3/28/01 - Cash flow may be the most essential element of running a successful business. Without it, businesses come to a screeching halt and owners (and CFOs) lose a lot of sleep at night. Yet traditional financial information can be disastrously misleading. To guide printers through the pitfalls of cash flow, NAPL has just published Cash is King: The Printing Company’s Survival Guide by well-known financial consultant, Joe Becker, president of Becker & Co. Becker gives readers complete tools and knowledge to improve their cash flow. Readers will find a complete, easy-to-read guide that discusses virtually every critical area: The importance of constantly improving cash flow in the printing industry; how to measure cash flow; the cash flow cycle in the printing industry;  improving days sales outstanding; credit committee; collection calls; credit approval; inventory control; order entry; invoicing procedures; cash conversion cycle; managing trade payables; managing receivables; managing inventories; alternative financing; leasing–operating; bank/institutional financing; leasing-capital; covenants; personal guarantees; cash management’s role in strategic planning; cost of technology; other value-added services, and much more! Joseph A. Becker, C.P.A., has been a consultant to the printing industry for more than 25 years. He also consults on behalf of NAPL.  His areas of expertise include finance, production standards, compensation and incentive packages, mergers, acquisitions, and long-range planning. Mr. Becker is a frequent speaker on topics such as cash management, business valuation, strategic planning and other business planning issues.