Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2013 | Page 79

tacled charlatans in three-piece suits whose chief task in life is to give us migraines and send us big bills. This suspicion is largely unfounded, but it does raise an interesting question. As a parent, would you leave the raising of your children to a daycare center? Obviously not. Why then, as a business owner, would you want to leave the health and care of your company, which you also view as a living, breathing entity, in the hands of strangers? It is precisely in this area of financial management—thus the growth and health of your business—that you may ignore your responsibility as owner. While you are your company’s greatest asset, you can also become one of its primary liabilities. Sound financial planning and control will not, by itself, make you a successful owner. However, it will often keep you in business long enough for your technical expertise to create success and achieve your dream. Without it, you don’t know where you’ve been, or where you’re going. In that case, any road (or no road) will get you there. With it, you have a fundamental guide to follow in planning and charting a course for your company. Steve LeFever is the founder and chairman of Profit Mastery, a Seattle-based eLearning company that has trained more than half a million people on how to measure and manage financial information to consistently increase business profits. Their programs have been taught around the globe and are now available online as an on-demand video program that can be accessed 24/7/365. Learn more about this educational course at www.profitmastery.net. or contact him at 800-488-3520 x14 or [email protected]. 2014 It’s human nature to focus on what we do well and try to ignore what we don’t. April 23-25th 13th Annual Multi-Unit Franchising Conference, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV Attendees: Franchisors; Suppliers and Multi-Unit Franchisees Multi-Unit Franchisee Is s u e III, 2013  77