Cube Blog - All Posts

How this CFO turned budgeting at SmugMug, Inc. into an easy, practical, and fair process

Budgeting at SmugMug was a tangled mess, even after restructuring their departments. But things...

How enhanced transparency in FP&A helps Unqork make agile, informed decisions and fuels rapid growth

With a single source of truth giving them total confidence in their numbers, Unqork champions both...

How the CFO of Masterworks used Cube to forecast for and attain a unicorn valuation

Learn how Nigel used Cube to keep Masterworks as lean as possible until the company was ready to...

How Kristina Uses Cube to De-stress her FP&A Process and Achieve Peace of Mind

1Rockwell no longer spends all their time closing the books, nor do they chase down data...

When is a rolling forecast right for my business?

A rolling forecast evolves with your business. It’s a living, breathing document that is always...

PSA: Not all metrics are KPIs - best practices

If you have a 2-page list of “KPIs,” we’re calling them the wrong thing. Not all metrics are KPIs,...

What is financial planning and analysis (FP&A) software?

Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) software helps strategic finance teams improve their...

What is financial planning and analysis (FP&A) software?

Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) software helps strategic finance teams improve their...

Cash forecasting: a quick guide for busy FP&A teams (updated for 2023)

For finance teams at SaaS companies, cash flow forecasting is fundamental to help executives manage...

Getting buy-in for your next finance transformation project

So you're ready to start a finance transformation project, but how do you convince your team that...

Scenario planning: move beyond the basics

Scenario planning is a method of forecasting and analysis that takes a variety of assumptions to...

Track and control revenue churn to keep your best customers

Learn how to calculate, interpret, and improve your SaaS business's revenue churn in this quick...

LTV:CAC ratio: your secret weapon to measure sales & marketing ROI

How do you measure your sales spend? What do the numbers say about spending more on marketing? The...

Revenue retention (GRR vs. NRR): calculate, interpret, and improve

Gross Revenue Retention (GRR) and Net Revenue Retention (NRR), sometimes called GDR and NDR, are...

Strategic budgeting: are you getting it right? A guide for 2023

Strategic budgeting should be treated as a formal planning process. In this guide to strategic...

Top-down vs. bottom-up budgeting: which should you use?

Top-down vs. bottom-up budgeting...which should you choose? As many with things, it depends. In...

The 16 best financial forecasting software for FP&A teams [in 2023]

We've rounded up the best financial forecasting software to help FP&A teams make financial...

The 16 best financial forecasting software for FP&A teams [in 2023]

We've rounded up the best financial forecasting software to help FP&A teams make financial...

Rule of 40 and SaaS: What is it and why is it so important?

The Rule of 40 says a company's revenue growth rate plus profitability margin should be equal to or...

Cohort analysis: the secret to the best insights you've ever gotten

Learn some simple cohort analysis techniques (like acquisition vs. behavioral cohorts) so that you...

CAC (customer acquisition cost): how to measure sales/marketing ROI

The Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) metric calculates the sales and marketing costs it takes in...

The definitive guide to an FP&A software implementation (in 2023)

When working on a financial implementation, it’s important to win and create a seamless transition...

Full steam ahead? Calculating the SaaS magic number

Your SaaS magic number is a powerful indicator of when it's time to grow. Learn how to calculate...

G2 ranks Cube high performer, easiest to do business with (Spring '22)

Cube was awarded 4 G2 badges for the Winter 2022 season: Budgeting & Forecasting, Corporate...

Chart of accounts: basics and best practices

Learn the basics and best practices to setting up and maintaining a chart of accounts for your...

[Updated] The 15 best financial management software tools for businesses in 2023

If you’re not using modern financial management software, you don't have the most accurate view of...

What’s the difference between a plan, a budget, and a forecast?

While a company’s plan, budget, and financial forecast are often discussed in the boardroom, these...

What is customer lifetime value (LTV)? Definition, uses, examples

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) is an essential metric to for any SaaS business. In this blog post,...

In a new finance leadership role? Here’s a guide for a successful first 90 days

How should you prepare for a new role in finance leadership? Use this guide to set your team up for...

How to accelerate your annual budgeting process (in 2023)

Many businesses dread the annual budgeting process as the fiscal year comes to a close. However,...

The 12 best business budgeting software tools (updated for 2023)

Business budgeting software is essential for any business looking to create budgets, forecasts, and...

Feel the burn: a guide to gross burn vs. net burn

Gross burn and net burn each contribute to a company’s understanding of how long it can keep...

6 best cash flow management software tools for busy finance teams [in 2023]

These are our top picks for the best cash flow management software tools for finance and FP&A teams...

6 best cash flow management software tools for busy finance teams [in 2023]

These are our top picks for the best cash flow management software tools for finance and FP&A teams...

Quick ratio vs. current ratio: the quick difference

Learn the quick difference between the quick vs. current ratio and when you best use each metric in...

Why I joined Cube: A product person’s perspective

Learn why Rob Baesman joined Cube was the VP of Product and what's next for Cube's growth, from a...

What is financial planning & analysis (FP&A)? A guide for 2023

Financial Planning and Analysis, or FP&A, is the budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis...

A full Workday Adaptive Planning review [Updated for 2023]

This is a full and honest Workday Adaptive Planning review (formerly Adaptive Insights). Pros,...

A full Workday Adaptive Planning review [Updated for 2023]

This is a full and honest Workday Adaptive Planning review (formerly Adaptive Insights). Pros,...

The 10 best FP&A software tools: a guide for 2023

Finance teams use FP&A software solutions to streamline and automate their work. Here's an overview...

The 10 best FP&A software tools: a guide for 2023

Finance teams use FP&A software solutions to streamline and automate their work. Here's an overview...

The complete FP&A software evaluation checklist (for 2023)

This is the most complete FP&A software evaluation checklist on the planet. In this guide, you'll...

How to empower non-financial executives to understand the numbers

Explaining financial numbers to non-financial executives can be a voyage riddled with rough waters...

Becoming a “have” in B2B SaaS starts with FP&A

OpenView released a report in 2021 that tells the difference between a B2B SaaS "have" and a "have...

How WizeHire saves 90% of the their time (and does stronger FP&A work)

When WizeHire raised their first round, they suddenly had a new problem: fast growth forced them to...

The 5 best mid-market planning tools for business [updated for 2023]

With so many FP&A planning tools on the market, how do you know which one to choose? Read this post...

News

Spreadsheet-Native: The Clear Approach to FP&A

The office of the CFO has evolved, but its tools no longer keep up. Enter spreadsheet-native: the...

News

Pitching VCs? Here's the deck we used to raise $30M with Battery Ventures

Pitching VCs? Here's the deck we used to raise $30M with Battery Ventures, as featured in Business...

Cash flow: What's the difference between the direct vs. indirect method?

Learn when to use the direct vs indirect method for calculating your business's cash flow.

What is budget forecasting?

Learn all about budget forecasting and how it's different than a traditional budget or a...

8 must-do steps for your month-end close process

Is your month-end close process taking too long, or do you think you should be doing more? Here's...

14 best budgeting software tools & apps [updated for 2023]

Budgeting can be a long and dysfunctional process. That's why we've pulled together this list of...

The 13 best financial reporting software [updated for 2023]

We made this list of the best financial reporting software to help you pick the best tool for you.

The 8 best financial planning software tools [updated for 2023]

Companies today are getting the same message: Plan B is not enough. This list of financial planning...

21 best finance software for businesses & personal finances [in 2023]

Finance software is essential for any business there are too many choices to sift through. Here's...

Datarails reviews (updated for 2023): features, pricing, competitors

Get the inside scoop on Datarails. We've collected Datarails reviews, datarails pricing, and even...

Anaplan vs. Adaptive vs. Planful vs. Vena vs. Datarails vs. Cube

Picking the best FP&A tool can be a challenge. That's why we wrote this guide comparing Anaplan vs...

[Updated for 2023] The 15 best financial statement software tools

Financial statements are an important part of your reporting process. But which financial statement...

Corporate performance management: a primer

Corporate performance management (CPM) describes the methods and processes of measuring a company's...

The 10 top financial close software for a stressless month end (2023)

Your financial close is important. Look at these top financial close software tools to ensure...

G2 recognizes Cube’s customer service, high performance, and ease of use (Summer ‘22)

Cube was awarded 6 G2 badges for the Summer 2022 season: High Performer (Mid-Market + Summer),...

NetSuite reviews, competitors, and alternatives

NetSuite is one of the most well-known tools in finance. But how does this multipurpose ERP stack...

Net dollar retention: why NDR is your new north star

Net dollar retention (NDR) or net revenue retention (NRR) is a north star metric for SaaS companies...

Strategic workforce planning for CFOs: from strategy to execution

Workforce planning is a large part of your budget and determines the trajectory of your company:...

The 23 best corporate performance management software (for 2023)

Corporate performance management software is critical to help FP&A teams better understand employee...

What's an FP&A job?

How do you get an FP&A job? From the analyst position to director of strategic finance, FP&A can be...

7 of the best financial modeling software [for 2023]

There's a lot of financial modeling software out there today. That's why we wrote this guide to...

Driver-based planning: let the numbers lead the way

Driver-based planning is one of the best paradigms for your next budgeting cycle. What drives...

What is Anaplan? Reviews, pros/cons, and alternatives (for 2023)

What is Anaplan? It's an enterprise-grade FP&A solution. But there's a lot more to it. Here you'll...

Our review of Jirav: how does it measure up?

Jirav is one of the myraid FP&A solutions promising to replace spreadsheets for good. But how does...

Slides: The top 5 mistakes CFOs make when communicating with the board

What are the top 5 mistakes CFOs make when communicating with the board? Here's the slide deck our...

16+ best Anaplan competitors & alternatives for FP&A teams [in 2023]

Anaplan is a popular FP&A tool, but is it the best for your strategic finance team? Review 16+ of...

What-if analysis: a beginner's guide to scenarios + goal seek in Excel

A simple introduction to what-if analysis in Microsoft Excel. We cover scenarios, data tables, goal...

The 20+ best forecasting and budgeting software solutions (in 2023)

Forecasting and budgeting software is a dime a dozen these days. What's the best fit for you? We...

What is sensitivity analysis in strategic finance?

Sensitivity analysis is a financial modeling technique that helps FP&A teams determine how input...

What is strategic financial planning and management?

Strategic planning is one of finance's most important functions. In this post, you'll learn how to...

Cube ranks #1 for ease of use on G2; receives 20 badges across FP&A categories (Fall '22)

Following high G2 rankings in Spring and Summer, we’re happy to continue this upward trajectory...

NetSuite vs. QuickBooks: how do they measure up?

Both NetSuite and QuickBooks are essential accounting solutions. But how do you know which is the...

Cash inflow and outflow: keeping tabs on your financial health

Keeping tabs on your cash inflow and outflow is how you keep the lights on and invest in growth....

Cash runway: How (and why) to calculate your company’s cash runway

Cash runway is an essential metric that helps founders and CFOs determine how much cash they have...

FP&A interview questions: a cheat sheet for landing the next FP&A role

Interviewing for a new FP&A job? Interviewing FP&A candidates and not sure what to ask? Browse our...

What are the three financial statements?

The three financial statements that make the 3-statement model are the income statement, balance...

Capacity planning: the CFO's guide

Don't overlook the importance of capacity planning. CFOs, in this guide we show you how capacity...

What's a pro forma template? [Free pro forma templates for Excel]

A pro forma statement is a hypothetical future state of a business's finances. Grab a free pro...

What is headcount forecasting? [Free headcount forecasting Excel template]

Headcount forecasting (AKA headcount or workforce planning) is essential for any high-growth...

Vena reviews: How does Vena Solutions compare to the alternatives?

A collection of Vena reviews and our take on who Vena Solutions is for, its pros and cons, and...

Planful reviews: what is Planful?

How does Planful work? What are the pros and cons of Planful? What are some Planful reviews or...

EBITDA: What does it say about my company's financial health?

This blog post explains what EBITDA is and how it can be used to measure a company's financial...

100+ up-to-date-for-2023 FP&A statistics every CFO should know

Looking for an FP&A statistic? Look no further. We've gathered more than 100 up-to-date FP&A...

16+ of the best NetSuite integrations: your 2023 guide

NetSuite is a powerful ERP and CRM. But what are the best NetSuite integrations you should use?...

Cube ranks #1 for user satisfaction on G2; Receives 30+ badges across FP&A categories (Winter ‘23)

We’re proud to have received more than 30 badges across multiple FP&A categories in G2’s Winter...

The 11+ best Oracle Essbase alternatives [updated for 2023]

Compare several Oracle Essbase alternatives in this handy guide to FP&A software and other...

The top 16+ ERP system examples in 2023

Want some ERP system examples? We've got you covered with this roundup and comparison of 16 of the...

The 8+ best account reconciliation software (updated for 2023)

We rounded up the best account reconciliation software on the market to accelerate a stress-free...

11+ best strategic planning software for CFOs in 2023

Strategic planning software can help FP&A teams better partner with their CEOs and leadership. But...

The top FP&A certifications and courses for career advancement [2023]

An FP&A certification is a great way to improve your skills + advance the career ladder. But with...

The 11+ best Mosaic Tech alternatives + competitors (updated for 2023)

Mosaic Tech is a finance tool for SaaS companies but is it the best fit for your business? Check...

Burn multiple: a quick & simple guide

Burn multiple is an essential efficiency metric. How do venture capitalists use it to judge...

Every (50+) financial ratio you'll ever need in 2023

Financial ratios are a CFO's bread and butter. Ever need to look up a financial ratio? Us too....

11+ Best workforce management software for CFOs in 2023

Workforce management software helps manage employee scheduling and workload. But with so many...

Our FP&A salary & career field guide for 2023 strategic finance roles

How much should you expect to get paid in FP&A? And how do you increase your salary and get...

ASC 606 revenue recognition: A 2023 guide for SaaS CFOs & FP&A teams

Complying with ASC 606 revenue recognition standards is increasingly difficult for modern FP&A...

The best capacity planning tools for busy FP&A teams in 2023

Capacity planning tools are essential to help you create realistic forecasts and models. But what's...

The 19+ best sales forecasting software of 2023

There's a lot of sales forecasting software on the market. How do you know what's right for you? No...

How to create a balance sheet projection in 2023

Knowing how to create a balance sheet projection is essential for being able to companies looking...

What's a static budget? Here's what you need to know

What is a static budget? How is it different from a fixed budget? How do you make a static budget?...

Strategic finance: An exhaustive and practical guide for CFOs in 2023

Strategic finance is the core of how CFOs can be better partners to their CEOs and use the power of...

The 16+ top Prophix alternatives and competitors [updated for 2023]

Prophix is a well-known FP&A tool, but is it the best? We made this guide to Prophix alternatives...

Variance reporting: What is it + how to read/write a variance report

What is variance reporting? It's when you show and explain the discrepancies between the forecast...

Account reconciliation: What it is, how it works, and what to do

Account reconciliation is an essential part of closing the books. But how do you do it, and why is...

Report automation made easy & the best report automation tools in 2023

Report automation is a huge time saver. After all, nobody wants to spend time manually making...

The 11+ best financial analytic software for FP&A teams in 2023

Financial analytic software helps you analyze your financial data for valuable business insights....

Not sold on Centage? The best Centage alternatives in 2023

Centage Planning Maestro is a well-known mid-market planning tool. But are there Centage...

11+ Best Pigment Alternatives and Competitors [for 2023]

With so many FP&A solutions on the market, does Pigment stand out? Let's examine the top Pigment...

The 9+ Best OnPlan Alternatives and Competitors [for 2023]

OnPlan is an integrated planning solution designed for finance teams. But does it lead the pack?...

The 11+ best OneStream alternatives and competitors in 2023

OneStream is an FP&A tool past its prime. Here are the best OneStream alternatives on the market...

Calculating DPO vs. DSO (including Days Payable Outstanding formula)

DPO and DSO can be tricky to calculate if you don't know the formulas. That's why we created this...

All about the contribution margin income statement

The contribution margin income statement is a specialized financial statement. But what does it...

IRR vs. XIRR: What's the difference? When do I use them?

IRR (internal rate of return) and XIRR (extended internal rate of return) measure an investment's...

MRR vs. ARR: recurring revenue in SaaS is still important

What's the difference between MRR vs. ARR? Both are important ways for SaaS companies to examine...

xP&A: finding a competitive edge through extended planning & analysis

Extended planning and analysis (xP&A) is the new FP&A: holistic financial planning. But what makes...

Keep your company in tune: reconcile your balance sheet the right way

Do you know how to reconcile the balance sheet? If not, no problem. That's why we wrote this guide...

Board reporting in 2023 made easy (avoid these 5 mistakes)

Board reporting has a reputation for being tough. We pulled some tips and mistakes for CFOs to...

Create and track a cash budget (step-by-step guide)

Cash budgets are important for monitoring your cash inflows and outflows, as well as ensuring the...

EBIT: Earnings Before Interest and Taxes + how to calculate EBIT

EBIT is one of the more profitability measurements, but what does it mean, and how do you interpret...

Adjusted EBITDA: definition, formula, and how to calculate

Adjusted EBITDA is just a better EBITDA, no? Well, that's not the whole story. Read on to learn...

What is NBV (Net Book Value)?

NBV (net book value) is an important metric for ascertaining the value of a company's fixed assets....

EBITDA vs. net income: a comprehensive tutorial

EBITDA and net income are common financial metrics, but differ in how they're used and calculated....

Goodwill impairment: the value of a name

Goodwill impairment is when your brand suffers and your intangible asset---goodwill, or the...

What are intercompany transactions?

Intercompany transactions occur after acquisitions and mergers. But what are the best practices for...

Customer Spotlight - Veryable

Veryable's Director of Finance needed a reliable tool to build the foundation of his FP&A with...

Customer Spotlight - Growth Operators

The Senior Director of FP&A at Growth Operators needed a tool to budget, forecast, and report...

Customer Spotlight - Figment

Figment's new VP of Strategic Finance needed a tool to budget, forecast, and report against...

Why I Built Cube: The Home of Strategic FP&A

Our founding story. Why did Christina Ross create Cube? What is the next generation FP&A software?

Profitability analysis: slicing the pie

Profitability analysis is the use of various financial ratios (or profitability ratios) to...

Incremental budgeting: is it the right budgeting method for you?

Incremental budgeting is one of the big budgeting methods. It takes the previous period's budget...

Activity-based budgeting: is this budgeting method right for you?

Activity-based budgeting is a good planning and budgeting strategy for CFOs who want a realistic...

The inside scoop on bottom-up planning

Bottom-up planning is when you use data from the bottom of the organizational pyramid (from...

Statement of retained earnings: reporting on your rainy day fund

The statement of retained earnings is a financial reporting statement that lists the amount of cash...

Operational planning vs strategic planning: How they work together

Operational planning is essential to ensure that your company's strategic plans are implemented....

Net working capital: the basics, how to calculate, and how to improve

What is net working capital, and how do you calculate it? In this blog post, learn all about net...

CapEx vs. OpEx: the difference between these types of expenditures

CapEx (capital expenditures) and OpEx (operational expenditures) can be confused. How do you...

CapEx formula: how to calculate capital expenditures

Quick refresher on the capex formula. You'll learn how to calculate capital expenditures, what...

G2 ranks Cube #1 for ease of use, price, and user satisfaction (Spring ‘23)

We’re proud to have received nearly 30 badges across multiple FP&A categories in G2’s Spring '23...

Financial forecasting models: ghosts of the past, present, and future

Financial forecasting models help FP&A teams determine the best courses of action and best rates of...

Sales and operations planning (S&OP): the basics and best practices

Sales and operations planning (S&OP) is an important function of FP&A: it's how companies forecast...

The 12 best workforce planning software for CFOs in 2023

Workforce planning software is essential for companies wanting to smartly and efficiently scale....

Organizational plans: a quick primer (with examples)

Organizational plans are how the finance team creates plans for the future. Some examples include...

Zero-based budgeting: justifying every line item in the company budget

Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) means every dollar in your budget has earned its place there. In this...

Cash flow forecasting: The financial GPS system

Cash flow forecasting is essential to your business's long-term financial health. Learn about the...

Your guide to financial forecasting essentials (for 2023)

Financial forecasting has never been more important. Learn the essentials of how to create a...

The essential elements of a strategic plan: explained

What's a strategic plan? And how do I know when I've included enough? Learn the essential elements...

Our top budgeting best practices for busy FP&A teams

What are the budgeting best practices? We've included some of our best tips in this article about...

Reporting unearned revenue: what you need to know

Unearned revenue on the balance sheet represents a debt owed to the customer. But how do you report...

How to create & use pro forma statements

Creating and using pro forma financial statements can be a daunting task. Learn all about these...

The 10 best ad hoc reporting software for busy FP&A teams (in 2023)

Ad hoc reporting software helps you have more productive, real-time conversations. But how do you...

What is the percentage-of-sales method?

The percentage-of-sales method helps finance teams develop a budgeted set of financial statements....

Budget variance analysis: did you stick to your budget?

Budget variance analysis is when you check your actuals against budgeted values for the same...

What's a P&L budget?

The P&L budget summarizes expected income and expenses (profit and loss) over a financial period....

Ad hoc reporting: how to create custom ad hoc reports for your business needs

Ad hoc reporting is a customizable, easy-to-use reporting method that helps the FP&A team promote...

The 4 financial statements CFOs need to know

The 4 financial statements are the income statement, the balance sheet, the statement of owner...

Compliance reporting: everything you need to know

Compliance reporting can be long and arduous, but it's incredibly important---it's also the law....

Designing & presenting effective financial reporting dashboards

Financial reporting dashboards are essential for every FP&A team and CFO. What should you have on...

Hiring your first FP&A analyst

Hiring is exciting. But you might have questions or reservations if you've never hired an FP&A...

The best strategic finance publications in 2023

With so many finance publications out there, how do FP&A folks separate the wheat from the chaff?...

Everything an FP&A leader should have on their finance dashboard

Streamline your finance reporting with finance dashboard examples that go beyond historical context...