Insights
Finance insights for Central Florida companies
Practical guides on interim and fractional finance help, budgeting and forecasting, the month-end close, reporting, and getting ready for lenders, investors, and buyers.
Interim & fractional
4 articles- Interim, fractional, or contract: which kind of finance help do you need?2 min readThe three ways companies bring in outside finance talent, what each one is for, and how to pick the right one.
- What an interim controller does in the first 30 days2 min readA week-by-week look at how a good interim controller stabilizes the close, the team, and the numbers.
- What a fractional FP&A lead does each month2 min readThe monthly rhythm of a fractional FP&A engagement, and what owners and leadership teams get from it.
- When your CFO leaves: the first two weeks2 min readA sudden finance leadership departure puts the close, cash, and lender relationships at risk. What to secure first.
FP&A & budgeting
4 articles- How to build a driver-based budget for FY20272 min readMove past last year plus a percentage. A practical approach to budgets built on the numbers that actually drive your business.
- The 13-week cash flow forecast, explained for owner-run companies2 min readWhy lenders and advisors rely on a 13-week cash forecast, and how to build one that stays accurate.
- Writing variance commentary owners actually read2 min readMost variance commentary restates the numbers. Good commentary explains them. A simple structure that works.
- Rolling forecasts vs. annual budgets2 min readThe annual budget sets the target. A rolling forecast keeps the view current. How the two work together.
Close & accounting
3 articles- Where the time goes in a slow month-end close2 min readA slow close is rarely about effort. The usual bottlenecks, and how finance teams remove them.
- Cleaning up a messy chart of accounts2 min readToo many accounts, inconsistent coding, and accounts nobody understands. A step-by-step approach to fixing the foundation of your reporting.
- Preparing for your first financial statement audit2 min readA lender, investor, or buyer wants audited financials. What auditors will ask for and how to prepare the books before fieldwork starts.
Reporting & BI
2 articles- Power BI for finance teams: what to build first2 min readSkip the dashboard nobody opens. A practical order for building Power BI reporting that leadership actually uses.
- Using SQL to fix the data behind your reports2 min readWhen reports don't tie or take days to build, the problem is often the data underneath. How finance teams use SQL to fix it.
Deals & private equity
4 articles- What private equity owners expect in a monthly reporting package2 min readThe reporting rhythm PE sponsors expect after closing, and how portfolio companies can deliver it without burning out the finance team.
- Getting your finance function ready for a sale2 min readSell-side processes move fast. What buyers, bankers, and diligence teams will ask finance for, and how to prepare before the process starts.
- Staying ahead of your loan covenants2 min readCovenant breaches rarely come out of nowhere. How finance teams calculate, forecast, and communicate covenant compliance.
- Building a diligence-ready finance function2 min readWhether you're raising capital, refinancing, or considering a sale, being diligence-ready shortens the process and protects value.
Industries
3 articles- Location-level P&Ls for multi-site businesses2 min readClubs, practices, restaurants, and service businesses with multiple sites need to see each location on its own. How to set it up.
- Financial KPIs for private clubs and hospitality businesses2 min readThe metrics club and hospitality operators use to understand membership, food and beverage, and labor performance.
- Finance for medical and aesthetic practices2 min readPractices run on provider time, service mix, and cash flow. The reporting that helps owners make better decisions.
Hiring & team
2 articles- Signs your business has outgrown its bookkeeper2 min readA bookkeeper records what happened. At some point you need someone who explains it. How to tell when you've reached that point.
- Hiring a controller in Central Florida: what to look for2 min readThe controller role means different things at different companies. How to define it, what to test for, and when interim help makes sense first.