Retail
You built a real retail business. Now you need financial leadership that matches, not just someone recording transactions.
You've Outgrown the DIY Phase
You started with a single location and a Square account. Bookkeeping was manageable. Maybe you did it yourself or hired someone part-time to categorize expenses. That worked for a while.
Now you have real inventory. Maybe multiple locations. Staff. Vendor relationships. Seasonal swings that require cash planning months in advance. The financial complexity has grown, but your back-office support hasn’t kept pace.
You don’t need a bookkeeper. You need someone who can review what your team produces, catch errors before they compound, and give you the financial insight to make better decisions.
Revenue Is Not Profit
Retail creates a dangerous illusion. Thousands of dollars flowing through the register every day. Bank account looks healthy. But where did the money actually go? Inventory sitting on shelves is cash you can’t spend. Markdowns erode margins you thought you had. Vendor invoices pile up with terms that expire faster than you planned.
Most retailers know their top-line sales. Far fewer know their true gross margin by product category, their actual inventory turn rate, or which departments are subsidizing the others. Without that clarity, you’re making decisions based on gut feel and hoping the year-end numbers work out.
Who We Work With
Who We Work With
Brick-and-mortar stores, boutiques, specialty retailers, and multi-location operations in South Florida. Established businesses with internal bookkeeping staff who need controller-level oversight and strategic financial guidance.
Where You Are
Where You Are
Past the startup phase but not yet ready for a full-time CFO. You have someone handling day-to-day transactions but no one reviewing the work, catching errors, or translating the numbers into actionable insight.
What Gets Complicated
Retail accounting has layers that general bookkeepers often miss. Inventory valuation methods affect your reported profit and tax liability. Cost of goods sold needs to reflect actual landed costs including freight, duties, and damages. Shrinkage happens and needs proper treatment. When the books don’t reflect reality, you’re making decisions with bad information.
Inventory and COGS
Inventory and COGS
Proper inventory accounting means knowing your true cost of goods sold, not just what you paid the vendor. Landed costs, inventory adjustments, and write-downs for obsolete stock all affect margin. We ensure your financials reflect what actually happened.
Multi-Location Visibility
Multi-Location Visibility
When you have two or more stores, you need to see performance by location. Which store is profitable? Which one is dragging down the numbers? Consolidated reporting that also breaks down by unit is essential for management decisions.
Cash Flow Timing
Cash Flow Timing
Retail cash flow is lumpy. You buy inventory months before selling it. Holiday season requires capital outlay in September for revenue in December. Vendor terms expire while receivables are still outstanding. Planning for these cycles requires financial forecasting, not just historical reports.
Sales Tax Across Jurisdictions
Sales Tax Across Jurisdictions
Florida retailers with online sales or multiple locations deal with varied sales tax requirements. Nexus determination, rate accuracy, and timely filing are compliance obligations that carry real penalties when mishandled.
What Changes When You Have a Controller
Your internal bookkeeper handles the transactions. We review the work, make adjusting entries, ensure proper accruals, and close the books each month with confidence. You get financial statements you can actually trust and use for decision-making.
Beyond the monthly close, you get strategic visibility. KPI dashboards showing the metrics that matter in retail. Trend analysis that spots problems before they become crises. Variance commentary that explains why last month looked different from the plan. This is controller-level oversight paired with CFO-level thinking when you need it.
Monthly Close and Review
Monthly Close and Review
Books closed every month with proper reconciliations, adjusting entries for accruals and prepaids, and depreciation recorded. Your financials are accurate and ready for review without the year-end scramble.
Strategic Financial Guidance
Strategic Financial Guidance
When you’re considering a new location, renegotiating vendor terms, or planning for seasonal inventory builds, you have a financial partner who can model the scenarios and help you understand the real numbers before you commit.
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Let's Talk About Your Business
Tell us about your business and your goals. We'll discuss how Jargo can support your financial operations and growth.