AcctTwo Blog

One of the primary challenges many SaaS and subscription businesses face is determining what metrics to track. While all B2B SaaS and subscription businesses are different, there are a handful of key metrics that most can benefit from to optimize performance, propel growth, and attract investors. We’ve outlined the metrics investors are looking at during each of the SaaS growth stages to see if you’re on track and to help you prepare for what’s ahead.

Culture is so important, and it doesn’t necessarily gauge intellect, instead it measures whether or not someone will be a good fit for your team and ensure that it is well rounded. Don’t overlook the cultural component to leadership succession planning – remember people work for people.

The annual and monthly recurring revenue is the driving force behind B2B (or B2B2C) SaaS and subscription-based businesses, but presents a unique set of challenges, particularly in the early and growth stages. While recurring revenue is integral to long-term financial health, early- and growth-stage businesses must establish cash flow and recapture startup and operational costs at a time when they may still be determining product-market fit. Measuring key SaaS metrics can provide critical insights into organizational health, help businesses optimize their sales and marketing, and ultimately position them for long-term growth.

Companies are transforming their business technologies at a faster rate than ever. The COVID pandemic has accelerated that transformation. At AcctTwo, we curate, integrate, and optimize best-in-class financial management solutions. We've found that, even when the best possible technologies for a customer's industry and business model are implemented, there are usually "last mile" gaps that need to be solved for - gaps in process, automations, integrations, or in the ability to get meaningful insights from the systems. A great example of this is evident in our partnerships with Sage Intacct and Venn Technology. Find out how to integrate Stripe with Sage Intacct to fulfill your need for more actionable insights from your finance and payments data.

Earlier this year I attended the Outcomes Conference where I heard Dr. James Galvin give a presentation on Successful Leadership Transitions. In that session, he said that 27 to 46 percent of leadership transitions fail. That’s 1 out 3 leadership transitions that just don’t work. Can  your staff handle that stress? The most expensive hire you can ever make is hiring the wrong person so your back-office succession planning best practices must focus on leadership first.

Succession planning is extremely important for any size organization. For example, recently Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced that Andy Jassy would succeed him as CEO. Overall, in the media, the succession plan was widely accepted. What is succession planning and what can we learn from Amazon?

The preparation required to raise capital is one of the hardest things a founder can do and it will consume a significant amount of your time. Given what we are experiencing with COVID-19, it is even more challenging. Interestingly, today “the biggest change lies in not the money itself, but the appetite for uncertainty. Most investors are going to be more cautious currently, which will require some form of uncertainty premium as a part of the terms. One way to ensure that you can raise money confidently in this time is to get intimately familiar with cash flow on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis.” 

No matter the size of your company, there is nothing more critical than the ability to generate and manage cash. Cash is the lifeblood of the company; and the most critical factor in survival. Nearly 40% of startups fail because of financial challenges; and while that number certainly has the potential to grow with COVID-19, we want to share some practical cash management advice to not only weather this unprecedented time, but also put in place responsible cash management practices that will serve you well now and in the future, such as the ability to create a SaaS cash flow forecast.

How Modern SaaS Finance Software Helps with Sound Transaction Management

At AcctTwo, when we refer to Sound Transaction Management we mean setting up the right chart of accounts, optimizing the order-to-cash and procure-to-pay processes, and capturing all the relevant information in the right place. With the right SaaS finance software, you can have a dimensional chart of accounts as the core of many enabling functions that lead to predictable growth. In this on-demand Webinar, hear from a CFO and a Founder about sound transaction management.

The Extend Your Runway Webinar series was led and moderated by Marcus Wagner. During the SaaS Finance and Accounting Playbook Overview and Proactive Planning webinar, Marcus stepped through the first element of AcctTwo’s Accounting and Finance Playbook - Proactive Planning. Proactive Planning is the iterative process of budgeting and re-forecasting based on real-time operational data and market dynamics.