🚨 The Spreadsheet That Saves Businesses — Before They Know They’re in Trouble 🚨 Most businesses don’t fail because they’re unprofitable. They fail because they run out of cash. One moment things feel fine. Then payroll hits. Of a vendor invoice lands at the wrong time. Cash

Some nights, your operations team thinks they’re making progress... But without a clear plan for where the business is going? It’s just high-energy raccoons on a trampoline. 🦝⬆️⬇️ At StraightForward, we bring structure, insight, and intentionality to your growth—so all that

🎧 Spotify is playing the long game. But for most businesses, a $100M quarterly loss isn’t a strategic move — it’s a funeral dirge. Despite 696 million users and audiobook listening up 35%, Spotify’s Q2 took a €86 million hit. Why? 📈 High growth. 📉 Even higher costs.

🍔 SHAKE SHACK’s sales are up — but their stock’s down nearly 20%. That’s not a typo. In Q2, revenue rose nearly 13%, and system-wide sales saw similar growth. But Q3 projections? Weaker than Wall Street wanted — thanks to inflation and cautious consumers. What’s going on? It

📈 Inflation’s Not Done Yet. And Neither Is the Fed. The Fed's go-to inflation gauge — the core PCE index — just rose at one of the fastest clips of the year. Up 2.8% year-over-year and 0.3% month-over-month, fueled largely by tariff-impacted goods like apparel and home

🔥 Solid Business. Cold Climate. Hot Opportunity. Saw this listing from Scott Hislop at Transworld Business Advisors NorthStar — a well-established heating & plumbing business in NW Wisconsin, complete with real estate, experienced techs, and decades of community trust. What caught our

🚨 Not Our Client — But This is Our Lane 🚨 A $12m manufacturing company just hit the market. VIKING MERGERS is representing the deal — and while we’re not involved, we know this type of business inside and out. Because manufacturing isn’t just one of our specialties — it’s

💦💼 This is what it feels like to work with StraightForward. You know that moment in the video — the guy steps onto a resort waterslide, makes sure he’s soaked just right… And then BAM 💥 He launches, spins, FLIPS mid-air, and sticks the landing like a gold-medal Olympian.

Most business owners don’t know which part of their business is really making money. @Duolingo’s growth made headlines: 💸 Subscription revenue up 46% 🧠 Millions learning music and chess — from a language app? But here’s the real insight: They know exactly what each line of

Strong quarter. Gloomy outlook. Sound familiar? Even with a solid Q2, Airbnb’s CEO isn’t celebrating. 📉 He’s “not satisfied” with what’s ahead. 💬 Why? “Increased uncertainty.” And they’re not alone. Booking.com’s parent company — one of the world’s largest travel

📈 Sales are up. 💵 Bank balance is down. You’re not alone—many owners grow revenue while quietly losing wealth. The culprit? A widening value gap. Find the leaks. Close the gap. Build true value. straightforward.today/more-sales-don…

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🔧 Not Our Listing — But Definitely Our Expertise Another sharp manufacturing company is hitting the market — this one in the MSP metro, represented by Scott Hislop at Transworld. 📌 Custom components 📌 20+ years strong 📌 Consistent margins & deep client relationships We’re

Surge Before the Tariff Storm — A Wake-Up Call for Business Owners The Port of Los Angeles just hit a historic high in container volume—its busiest month in 117 years—as importers rushed to stock up ahead of tariff changes. This isn’t just supply chain hustle—it’s a signal for

Healthy Conflict ≠ Toxic Culture Conflict on leadership teams isn’t just unavoidable — it’s vital. But only if it’s handled well. We’ve worked with executive teams where conflict looked like: Side-stepping and backchanneling Turf wars over strategy Silent meetings followed

Tariffs are shifting. Are you watching — or reacting? Canada just announced it’s dropping retaliatory tariffs on $21B worth of U.S. goods — from orange juice to motorcycles — in a move to ease tensions and reengage in trade talks. Steel, aluminum, and auto tariffs? Still in

When growth hides fragility, crisis hits harder. Spirit Airlines is now fighting for survival. Missed restructuring marks Furloughed pilots Strategic advisers called in A cash crisis that’s no longer theoretical When the headlines break, the story always sounds sudden. But the

Exit Planning—It’s Not One Size Fits All Recent research from the Exit Planning Institute reveals compelling generational insights about exit readiness: Over 50% of Millennials prioritize exit planning—but many cite being too busy or too young to act. Meanwhile, more than half

Uncertainty and volatility aren't the same — and treating them like they are could cost you. Too many owners freeze when things feel chaotic. Others overreact — slashing budgets, cutting staff, or burning cash — without knowing what’s really happening. Here’s what our

Sometimes, “less bad” is a turning point — if you know how to read it. Kohl’s just posted a Q2 sales decline of 4.2% — which doesn’t sound great, until you realize analysts expected worse. They’ve updated their full-year forecast, too: narrowing the expected drop from -6% to