If you're putting together a budget or a business plan, you know the value of good industry benchmarks. Salary trends. Cost ratios. Productivity metrics. Sales commissions. Cash management. All those little details that you know can make or break a software company's bottom line.
The good news is, we've got exactly the numbers you need—in The Softletter Financial Handbook.
The Financial Handbook is a 300-page treasure chest of statistical reports and benchmark studies on software finance and operations. Here in one easy-to-navigate book you'll find dozens of separate surveys and reports on all kinds of software companies, public and private, with data that companies usually share only with the most trusted industry analysts.
And you'll find more than just raw numbers. We've drawn on our network of company managers and experts for a wealth of analysis, tips and metrics that will also help you develop smarter management strategies. You could spend years collecting this kind of savvy advice (just as we've done). Or you can browse the pages of The Softletter Financial Handbook—and get instant access to an invaluable knowledge base.
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THE SOFTLETTER FINANCIAL HANDBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction
Metrics & Benchmarks
Benchmarks: Sales & Marketing Staffing
Benchmarks: Sales & Marketing
Benchmarks: Sales & Marketing Cost Ratios
Marketing Ratios
Key Metrics: The Sales Pipeline
On Measuring the Cost of Customer Acquisition
Benchmarks: Upgrade Pricing
Benchmarks: Web Lead Generation
Benchmarks: Electronic Software Distribution
Trialware Conversion Rates
E-Mail and Telephone Support Costs
Profit Metrics for Professional Services
Tech Support Turnover
Customer Satisfaction Metrics
Benchmarks: Services Contribution
Benchmarks: Services Margins
2000 Technical Support Cost Ratios
Microsoft's Profit-per-Employee Ratio
How Microsoft Measures Employees
Benchmarks: Revenue per Employee
Benchmarks: Operating Profit per Employee
Benchmarks: Operating Income
Benchmarks: General & Administrative
Benchmarks: Research & Development
Who Gets the Most Bang for Their R&D Buck?
A New Metric for R&D Quality
Mergers, IPOs, and Venture Finance
What's Your Company's Value Multiplier?
M&A Deal Terms
M&A Valuation Trends
A Due Diligence Check List
Why Deals Fall Through
Inside a Small-Cap IPO
IPO Valuation Trends
The CEO's Post-IPO Equity Stake
M&A Roundup: The Deal-Size Factor
M&A Roundup: Valuation Multiples
Behind the Scenes
Entrepreneurship: "Burn Your Business Plan"
Why Angels Fear to Tread
CardFile: Venture Capital Directories
Benchmarks: Venture Capital Investments
Creative Financing Tips From the Experts
Compensation
How to Structure a Comp Plan
Climbing the Incentive Ladder
CardFile: Employee Incentives
Incentive Plans: "Punished by Rewards"
Severance Stats: What's the Going Rate?
The Devaluation of Options
Options Grants by Job Title
How to Structure a Sales Comp Plan
Recruiting: It Matters Where You Look
Benchmarks: CEO Compensation
Benchmarks: COO Compensation
The Top 50: Highest Paid Public Company CEOs
The Top 50: Highest Paid Public Company COOs
Benchmarks: CFO Compensation
Benchmarks: Controller Compensation
The Top 50: Highest Paid Public Company CFOs
Benchmarks: Chief Technology Officer Compensation
The Top 50: Highest PaidPublic Company CTOs
Benchmarks: Sales & Marketing Compensation
The Top 50: Highest Paid Public Company S&M Executives
