articulate what you want to accomplish through the relationship.
2) What outsourcing model will work best for you?
3) Have a plan for migrating to an internal team.
4) Appreciate that a low cost solution often comes at a later cost.
5) Keep the lines of communication open.
6) Inquire about their network.
7) Learn about their work habits.
Read more >>
Word on the Street: Tips from our friends
What positive signs are you seeing in the economy?
Scott Abel, Spiceworks
Early in Q1 we had several (technology) advertisers cancel or postpone significant orders. Fortunately there was still enough demand for our audience that it had no impact on our Q1 revenue and we beat our plan. What's more encouraging is that in the last 30 days we've had several of these same advertisers call us back asking to run significant campaigns on our network. We're seeing most of the dollars we lost in Q1 come back into our pipeline for Q2 & Q3. In fact, we've already booked more than 65% of our revenue for this quarter. As we look forward to the rest of the year, it feels like Q2 may be the bottom of this downturn, at least for us. Hopefully that will be the case across the rest of the industry as well.
Derrick Morton, Flowplay
The casual gaming industry is performing counter to the current downturn in the economy. We are currently experiencing rapid growth, as families, who are now planning on a “staycation," are willing to pay for inexpensive home entertainment.
Suaad Sait, ReachForce
In Q3 last year, we saw buyers stall decisions. Prospects were scrutinizing all their marketing spend and measurement was top of mind – fortunately, ReachForce’s existence is based on measured targeted marketing. By taking a more hands-on approach to helping our prospects deliver the business case to their executives, we exceeded our targets -- in Q408 and then again Q109 was the best quarter in the history of ReachForce (both for new customer wins and current customer orders). We believe the bottom of the market is in our rear-view mirror and remain bullish about continued growth.
Is there a question you would like to ask our partners and clients? Send your Word on the Street questions to swade@vcfo.com.
Would you like to answer a Word on the Street question?
Send an email to swade@vcfo.com and we will contact you to answer next quarter's question.
In the News: 12 Qualities of the New CFO
CEOs and Boards of Directors expect more from the CFO than ever before. The CFO position has become much more critical and that means that CFOs have a lot more responsibilities. As the role of the CFO changes, new qualities are needed to adapt to those changes.
The role of the CFO has changed over the last fifteen years as a result of global competition, technological changes, expanding supply chain, an increased emphasis on quicker growth by investors, more competition for capital, additional political risks, greater regulation and Sarbanes-Oxley. The New CFO must have different abilities and qualities than the old CFO had.
Read More >>
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