Financial expert dishes out business advice

Ron Robichaud has one message for all business owners.

“Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves,” he said.

Robichaud, the Vice-President of C & R Care and Consulting, shared this idea, and many others, with Yorkton business owners at a recent workshop.

“We can make great businesses even better,” he said. “We’ve been helping businesses across Canada maximize profit potential.”

Robichaud led the day-long workshop at Community Futures Ventures on May 30. The morning section focused on planning for profits, while the afternoon portion centered on properly pricing goods and services.

Robichaud emphasized the importance of understanding financial statements.

“One of the things I’ve noticed working across Canada [is that], in 98 per cent of cases, entrepreneurs have a hard time reading their financial statements,” he said. “They’re not thinking in percentages and they have no set financial goals.”

Robichaud encouraged the workshop attendees to zero in on the important details of their businesses.

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” he said.

Robichaud travels across Canada doling out business advice. He thinks it’s a topic that could have a big impact on the country.

“If we were able to get [most businesses] from one per cent to four per cent net profit, we would eliminate the Canadian debt in four years without increasing taxes,” he said.

Robichaud enjoys meeting entrepreneurs and sharing his experiences.

“Leading [the workshop] is my passion,” he said. “I’m trying to get as many entrepreneurs and businesses as profitable as possible while at the same time contributing back to the economy.

“I’m at the stage in my life when I want to give back to society.”