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Every company faces trade-offs — cost versus quality, speed versus service, growth versus stability. Each one says something about what your business truly values.

These choices shape your reputation, your culture, and ultimately, your profitability. But too often, financial decisions are made in isolation — focused on short-term targets, investor expectations, or putting out fires — without connecting back to what the company actually stands for. When that happens, clarity fades. The business …

Family-owned and closely held businesses are built on trust, shared purpose, and legacy. But they’re also built on relationships—and relationships, as we all know, can get complicated.

When family, finances, and the future collide, emotions can run high. Disagreements aren’t a sign that something’s broken—they’re a sign that people care deeply about the outcome. The healthiest businesses I’ve worked with aren’t free from conflict; they’ve just built systems to handle it with clarity, fairness, …

Reflections from the October Ask the CFO Session

In our October Ask the CFO session, I decided to take a break from the usual financial headlines — tariffs, cost-cutting, and global uncertainty — and focus on something closer to home: the human side of being a CFO in a family-owned or privately held business.

After all, numbers are the easy part. It’s people, relationships, and trust that make the work meaningful — and often, challenging.

The Six Cornerstones of a Great CFO (Fractional or Ful…

Recap from September 16, 2025 — Ask the CFO with Lowell Mora

This month’s Ask the CFO conversation touched on some of the toughest financial choices family-owned and privately held businesses face today. We covered everything from owning vs. leasing property and equipment, to rising interest rates, vendor complacency, and the long-term strategy behind insurance captives.

These are not theoretical discussions—they’re real issues my clients are wrestling with every day.

Owning vs. Leasing Pro…

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m bullish on Mexico.

During this month’s Ask the CFO session, we turned our focus to nearshoring—an increasingly important strategy for small and mid-sized businesses that want more control, better cost structure, and protection from global uncertainty.

This isn’t just about headlines or political trends. It’s about practical operations, risk mitigation, and long-term financial strategy. For business owners thinking about outsourcing, relocating, or…

I recently joined Gary Heldt on his podcast, Grow Your Business & Grow Your Wealth, and we got into a topic that’s hard for a lot of business owners to face—but absolutely critical if you care about what happens to your business when you’re no longer running it.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Almost half of family-owned businesses go bankrupt within two years of the founder’s death.
Not because they weren’t profitable… but because they weren’t prepared.

In this episode, I talk about what I’ve …

We’ve talked about how customer concentration can quietly shape risk, valuation, and operational stress in your business. Now let’s talk solutions.

The good news? You don’t have to overhaul everything or fire your best client. There are small, strategic shifts that can make your business more resilient—without losing what makes it special.

Here are four moves I help clients make:

1. Diversify your customer base.
   Start actively seeking new accounts—particularly those outside your core niche or g…

The Real Risk Lurking in Your Revenue: Customer Concentration

Let’s talk about something that doesn’t always make it onto the dashboard but has an outsized impact on your financial health: customer concentration.

If more than 30–40% of your revenue is coming from just one or two clients, your business is more exposed than you might think. Whether you're planning to grow, transition, or eventually exit—this is a number worth paying attention to.

Why It Matters

Customer concentration doesn’t j…

Even if you’re not thinking about selling today, it’s worth considering how your business looks through the eyes of a potential buyer or investor. Because when customer concentration is high, most serious buyers will flag it as a risk—and discount accordingly.

Why?
Buyers aren’t just investing in what the business is today. They’re betting on future earnings. And if too much of your future relies on one or two customer relationships, the whole thing starts to look fragile.

Here’s what experienc…