The IPO was a success, and you have a robust number of shareholders. With board support, you determine it is time to hire a financial manager to help your firm achieve current goals and set new ones appropriate to the firm's growth strategy. What professional strengths and skills will an individual seeking this position need to possess?
Another consideration you feel you need to address at this point, now that your firm's stock is publicly traded, is how to sustain the high ethical standards you've fostered thus far as you move into the firm's future. What strategies can your management team implement to conduct your business with both personal and professional integrity? What steps can you take to ensure that ethical considerations for financial and other management decisions are embedded into the firm's culture?
Congratulations - you are now at Year One, and everything is moving along faster than you anticipated. While this is great, you are at the point where you need to raise additional capital from outside lenders. With this decision, what type of agency costs might the company incur? How might a lender mitigate any agency costs?