Tag Archives: financial services

In 2025, market strategy is no longer a supporting actor in the world of capital allocation—it is the script. Due to the accelerating pace of digital transformation, and the boldness of customer prospects, as well as the interests behind the scenes in the fight of political parties, investments not only need the efficiency of identifying and sourcing the market but also require the understanding and acquisition of the market to be implemented. How effectively a target firm can segment its market, differentiate its offering, and scale profitably influences not just its topline but also its exit multiple. In this landscape, strategy is capital.

From early-stage underwriting to portfolio management and eventual monetization, market strategy has evolved into a key determinant of risk, reward, and resilience. Today’s investors must ask not just “what does the company do?” but “How does it succeed—and is it possible to scale it sustainably?”

The Strategy Diligence Framework: Metrics That Matter

The Strategy Diligence Framework: Metrics That Matter

From Metrics to Market Mastery: A New Investor Lens

It is true that before finance and qualitative measures for productivity were the main contrast factors in enterprise valuation. Nowadays, the indicators of success still play a very important role for strategists, but they are too little in number. For investors, they now assess the company’s potential and figure out how much the market can grow beyond its current leading position. A constant growth SaaS company of 40% will be considered excellent, but if it doesn’t have a strong strategy straightened out by segments, the efficiency of customer acquisition, and retention that better be, then it will not have substantial growth post-investment.

According to Bain & Co.’s 2024 Global Private Equity Report, 68% of deals now include a separate market strategy diligence stream. Investors are leveraging third-party firms to assess everything from product-market fit to customer behaviour analytics—long before a term sheet is signed.

Strategy as the Driver of Value Creation

For private equity firms, market strategy is now the pivot of the initial 100 days after acquisition. Top players such as TPG and Carlyle trigger immediate strategic overhauls—streamlining value propositions, realigning ICPs (Ideal Customer Profiles), and re-tuning pricing and channel strategies.

This movement away from old financial engineering towards strategic enablement is observable throughout. A McKinsey survey discovered that 45% of PE companies raised strategic engagement in portfolio firms over the past two years.

In VC, companies such as Sequoia and a16z are placing GTM advisors on cap tables, infusing strategy as early as Seed and Series A. They are focusing on channel testing, content-led growth, and GTM experimentation as requirements to scale—not merely as byproducts of it.

Market Strategy’s Role in Exit Premiums

Investment bankers recognize the connection between perception and valuation. For them, strategy drives perception—and in turn perception drives price. A well-defined go-to-market strategy, tested channels, and customer loyalty build a story of predictable growth, which buyers and public investors reward.

During M&A or IPO processes, the “Strategy” section in pitch books and S-1 filings has become a focal point for institutional investors. It signals sustainability. According to PitchBook, software companies with strong market strategies earn exit multiples 1.4x higher than those without. As such, investment banks are increasingly engaging with strategy consultants to sharpen positioning ahead of sell-side processes.

Four Megatrends Impacting Strategy

Data-Driven Targeting

Organizations are capitalizing on first-party and third-party data as a method of advancing campaign segmentation and increasing ROI. Enabled by platforms like Salesforce Einstein, Segment, and Clear bit, the segmentation of buyer behaviour is more profound, hyper-targeted engagement has become more practicable, and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) management takes much less time.

ESG as a Differentiator

Investors are rewarding brands that tell a clear ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) story. Examples can be seen in Blackrock’s 2025 report on why companies that weave sustainability into their market communications can expect higher customer engagement and loyalty, critical factors that lead to sustainable alpha. Ultimately, this trend is about reconciliation around values (or at least perception).

The Rise of Vertical SaaS and Specialized Plays

Niche SaaS platforms that can support workflows within an industry have been generating outsized interest. With high retention, clear ICPs, and deep workflow integration, vertical SaaS businesses inherently possess a clearer, more defendable market strategy.

Omnichannel Execution

Especially in healthcare and consumer sectors, companies must master cross-channel execution. A blend of online, offline, mobile, and partner routes creates a “distribution advantage” that investors equate with durable revenue.

The Strategy Diligence Framework: Metrics That Matter

A well-articulated market strategy includes both qualitative and quantitative elements. Below is an illustrative chart based on CB Insights and Deloitte PE playbooks that shows where investors evaluate strategy levers during due diligence:

Market Strategy in 2025: Evaluation, Value Creation, and Exit Premiums

Market Strategy in 2025: Evaluation, Value Creation, and Exit Premiums

Data-Backed Proof: Strategy Drives Outcomes

Quantitative data highly corroborate the strategic perspective. Deloitte’s 2025 PE report states that 61% of general partners currently incorporate GTM evaluations into IC memos. Bain discovered that organizations with good market clarity cut post-acquisition revenue surprises by 33%.
These findings affirm what savvy investors already understand: strategy isn’t qualitative nonsense—it’s a measurable performance metric.

Example: Thoma Bravo’s strategy with Medallia

Thoma Bravo’s latest investment in Medallia is a clear example of how market strategy influences deal decisions. Rather than pursuing just scale,

  • The firm saw an opportunity to expand Medallia’s market into adjacent verticals (e.g., insurance and financial services),
  • Improve GTM execution through channel partners, and
  • Tighten enterprise focus via vertical-specific product bundles.

This precision allowed them to reposition Medallia not just as a customer experience platform, but as a mission-critical vertical SaaS leader—improving pricing power and cross-sell potential.

Constructing Portfolios with Strategy Alignment

For investment managers, developing a strong portfolio in line with strategy is one of the best ways to help future performance. Firms like Capital Group and Wellington are using forward-looking strategy measures, in the context of stock picks, rather than simply historical earnings, in their analysis of companies, for things such as:

  • Innovation pipeline
  • Plans to expand into new markets
  • Proposition of new customer-focused product development
  • Strategic partnerships and ecosystem play

In an environment where generating alpha can be harder to achieve, being able to invest in companies with sound market strategy that is durable and articulated, provides distinct advantage.

Market Strategy Beyond the PE/VC Lens: Broader Business Implications

Its evolution does not solely pertain to the financial stakeholders of an organization. It is pushing marketing teams, product managers, and CEOs alike to re-think about growth. In 2025:

  • 93% of marketers leverage AI to provide tailored engagement to customers
  • Accordingto 73% of Millennials, they are willing to pay extra for products that have eco-friendly
  • 81% of Gen Z buyers buy products from a brand based on environmental alignment

This highlights that it is not just a tool for capital allocators it is also the operating system for contemporary growth.

Conclusion: Clearly Defining the Strategy is Alpha

In 2025, smart money won’t simply follow the numbers, it will follow clarity of strategy. In the current, and evolving, investment environment, numbers tell a story—but strategy tells the future. Firms who clearly define how they acquire and retain customers, mix channels and differentiate their products will not just deliver stronger returns, they will also lower risk, improve predictability and drive long-term success.

Strategy is no longer just an appendix; it’s part of the underwriting, part of the value creation, and part of the exit premium. As market conditions fluctuate, one thing remains stable: the value of a company’s strategy in defining its investability. For today’s capital allocators, strategy is alpha.

 

About Magistral Consulting

Magistral Consulting has helped multiple funds and companies in outsourcing operations activities. It has service offerings for Private Equity, Venture Capital, Family Offices, Investment Banks, Asset Managers, Hedge Funds, Financial Consultants, Real Estate, REITs, RE funds, Corporates, and Portfolio companies. Its functional expertise is around Deal origination, Deal Execution, Due Diligence, Financial Modelling, Portfolio Management, and Equity Research

For setting up an appointment with a Magistral representative visit www.magistralconsulting.com/contact

About the Author

The article is authored by the Marketing Department of Magistral Consulting. For any business inquiries, you can reach out to prabhash.choudhary@magistralconsulting.com

Historically, financial metrics and operational KPIs dominated deal evaluations. However, in 2025, investors also prioritize scalability, defensibility, and go-to-market efficiency. Market strategy diligence has become a standard part of deal evaluation, with 68% of deals including a separate market strategy diligence stream.

For PE firms, market strategy is central to the first 100 days post-acquisition, involving strategic reviews and realignment of value propositions. VC firms embed GTM advisors early in the investment process, focusing on channel testing and GTM experimentation as prerequisites for scaling.

A well-defined market strategy enhances exit multiples by creating a narrative of predictable growth. Companies with strong market strategies earn exit multiples 1.4x higher than those without, as they are perceived as more sustainable and valuable by buyers and public investors.

Investors develop strong portfolios by aligning with sound market strategies. This includes innovation pipelines, plans to expand into new markets, customer-focused product development, and strategic partnerships. A well-articulated market strategy helps in generating alpha and improving future performance.

Introduction

Amidst the ever-shifting and dynamic competitive businesses, investment banks, and PE/VC enterprises are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve their operational efficiency and secure a strategic edge. Consequently, these financial institutions operate in that space where exactness, precision, and tailored client relationships are paramount. From small startups to multinational corporations, investors’ CRM has become a strategic asset in enhancing customer satisfaction, increasing revenue, and staying competitive in a constantly evolving marketplace.

Transformations in the Financial Services Arena

The financial industry environment has undergone considerable development and conversion over the course of its history. Therefore, firms have adapted to the evolving imperatives of their clients and investors. It’s a necessity. We have been acknowledging these trends, and they are:

Unprecedented Capital Acquisition:

Financial institutions have achieved unprecedented levels of capital acquisition, drawing funds from a diverse array of investors, encompassing institutional investors, enterprises, and individuals with substantial wealth. As a result, this surge in capital influx has presented both opportunities and complexities in effectively handling investor connections.

Varied Investment Approaches for Investors’ CRM:

These financial entities have broadened their investment approaches, diversifying their portfolios to encompass a wide spectrum of assets and industries. Consequently, this diversification necessitates robust tools and procedures for the efficient tracking and management of investments.

Global Expansion for Investors’ CRM:

The financial services sector has assumed an increasingly global nature, with firms extending their operations beyond national boundaries. As a result, this global expansion has ushered in a fresh set of challenges relating to cross-border compliance, regulatory requisites, and investor relationships.

Expanding Enterprise Sizes through Investors’ CRM:

As financial establishments expand their activities and clientele, they confront the task of managing a larger volume of investor connections and transactions. Thus, this growth underscores the importance of streamlined systems to accommodate the augmented workload.

The Role of Investors’ CRM in Financial Services

Investors’ CRM software for private equity, venture capital, and investment banking firms has emerged as a powerful solution to address the ongoing difficulties and opportunities presented by the financial services sector. Specifically, they are crafted to enable the management of investor relationships, oversee deal pipelines, and enhance data-driven decision-making processes.

Investors’ CRM Features for Financial Services Firms:

Relationship Management:

Investors’ CRM systems enable businesses to efficiently organize and maintain precise information about their customers and leads. This includes contact details, communication history, and individual preferences. Consequently, having a centralized repository of this information enables personalized interactions and strengthens client relationships, ultimately leading to enhanced business connections.

Deal Management:

Investors’ CRM solutions provide tools to optimize sales operations, from tracking initial leads to successfully closing deals. Furthermore, this feature enhances sales team communication and increases revenue production by offering a centralized platform for tracking deal progress, assigning tasks, and analyzing sales data.

Sales Funnel Monitoring:

Investors’ CRM systems offer a vital tool for overseeing and managing sales operations – the sales funnel tracking capability. Specifically, this feature provides a visual representation of potential sales across various stages, facilitating progress monitoring, bottleneck identification, and resource allocation optimization. Ultimately, it enhances revenue generation through refined sales forecasting and informed decision-making.

Data Analysis and Business Insights:

Investors’ CRM software empowers financial firms to extract invaluable insights from their data. Customizable reports and dynamic dashboards enable the tracking of key performance indicators, sales trends, and customer behavior. Consequently, this data-driven approach empowers organizations to fine-tune their sales and marketing strategies, yielding optimal results.

Workflow Automation:

Investors’ CRM systems automate routine operations and processes, improving efficiency, minimizing manual labor, and ensuring reliable and timely follow-ups. Moreover, customizable workflows allow businesses to design unique processes tailored to specific criteria.

Compliance:

Investors’ CRM systems assist companies in adhering to internal guidelines and industry regulations by tracking consumer data, managing consent, and maintaining audit trails. Consequently, this ensures data privacy and security, upholds ethical and legal standards, and builds trust with customers.

Benefits of Investors’ CRM in Financial Services:

Benefits of Investors' CRM in Financial Services

Benefits of Investors’ CRM in Financial Services

Enhanced Investor Relations:

With a centralized view of investor data and interactions, financial firms can deliver better service, respond to inquiries promptly, and provide personalized updates on portfolio performance. As a result, this fosters trust and loyalty among investors, ultimately leading to improved investment outcomes.

Improved Deal Management:

Investors’ CRM systems significantly simplify deal management for financial firms, covering every aspect of the investment process, from due diligence to portfolio management, data entry, and reporting investment returns. Consequently, this streamlines investment processes and facilitates timely, informed decision-making.

Efficient Workflow:

Investors’ CRM systems automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks, allowing financial firms to allocate resources more effectively and focus on strategic activities. Therefore, this leads to increased productivity and operational efficiency.

Data-Driven Decision Making:

The data analysis and business insights feature of Investors’ CRM software enable financial firms to make data-informed investment decisions. Additionally, customizable reports and dashboards provide a clear view of key performance indicators, helping organizations make strategic choices.

Scalability:

Investors’ CRM systems are scalable and can grow with the firm. Whether a firm is managing a small portfolio or a large, diverse set of investments, Investors’ CRM systems can adapt to accommodate changing needs.

Challenges Faced by Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Investment Banks in Managing Investors’ CRM

Despite the numerous benefits of Investors’ CRM systems, financial service providers face specific challenges that can hinder effective customer relationship management. These challenges include:

Varied Customer Base:

Investment banks, private equity firms, and venture capital companies cater to a diverse clientele, including institutional investors, businesses, and high-net-worth individuals. Consequently, each customer category has different needs, requiring specific relationship management tactics.

Data Complexity:

Managing numerous client records from various sources can be overwhelming. Therefore, financial firms must track and analyze data ranging from contact details to investment preferences. To address this challenge, a thorough and organized client data management solution is essential.

Magistral’s Services on Managing Investors’ CRM

Magistral Consulting specializes in offering Investors’ CRM services tailored to the unique needs of private equity, venture capital, and investment banking firms.

Magistral's Services on Managing Investors' CRM

Magistral’s Services on Managing Investors’ CRM

Relationship Categorization:

Magistral’s Investors’ CRM system offers relationship tiering, providing immediate insights into the overall value of each contact or organization. As a result, this customization aligns with businesses’ unique requirements, ensuring investor needs and expectations are met and exceeded. Furthermore, this structured approach helps firms prioritize key relationships, ultimately leading to more efficient client management.

Holistic Communication Insight:

Magistral’s platform centralizes all interactions, including meetings, phone calls, and emails, offering a deeper understanding of deal pipelines, opportunity streams, and competitive positions. Consequently, firms can effectively manage and assess crucial connections. In addition, this streamlined communication structure minimizes data silos, allowing for more informed decision-making.

Relationship Oversight and Management:

Maintaining a central database of relationships is essential for managing investor relations effectively. To achieve this, Magistral synchronizes all interactions, providing a comprehensive view of all relationships and facilitating efficient management. Moreover, this centralized approach enhances collaboration among teams, ensuring consistency in investor engagement.

Instant Report Downloads:

Financial services organizations using Magistral’s technology can easily generate complex reports through various platforms, reducing paperwork and expediting deal-making. In turn, the tear sheet technology streamlines administrative tasks, allowing firms to focus on strategic activities. Additionally, the automation of reporting ensures greater accuracy and saves valuable time.

Leveraging Email Marketing:

CRM email marketing tools empower investors to stay informed about portfolio performance and industry updates while identifying fresh investment opportunities. For instance, Magistral’s CRM system enables financial firms to establish connections with potential acquisition targets, disseminate relevant industry insights, and maintain engagement with their existing client base through email marketing. Not only does this enhance engagement and foster trust, but it also leads to improved investment outcomes.

Integration and Tailoring:

Investors’ CRM systems offer integration and customization capabilities, allowing businesses to tailor the software to their specific needs and link it with their preferred third-party applications and data sources. As a result, Magistral’s Investors’ CRM system provides a range of third-party integration tools and customization options, enabling businesses to craft a seamless experience that aligns with their unique requirements. Furthermore, customization features, such as adding columns to visible dashboards, ensure that the CRM solution is precisely aligned with the firm’s distinct needs, enhancing workflow efficiency and effectiveness.

About Magistral Consulting

Magistral Consulting has helped multiple funds and companies in outsourcing operations activities. It has service offerings for Private Equity, Venture Capital, Family Offices, Investment Banks, Asset Managers, Hedge Funds, Financial Consultants, Real Estate, REITs, RE funds, Corporates, and Portfolio companies. Its functional expertise is around Deal origination, Deal Execution, Due Diligence, Financial Modelling, Portfolio Management, and Equity Research. 

For setting up an appointment with a Magistral representative visit www.magistralconsulting.com/contact

About the Author

The article is Authored by the Marketing Department of Magistral Consulting. For any business inquiries, you could reach out to  prabhash.choudhary@magistralconsulting.com

 

Introduction

An Industry Report is a detailed analysis of a specific industry that includes a wealth of data, facts, and figures. There are two types of industry reports: private and public. The customers buy the prepared Industry reports, while some can be downloaded for free. The financial services industry is a large industry that caters to both individual and corporate financial requirements. The industry is made up of both large corporations and small businesses. The financial sector is an essential component of various Industrialized economies around the world, and it is critical to global economic development. The financial services sector will be worth $26.5 trillion by 2023, accounting for one-fourth of global GDP—the financial services industry profits from larger investments. When the business cycle is on the rise. When the economy improves, new capital projects and personal investments are likely to follow.

The financial services sector forms companies that sell financial services such as loans, investment management, insurance, brokerages, payments, and transferring money. The financial services industry is divided based on the companies’ business models that make up the industry. Most businesses fall into multiple categories.

Areas covered in Industry Reports for Financial Services

Areas covered in Industry Reports for Financial Services

Areas covered in Industry Reports for Financial Services

Loans and Payments

Organizations that sell lending and payment services, such as loans, payments, and money transfer services, are included in the loans and payments market. Banks and other financial service providers accept deposits and reimbursable payments as well as make loans. Providers compensate those who provide them with funds, which they then lend or invest to profit on the differences between what they give depositors and what they earn from borrowers. Providers enable payments to be transferred from payers to recipients and ease transactions and account settlement, using credit and debit cards, bank drafts such as checks, and electronic funds transfer.

Insurance

-Insurance Providers-Direct insurers aggregate payments from individuals looking to cover risk and payout to those involved in covered personal or business-related catastrophes, such as a car accident or a shipwreck.

-Reinsurance Providers-They can be companies or wealthy individuals who offer to cover some of the risks that a direct insurer assumes in exchange for a fee.

-Insurance Brokers and Agents- Insurance intermediaries, including agencies and brokers, connect those who want to pay to cover risk with people prepared to take it on for a fee.

Investments

Wealth Management-

Wealth management is an investment advising service that integrates other financial services and meets high-net-worth individuals’ demands. The advisor obtains information about the client’s aspirations and personal situation through a consultative approach, then produces a tailored strategy that integrates a range of financial products and services. An integrated strategy is often used in wealth management. Numerous services might well be supplied to meet a client’s specific demands. While total wealth management service charges vary, they are often decided by the amount of money customer has with them.

Securities Brokerages and Stock Exchanges-

Individuals can use investing services to gain access to financial markets such as stocks and bonds. Brokers, who are either human or self-directed internet services, enable the buying and selling securities for a fee. Financial advisers may charge an annual fee depending on assets under management (AUM) and supervise various trades to build and manage a well-diversified portfolio. Robo-advisors are the latest financial advice and portfolio management iteration with automated algorithmic portfolio allocations and trade executions.

Investment Banking

Dealmakers and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are often the only people who work with an investment bank—not the public. These institutions underwrite transactions, provide access to capital markets, provide wealth management and tax advice, aid corporations with mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and make stock and bond trading easier. This market also includes financial counselors and cheap brokerages. 

Major Components in Industry Reports for Financial Services

The following are usually found in industry reports for financial services:

-Industry definition

-Major industry players

-Market share

-Historical and current trends

-Employment statistics

-SWOT analysis

-Achievements

-Outlook

Latest trends found in Industry Reports for Financial services

Aside from the obvious concerns, there are a few financial services industry trends to keep an eye on. Consumer behavior is shifting, and financial services companies must adapt, or risk being left behind.

Latest trends in Industry Reports for Financial Services

Latest trends in Industry Reports for Financial Services

Digital Transformation

The financial sector, which always relied on paper documents, has changed in recent years. The way firms work is dramatically altering because of digital transformation. As a result, investors can now use their cellphones to track the success of their portfolios in real-time and buy shares with a single tap. Because digitization has become the new normal, businesses can no longer be profitable if they keep the current quo. Instead, they will have to put money into a digital transformation plan.

Explosion of Fintech

The rapid growth of fintech startups has helped customers significantly while forcing proven financial institutions to rethink their business models. Companies have revolutionized the way individuals pay for goods and services. Apps that use AI to improve earnings while streamlining the corporate loan process are being used. Customers may manage their money, trade cryptocurrency, send money to friends, and donate to influential social organizations using a digital bank with a powerful app. The traditional financial institutions will have to figure out how to provide similar benefits to their customers as new fintech companies develop.

Democratization of Investing

When it comes to investing, several apps have lowered the bar. Individuals can now buy whole or partial shares in their favorite companies for a low or no fee. Setting up automated stock that buys any time people visit their favorite stores and for a Robo-investor to invest in firms and mutual funds depending on the risk tolerance has been made possible now. Due to this, traditional investing firms have faced considerable challenges while also from mass communication sites like Reddit and Discord. Financial advisors and investment businesses must differentiate themselves and prove their worth to succeed.

Utilizing Big Data

Financial organizations generate massive volumes of data, but the data is useless without a robust engine to organize it. Fintech software enables businesses to get actionable insights from big data. More organizations are expected to mine their data to improve customer service while increasing earnings.

More Open Banking Apps

Open banking is an API approach that allows financial institutions to securely exchange client data with other businesses. In recent years, many apps have sprung up that use open banking to provide unique services to clients. An app that scans transactions to watch subscriptions and bills while automatically saving a specific amount each month and a conversational chat app that uses artificial intelligence to help manage the budget is also being used.

Magistral’s Industry Reports for Financial Services

Magistral’s Industry reports for financial services typically include graphs, charts, tables, and written commentary. Even non-professionals can gain an understanding of the sector because of this. The financial services sector is the engine that propels a country’s economy forward. It allows capital and liquidity to flow freely in the market. The economy expands when the sector is robust, and businesses in this area are better prepared to manage risk. The financial services sector’s strength is also vital for the prosperity of the country’s population. Consumers earn more when the industry and economy are robust, increasing their self-assurance and buying power.

 About Magistral consulting

Magistral Consulting has helped multiple funds and companies in outsourcing operations activities. It has service offerings for Private Equity, Venture Capital, Family Offices, Investment Banks, Asset Managers, Hedge Funds, Financial Consultants, Real Estate, REITs, RE funds, Corporates and Portfolio companies. Its functional expertise is in Deal origination, Deal Execution, Due Diligence, Financial Modeling, Portfolio Management , and Equity Research.

For setting up an appointment with a Magistral representative visit www.magistralconsulting.com/contact

About the Author

The article is Authored by Marketing Department of Magistral Consulting. For any business inquiries, you could reach out to prabhash.choudhary@magistralconsulting.com

What is an Outsourced CFO?

In today’s outsourced and globally connected business world there are many functions of businesses that are being outsourced like accounting, payroll, operations, IT, and marketing among others. Unfortunately, not many companies are aware that finance as a function can be outsourced too.

Herein, comes the importance of an Outsourced CFO. An outsourced CFO is a financial expert who provides financial services on a part-time or full-time basis to companies. The role of an outsourced CFO is to provide strategic insights as well as provide expertise in areas such as formulating strategy or providing core financial services help. This includes areas such as support in finding cash flows, raising capital, implementing more efficient systems, or formulating growth strategies. Usually, outsourced CFOs have considerable experience performing high-level financial roles as they may have worked in corporate finance roles in other reputed organizations.

Why one should hire an Outsourced CFO?

Outsourced CFOs can lead up to 40-50% savings in costs. About 80% of financial services executives outsource or offshore some of their services.   Highlighted below are some of the top reasons for outsourcing this critical finance function.

Benefits of Outsourced CFO

Benefits of Outsourced CFO

-Currently undergoing growth – This is usually the case for companies that are witnessing a lot of growth. A common example could be growth related to the launch of new products or say when a company is entering a new market.

-Resolving key business challenges – This comes into the picture when a company for instance is trying to resolve challenges such as cash flow, cost cutting, or looking to improve operational efficiencies.

-Raising debt or equity capital – Outsourced CFO can be of great help especially when companies are looking to raise capital. They do so by assisting in strategy formulation for it, due diligence, and in raising capital in terms of debt or equity mix.

-Maximizing margins – By analyzing current spending and costs, the outsourced CFO can suggest improvements that can be made in spending.

-Need for an interim CFO – This normally is the case when there is a need felt to place an interim CFO, especially in cases where an organization is transitioning from one CFO to another or a need is felt to outsource an organization’s finance function simply because someone else can do it better.

-Taking advantage of consulting services- An organization can look to hire an outsourced CFO simply because they can do the task better.

How does an Outsourced CFO provide value?

We have already seen why companies should look forward to outsourcing their services to a third-party service provider. In this section, we will look at some of the key benefits that are provided by an outsourced CFO. It must also be mentioned here that there are cost implications associated with hiring a CFO. Smaller companies may not have the budget to hire a CFO. This means they can incur a lot of savings by outsourcing this function which can be at a fraction of the costs of the salaries that are paid to a CFO. Not to mention the availability of talent and global access to them without incurring many operational headaches. These talents are simply at a third company party’s disposal the benefit of which can be reaped by companies.

There are some of the other benefits which an outsourced CFO can provide. Some of them are:

-They help in financial planning and analysis by providing assistance in the form of budgeting, and forecasting future revenue or cash flows for a company.

-They can help an organization in assessing its strengths and weaknesses vis a vis competition.

-Help in designing complex business models which necessitate the use of techniques such as NPV and IRR.

-Help in analyzing spending and cost incurred by a company and thereby suggest improvements in cost cutdowns.

-Assistance with financial statement preparation.

-Assistance with yearly financial reporting.

Top 10 Outsourced CFO services

A question that arises naturally is what kind of services are provided by Outsourced CFO.

Listed below are the top 10 services –

Top Outsourced CFO Services

Top Outsourced CFO Services

-Financial Strategy – One of the key benefits of outsourcing CFO services is in designing a company’s financial strategy. These are designed both short term as well as long term.

-Forecasting – Forecasting for the future is one of the key functions of any finance division of an organization. Preparation of the details helps in planning an operational roadmap for an organization. It requires a strategic understanding of requirements, assessing current and future capabilities of a company, competition analysis, and mastery in building financial models

-Financial systems strategy and design – With growth, it becomes imperative for any organization to implement software and improve process that can match an organization’s growth strategy. An outsourced CFO can help address this pain point by redesigning systems and suggesting improvements in current processes.

-Budgeting – Managing budgets is one of the key functions of the finance function. Normally budgeting is done for a 5–10-year time horizon. Budgeting helps to plan spending and future revenues in great detail.

-Financial statement preparation – An outsourced CFO can help in preparing financial statements as well as interpreting their consequences. This is the most useful information for any organization.

-Raising capital – Here a person is introduced to a host of investors, people or organizations who can help a company in raising its capital.

-Capital structure – This is done by suggesting which would be a better route – debt or equity or a mix of both.

-Interim CFO services – This service is most useful to avail of in case there is a transition from one CFO to the next or in cases where low-cost outsourcing seems to be a better option.

-Cost cutting – Costs are an important factor in decision-making. Outsourcing its services to a third party can help in this.

-Complex decision making – This is especially true with companies where complex decision making is involved and which requires the knowledge and expertise of a person. Examples could be making models for Mergers and Acquisitions, management buyouts, etc.

How can Magistral help in providing CFO services?

Magistral offers Portfolio Management services for varied kinds of the portfolio of companies such as Private Equity or a Venture Capital fund. For all the investors who sit on multiple boards, it is a headache, to implement something in a company that worked in another portfolio company. The problem is more acute when all companies are in similar industries and are facing quite similar headwinds. Limited supervision time available to board members, unavailability of resources across companies, and implementation knowledge held in a single portfolio company, all play spoilsport. It’s like re-inventing the wheel every time for the same problem.

We help portfolio managers in centralizing their Marketing (mostly digital), Strategy (Fund-raising and Exits), and Finance at fraction of the cost required to have dedicated functions in each portfolio company, big or small. The off-shored extended team also ensures no knowledge is lost for similar projects across companies and multiple projects in multiple companies can run at the same time, prioritized as per the schedule of board meetings. Learning, of course, is cross-pollinated across projects.

Our service offerings for portfolio and other companies are:

-Strategy: Identifying add-on acquisitions and potential buyers, fundraising, exit strategy, growth strategy, and content marketing

-Analytics: Financial reporting and analysis, preparing dashboards, data visualization, text cleaning and mining, predictive modeling, KPI tracking, and web scraping

-Sales: List generation, CRM cleansing and management, competitive intelligence, and social media management.

-Financial planning: Budget preparation, forecasting, and competitive quarterly earnings updating.

-Procurement: Spend analysis, vendor identification and management, spend base cost reduction, category strategy, RFP support and procurement strategy.

About Magistral Consulting

Magistral Consulting has helped multiple funds and companies in outsourcing operations activities. It has service offerings for Private Equity, Venture Capital, Family Offices, Investment Banks, Asset Managers, Hedge Funds, Financial Consultants, Real Estate, REITs, RE funds, Corporates and Portfolio companies. Its functional expertise is in Deal origination, Deal Execution, Due Diligence, Financial Modeling, Portfolio Management and Equity Research.

For setting up an appointment with a Magistral representative visit www.magistralconsulting.com/contact

About the Author

The article is Authored by the Marketing Department of Magistral Consulting. For any business inquiries, you could reach out to prabhash.choudhary@magistralconsulting.com