Kruze consulting Blog

Accounting, Finance, HR and Tax for Startups


Hi! I'm Vanessa Kruze, CPA and I founded Kruze Consulting in 2012. Our firm handles all things Accounting, Finance, HR and Tax for over 800 startups. Follow Kruze Consulting on Twitter to keep up with all of our blog posts, videos and podcasts.

Should you cap commissions?

Should you cap commissions?
Posted on Sun, 17 March 2024

A question we get frequently from startup founders is should they cap commissions for their sales team? The reason they ask this question is because they get the financials we prepare at Kruze, and they are startled that the VP of Sales or a top salesperson is making more money than anyone else in the company.

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Should founders accrue payroll before VC funding?

Should founders accrue payroll before VC funding?
Posted on Sun, 10 March 2024

This particular scenario has happened in startups. You’ve started a company. You were used to getting a regular paycheck at your previous job, but right now there’s no money to pay yourself, but hopefully there will when you get funded. And at that point, you feel that you could “reimburse” yourself for all the paychecks you missed.

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What are SG&A expenses?

What are SG&A expenses?
Posted on Sun, 3 March 2024

Founders will hear the term “SG&A expenses” thrown around in board meetings a lot. SG&A stands for selling, general, and administrative expenses. One way to think of SG&A expenses is that it’s the cost of running your company.

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What is Founder Preferred Stock?

What is Founder Preferred Stock?
Posted on Sun, 25 February 2024

Founder preferred stock is a pretty new thing in the startup game. Historically, founders would always get common stock, usually in the form of founder shares that they received early on.

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What Are Capital Expenditures for Startups?

What Are Capital Expenditures for Startups?
Posted on Sun, 18 February 2024

Capital expenditures, otherwise known as CAPEX, are mentioned in startup board meetings all the time. It’s definitely a fundamental term to understand when dealing with startup accounting.

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When Fundraising Should You Practice With Less Desirable VCs?

When Fundraising Should You Practice With Less Desirable VCs?
Posted on Sun, 11 February 2024

A piece of advice that we hear being given out a lot in the startup world is that, when your startup is fundraising, you should fine-tune your pitch by approaching less desirable or non-target venture capitalists first.

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Are Term Sheets Legally Binding?

Are Term Sheets Legally Binding?
Posted on Sun, 4 February 2024

Term sheets can be a little bit of a gray area in the venture capital/startup world since certain elements, such as the confidentiality agreement, are legally binding.

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Downround Guide: Understanding, Mitigating, and Navigating

Downround Guide: Understanding, Mitigating, and Navigating
Posted on Wed, 31 January 2024

Downrounds are happening and more as the startup ecosystem is grapples with the aftermath of the 2021 VC bubble and a depressed tech stock market. Here is a practical guide on how to deal with one.

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Top 11 Venture Capital Pitch Decks

Top 11 Venture Capital Pitch Decks
Posted on Tue, 30 January 2024

We’ve helped clients raise over $15 billion in VC funding - here are some of the best pitch deck templates on the internet right now, plus links to two free templates you can get for free.

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New R&D Tax Legislation: What Startups and VCs need to know

New R&D Tax Legislation: What Startups and VCs need to know
Posted on Tue, 23 January 2024

Congress is working on a tax package (called the Smith/Wyden tax package) that could revive key tax provisions, including the deductibility of research and development expenses.

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Why Revenue Visibility Matters for Startups

Why Revenue Visibility Matters for Startups
Posted on Sun, 21 January 2024

We always encourage revenue visibility to startup founders and it matters for a couple of big reasons, both inside and outside of the company.

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What Data Should Startups Track When You Sign a New Customer?

What Data Should Startups Track When You Sign a New Customer?
Posted on Sun, 14 January 2024

There are some pieces of information startups should absolutely track when signing a new customer contract.

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Series A Financing in 2023 and 2024

Series A Financing in 2023 and 2024
Posted on Mon, 8 January 2024

It’s become more difficult for startups to raise a Series A. Here is data behind what it takes to get a round done in 2024.

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Startup Statistics

Startup Statistics
Posted on Mon, 8 January 2024

As the leading CPA serving venture capital backed startups, Kruze has a wealth of startup statistics from accounting, finance, valuation, spend management, runway and more. We’ll share some of the top startup statistics we’ve produced or seen.

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What Happens to Venture Debt in a Downround?

What Happens to Venture Debt in a Downround?
Posted on Sun, 7 January 2024

When a startup goes through a downround, things can be very painful. Typically a downround will impact the founders a lot more than the venture capital investors , but if your startup has venture debt then things could become even more difficult. So what happens to venture debt when a startup goes through a downround, and what can you do at your company to work through that happening?

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✨ AI-driven question and answer tool with Kruze's Extensive Startup Accounting And Finance Knowledge Base
This is an experiential tool. Do not rely on these responses, always consult with your CPA, tax advisor, accountant or lawyer.

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