CFO Services
CFO-level thinking. Fresh perspective to complement your in-house team.
Numbers you can read, a forecast you can act on and experienced operators across the table. Support where you need it, without the high wage bill.
the business basics
First, the business basics.
Without these five things, consistently good decisions are close to impossible, and stepping away from the business without losing your handle on it is out of the question.
A strategic plan that actually gets used, not one that sits in a drawer.
Your break-even position, the number surprisingly few owners know.
A financial dashboard measuring what is critical for your success.
A clear chart of accounts showing where you make money and whether margins are on target.
A working budget and clear view of cash, including where your cash actually went.
We put them in place, then track performance with you against them.
what's included
Simple, clear insight into your performance every month and every quarter.
Monthly numbers that mean something.
Gross profit and contribution margin by product or service line, expense blowouts, EBITDA, and where the cash actually went.
Accountability.
We sit with you at board level, review performance against the plan, and hold everyone to it.
Visibility at all times, no surprises, time to act early.
Quarterly review and corrective action.
Quarterly face-to-face review to assess performance against budget and strategy, with accountability and corrective action.
the gap we fill
Most businesses have a plan. Almost nobody monitors it.
Being a business owner can be lonely. We complement your in-house team, provide fresh perspective and help drive your performance.
The most profound gap in the market is not spreadsheets. It is follow-through: business plans actually implemented, performance actually monitored, someone at the table asking why the numbers moved and what we are doing about it. Growth without that discipline is how profitable businesses go bust, because cash and profit are not the same thing. That monthly and quarterly loop is precisely what we run.
The most profound gap in the market is not spreadsheets. It is follow-through: business plans actually implemented, performance actually monitored, someone at the table asking why the numbers moved and what we are doing about it. Growth without that discipline is how profitable businesses go bust, because cash and profit are not the same thing. That monthly and quarterly loop is precisely what we run.
Our process
Three steps. Then a monthly and quarterly rhythm.
CFO support works best when it is regular, not occasional. Here is how we run yours.
Business Health Check
A complimentary initial review of where the business is now, your goals, the key numbers that will make a difference and what may get in the way. Complimentary, commercial and confidential.
Baseline the basics
We establish the business basics and help communicate them across the business: chart of accounts fixed, budget built, break-even known, and a live dashboard used to run the business.
Accountability and action
Monthly numbers reviewed with a summary scorecard. Quarterly board-level sessions assess actual-to-target performance, decisions made and actions implemented to get back on track or maintain momentum.
A client story
CFO work at the sharp end.
For one client group we ran the finance function of a major shopping centre: monthly reporting, investor group liaison, audit coordination and day-to-day dealings with centre management. When the time came to sell, we managed the data room, the Q&A and three months of intense due diligence through to settlement of the sale.
Common questions
Questions we get asked.
Everything a good CFO does: management reporting, forecasting, margin and pricing analysis, funding, board-level accountability and measurement of actual-to-budget performance. It is delivered with fresh perspective by experienced operators who have worked across almost every industry, based on an agreed fee and outcomes rather than a full-time salary.
Compliance tells you what happened. A CFO tells you what is going to happen and what to do about it. Here they are the same team, so the compliance gets easier too.
Five things: a strategic plan that gets used; your break-even position; a financial dashboard; a clear chart of accounts showing where you make money and whether margins are maintained; and a working budget with a clear view of cash, including where it went.
It is often less about size or business lifecycle but rather by a trigger event. We work with businesses turning over $500,000 to $1 million, between $1 million and $5 million, and more than $20 million. The common point is that the business is too large for the owner to hold everything in their head, but does not justify a full-time CFO.
Clients are often looking for fresh perspective and someone to challenge their thinking. Being an owner or part of a small board can be lonely. Our professionals bring broad experience gained from working with strong performers across many industries. We have seen the highs and lows and understand what is required to improve performance and make sound decisions. We can also connect you with other professionals you may need along the journey.
The choice is yours. We can review your numbers monthly, which is often a good starting point. Most clients gain the greatest value from quarterly board-level reviews, where we assess performance against the strategic plan and budget and make decisions to regain alignment or maintain momentum. In every case, accountability and action support the board's agreed goals and objectives.
Like a quick chat to see if we can help?
20 minutes. No obligation. No product pitch, just an honest conversation.
Or call (03) 9574 8300
