Real Results
We measure our work by the outcomes it creates. Here's what controller-level oversight and strategic financial guidance have delivered for our clients.
General Contractor Who Couldn't Tell Which Jobs Made Money
The Situation
A general contractor running $3M in annual revenue had no idea which projects were actually profitable. His internal bookkeeper handled the day-to-day transactions, but there was no job costing in place. Every project looked fine until the end of the year when the cash was gone.
He had just finished a large commercial buildout that should have been his most profitable job of the year. Instead, it barely broke even and he could not figure out why.
What We Did
We came in as the controller layer his business was missing. We reviewed his books monthly, corrected categorization errors, and set up proper job costing so every material purchase, subcontractor payment, and labor hour was tied to a specific project.
We built a job profitability report that compared actual costs against his original bids and reviewed it with him each month.
The Outcome
Within 60 days, he could see exactly where his margins were leaking. Change orders were being absorbed instead of billed. His estimator was underpricing concrete work by about 15% on every job. Two of his preferred subcontractors were consistently over budget compared to alternatives.
He adjusted his bidding process, started enforcing change order billing, and switched subs on certain trade work. His gross margins improved by nearly 10% over the following two quarters without taking on any additional volume.
His year-end close was clean for the first time. His CPA commented that the books were the most organized they had ever been. He now makes bidding decisions based on real job data instead of gut feel.
Charter Operation Struggling With Seasonal Cash Flow
The Situation
A charter fishing and boat tour operation in Palm Beach County was profitable on paper but constantly short on cash. Peak season revenue had to carry the business through slow summer months, but the owner never knew how much to set aside or when the crunch would hit.
He wanted to add a second vessel but his bank would not approve the loan. They said his financials did not support the debt service, even though he knew he could afford it during high season.
What We Did
We started with a full financial records cleanup to get his books accurate and current. Then we took on a fractional CFO role focused on cash flow planning and forecasting.
We built a 12-month rolling cash flow model that accounted for his seasonal revenue patterns, mapped out his fixed costs, and showed exactly how much he needed to reserve each month to cover the off-season without stress.
The Outcome
For the first time, he had a clear picture of his cash position three, six, and nine months out. He stopped making equipment purchases in February that would haunt him in July.
We helped him put together a loan package that included the cash flow projections and a narrative explaining the seasonality of his business. The bank approved the vessel financing on the second submission. The loan officer told him the projections made the difference.
He added the second boat the following season and used the same forecasting model to plan the crew expansion and fuel costs. Revenue grew 40% and he actually had more cash in reserve at the end of the year than he started with.
Law Firm That Could Not Track Partner Profitability
The Situation
A Boca Raton law firm with four partners and a dozen staff had grown steadily but partner compensation discussions had become contentious. Nobody could agree on who was bringing in revenue versus who was generating profit. The internal bookkeeper recorded transactions but there was no structure for analyzing performance.
The managing partner suspected one practice area was subsidizing the others but had no data to prove it.
What We Did
We implemented controller-level oversight with a focus on practice area reporting. We restructured their chart of accounts to track revenue and direct costs by partner and by practice area. We reviewed the books monthly, made adjusting entries, and produced clean financial statements with the breakdowns they needed.
We also created a simple KPI dashboard showing billable hours, realization rates, and profit contribution by practice area.
The Outcome
The data confirmed what the managing partner suspected. One practice area was generating 35% of revenue but only 12% of profit because of high associate labor costs and poor realization. Another partner's smaller book of business was actually the most profitable work in the firm.
The partners used this data to restructure their compensation formula and make strategic decisions about which types of matters to pursue. They raised rates in the underperforming practice area and tightened up their engagement letters to improve realization.
Year-end was clean and the firm's outside CPA had everything needed without the usual scramble. The partners told us it was the first compensation discussion in years that did not turn into an argument.
E-Commerce Seller Facing a Sales Tax Nightmare
The Situation
An online retailer selling home goods across multiple platforms had ignored sales tax for three years. She was shipping to customers in over 30 states and had no idea where she had nexus or what she might owe. Her books were also a mess. Inventory costs, platform fees, and ad spend were all lumped together with no way to calculate true product margins.
She had received a notice from one state and was terrified more would follow.
What We Did
We started with a full financial records cleanup to untangle three years of transactions. We separated cost of goods sold from platform fees from advertising so she could finally see her real margins by product category.
Then we conducted a nexus analysis to determine where she was required to collect and remit sales tax. We registered her in the necessary states, prepared voluntary disclosure filings where appropriate, and set up systems to handle ongoing compliance.
The Outcome
We got her fully compliant in all required states. The voluntary disclosures saved her thousands in potential penalties. Three states waived penalties entirely because she came forward proactively.
The cleanup also revealed that her best-selling product category was barely profitable after factoring in advertising costs and returns. She adjusted her pricing and cut ad spend on low-margin items. Her actual take-home profit increased even though total revenue stayed flat.
We now file her sales tax returns monthly across all jurisdictions. She does not think about it anymore. When she decided to bring on a business partner the following year, the clean books and compliance history made due diligence straightforward.
Marketing Agency With Unreliable Financial Statements
The Situation
A digital marketing agency with 15 employees had grown quickly but the owner no longer trusted her own financial statements. Her internal bookkeeper was doing the best she could but month-end close was inconsistent. Revenue recognition was wrong, accruals were missing, and the balance sheet had errors that had compounded over time.
The owner was making decisions based on numbers she knew were probably wrong. She had no idea if specific clients or service lines were actually profitable.
What We Did
We came in as the controller layer to oversee the internal bookkeeper's work. We reviewed every transaction monthly, corrected errors, recorded proper accruals and adjusting entries, and implemented a consistent month-end close process.
We also restructured reporting to show profitability by client and by service type. We met with the owner monthly to review the numbers and provided direct guidance to the bookkeeper on process improvements.
The Outcome
Within three months, the owner had financial statements she could actually rely on. She discovered two of her largest clients were barely breaking even because of scope creep that was never billed. She renegotiated both contracts.
The bookkeeper improved significantly with consistent guidance and feedback. Month-end close that used to take two weeks now happens in five days. The owner finally has time to review numbers with confidence instead of second-guessing everything.
When she went to renew her line of credit, the bank approved an increase based on the strength of her financials. She told us it was the first time in four years she felt like she actually understood her business.
Staffing Agency Preparing for Rapid Growth
The Situation
A B2B staffing agency placing technical contractors had doubled revenue in two years and was struggling to keep up. The internal bookkeeper was overwhelmed. Payroll was getting processed but the books were always a month behind, receivables were not being tracked properly, and the owner had no visibility into cash flow.
A potential acquirer had expressed interest but backed away after seeing the state of the financials.
What We Did
We implemented our Controller Premium service to provide comprehensive financial oversight. We took over month-end close, cleaned up the balance sheet, established proper AR aging tracking, and built a KPI dashboard the owner could review weekly.
We worked directly with the internal bookkeeper to improve processes and documentation. We also prepared detailed variance commentary each month so the owner understood what was driving changes in the numbers.
The Outcome
The books went from perpetually behind to closed within ten days of month-end. AR aging visibility helped them identify slow-paying clients and tighten up collections. They recovered over $40,000 in outstanding invoices within the first 90 days.
The owner now has a clear picture of cash flow, margins by client, and operational KPIs. When the acquirer came back six months later, the clean financials and documentation made due diligence smooth.
The deal closed at a higher valuation than the original indication because the buyer had confidence in the numbers. The owner told us the turnaround in financial reporting was the single biggest factor in getting the deal done.
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