By Michael Derin

As someone who works with small and medium sized businesses I frequently get asked, “How are SMEs faring?” At the moment my answer would be they are operating amid a great deal of uncertainty. However, despite this many small businesses are focused on growth.

Wednesday, 15 September evening saw nearly 20 CFOs and high level finance professionals attend Azure Group’s CFO Networking evening held in conjunction with the Institute of Chartered Accountants at their office on Erskine Street in Sydney’s CBD.

The topic of the event was debt raising and the interest rate outlook in today’s market and the event featured two highly esteemed speakers, Grant Turley from ANZ and John Munton from Corrs Chambers Westgarth Lawyers.

By Michael Derin

As a virtual CFO I’ve seen quite a few businesses undervalue the importance their team plays in having input in the strategic growth and direction of a business.  Employees strive for more than just a pay check at the end of the month.

Businesses that don’t engage their team are usually the ones that suffer from high staff turnover, low productivity and a lack of staff morale, making it more difficult for that business to operate effectively and profitably.