Part of my practice is in Hawaiʻi. I live in Kailua-Kona, my firm serves clients across the islands, and our Kōkua Financial brand works with Hawaiʻi small businesses. Over time, a handful of Hawaiian values have become the way my team and I describe how we work with every client, whether they are in Hilo, Fresno or Dallas–Fort Worth.
The first is hoʻokuleana: to take responsibility. Kuleana is responsibility; hoʻokuleana is the act of taking it on.
Advice is easy. Ownership is the job.
A fractional CFO can easily become a commentator: someone who reviews the numbers, offers opinions and leaves the work to the controller. That isn’t what clients need. When we take on a CFO or controllership engagement, we take responsibility for results:
- The close happens on schedule, with reconciliations that tie out and inventory, crop or grower accounting done correctly.
- The forecast is maintained, including the 13-week cash flow, and updated when the facts change.
- Lender and investor reporting goes out on time, and covenant issues are raised early, not discovered at the deadline.
- Problems get fixed, not just identified.
Owning mistakes
Responsibility includes our own errors. If something we prepared is wrong, we say so, fix it and explain what we changed. Credibility with a board or a bank is built on that.
Clear lines of kuleana
Taking responsibility also means being clear about who owns what. The CEO and the board make the decisions. Our kuleana is to make sure those decisions rest on complete, accurate numbers and an honest view of the risks.
If your business needs someone to own the finance function rather than just advise on it, book a 30-minute call.
Read about all seven values on our values page.
Looking for a finance partner who works this way?
My team and I serve clients in California, Texas and Hawaiʻi, remotely and on site. Start with a 30-minute call.
Schedule an introductory call