Profit matters, but cash is what keeps a business running. Learn what business liquidity really means, why monthly cash flow forecasting matters, and how better planning helps you make smarter decisions with more confidence.

We had the term sheet. The finish line was in sight. Then a few minutes of casual, off-script conversation turned a confident lender into a hard “no.” This post breaks down the investor mindset—what bankers and buyers actually hear, why entrepreneurs accidentally trigger red flags, and how having a bilingual adviser at the table can keep your deal from getting lost in translation.

Profit does not always mean peace of mind. Many growing businesses look healthy on paper but still feel constant cash pressure because invoicing lags behind the work being delivered. This is often the #1 Small Business Invoicing Mistake. In this post, Becca explains the operational billing issues that often cause the strain and the simple fixes that can help.

Private equity gets blamed for a lot. Sometimes that’s fair. But if you’re not selling yet—and you’re trying to grow—lower middle market PE has a practical playbook worth borrowing.

If you run an automotive tooling shop, traditional P&Ls don’t show you which projects are burning cash. This post walks through a practical, project-based financial model so you can see true margins, plan cash needs, and make smarter decisions about quoting, staffing, and capacity.

The automotive industry’s once-reliable supply chains are facing unprecedented challenges—from semiconductor shortages to rising logistics costs and tariffs. For small to mid-sized suppliers, these disruptions create ripple effects that can choke cash flow and threaten survival. Learn how to protect your business and keep operations moving, even in uncertain times.

When buyers evaluate your business, they aren’t just looking at what you’ve earned — they’re focused on what’s next. To sell your company for what it’s truly worth, you need clarity on three essential revenue types: backlog, pipeline, and Go Get revenue. In this post, we break down what each means, how to track them, and why they matter when preparing for a sale.

Is your business growing fast—but your finances feel chaotic? If you’re constantly troubleshooting cash flow, buried in spreadsheets, or planning a major move like a sale or acquisition, it might be time to bring in expert help. Discover 5 key signs it’s time to hire a Fractional CFO—and how the right financial partner can elevate your business without the full-time cost.

With tax law changes looming in 2025, business owners need to plan ahead. Discover six proactive tax strategies to maximize savings, reduce uncertainty, and keep more cash in your pocket.

As a small business owner, you may be asking yourself “What the heck is FP&A and why do I need it?”

Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) refers to the process of budgeting, forecasting, and analyzing financial data to guide business decisions.

It’s more than just looking at your P&L (Profit & Loss) and sending your numbers over to your accountant: it’s a way of ensuring that your business’s financial health is closely monitored, plans are in place for growth, and adjustments are made as needed.

This guide will show you how to set up an essential FP&A system for your business.

As a business owner you’re all too familiar with the phrase, “Every penny counts.”

You understand what’s at stake. Your payroll numbers are attached to real people: people who sit across from you in the lunchroom, work beside you on challenging projects and celebrate alongside when the Lions win! 

The weight on your shoulders as a business owner can be heavy. Having spent much of my career working alongside business owners like yourself, I know from first hand experience just how much of that weight can be lifted with simple easy to implement tools like a zero-based budget. 

Every business has a story. And some of the most heroic stories involve the numbers. All of these numbers add up to the story of your business. When it comes time to exit your business, this story is a key component of success. The story of how you got the business to where it is and a picture painted of where it can go are vital to a successful process.

Many of the brightest visionaries and business owners I know have gotten to where they are on pure grit, intuition, and hard work. However, the time comes when they are ready to reach even higher heights, and leveraging data into information can supercharge the journey. 

Shifting from collecting under explored data to arming you and your business with this predictive information empowers you to tweak your business operations in real-time rather than waiting for next month to see your financial results or worse yet never doing this analysis in the first place.

You’ve accomplished everything you set out to do; probably more. Now you’re ready to exit the business you’ve built from the ground up,

After reviewing your options, you’ve determined the best decision is to run a formal sale process to fetch the best offer for your company. Under this scenario, for a variety of reasons more than ever before, your most likely buyer will be a “financial buyer”. Let me tell you who this buyer is, and what they are looking for in your business.

“What gets celebrated gets reproduced.”

These words given to me early in my career by a mentor have stuck with me. At first, it just seemed like a good thing to say. However, once I had an opportunity to watch it put into practice for a few years, I saw the positive impact it had on leaders, employees and his business. 

The guiding principals you have used to run your business successfully are not always the most helpful when it comes to selling your business. Let us help you offset your company’s earnings volatility by moving from cash to accrual accounting, and learning to really understand your financial statements.

Lately though, you’ve been turning your attention to some bigger questions. The status quo isn’t working for you anymore and you’d like to shake things up. You keep posing a question to yourself, “Should I grow this thing? Or should I sell the company and move on?” You’re just not sure, but you know it requires some exploration. Putting your head in the sand will only hold off the inevitable for so long.

When it comes to these questions, you need a different skill set from your current internal capabilities. Navigating through these waters is much different from your day-to-day accounting and finance processes. It might be time to think about a Transactional CTO.

EBITDA is an acronym for Earnings Before Interest, (Income) Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization. You won’t find it listed on standard company financial statements, but you can calculate it from them. EBITDA is a very rough calculation of the cash flow generated by your business operations.

When it comes to selling debt or equity in your business it’s important to note that EBITDA comes in many flavors and will be a critical metric in any discussion.

After reviewing your exit options, you also decided to sell to the highest bidder. You feel the release of this decision to sell. Now what do you do?

Do you put up a for sale sign on the front lawn? Do you put an ad in the newspaper? Do you create a website? Of course not. In order to get the best offer, you’re going to need to engage an investment banker who specializes in the sale of businesses like yours.

Chances are you’ve never engaged an investment banker before now. Most people haven’t. Here’s what you need to know.