These are real SBA CPA clients. To protect their confidentiality, we do not name them. The figures are annual revenue and annual profit, before the engagement and now.
Every engagement began the same way. We met with the owner to understand how the business actually ran and what was keeping them up at night. Then we built a system for collecting accurate, timely financial data, and used it to have regular, fact-based conversations about what to change. The details differed by industry.
Restaurant
Revenue: $3.1 million to $7.6 million. Profit: $320,000 to $1.2 million.
The situation
A busy restaurant was generating solid sales, but the owner could not see the true cost of what it sold or where labor dollars were going. Without reliable numbers, the business was hard to finance, which limited how fast it could grow.
What we did
We started with routine, proactive meetings with the owner to understand the business and its real concerns. We set up a professional system for collecting timely, accurate data, so ideas for growth could be tested against facts.
From there, we identified the true cost of sales by putting proper procedures in place for inventory control and management, portion control and recipe streamlining. We advised the owner to engage with vendors continuously on pricing, and the owner adopted that as standing policy.
On labor, we separated costs by department, identified security issues in timekeeping, set up appropriate scheduling and trained managers in the controls needed to manage labor cost proactively. With costs under control, we worked with the owner on growth strategies.
The result
The first changes increased profit and made the company bankable. Access to financing made the next stage of growth possible.
Manufacturing
Revenue: $1.3 million to $3.2 million. Profit: $57,000 to $620,000.
The situation
A manufacturer was earning very little on its sales. The owner needed clearer information about product costs, production and cash to decide where to invest.
What we did
As with every engagement, we began with regular meetings with the owner and a reliable system of data collection, and connected the numbers to the story the owner was telling about the business.
Our work then focused on the fundamentals of a manufacturing business: cost accounting that shows what each product really costs to make, inventory practices that keep materials and work in progress under control, and clearer processes across the manufacturing cycle, including how jobs are quoted and how production is tracked between departments. We also helped tighten how and when customers paid, which shortened the time cash sat in receivables.
The result
Better cost information and stronger cash flow gave the owner room to invest in growth, and revenue and profit rose substantially.
Oil and gas
Revenue: $1.3 million to $4.6 million. Profit: $0 to $870,000.
The situation
An oil and gas business was breaking even. Its owner was absorbed in day-to-day operations, and department heads lacked the information to make decisions on their own.
What we did
We held confidential discovery meetings that gave the owner time to step back from daily tasks and think about the business strategically. We then created a new system of reliable data collection, with a chart of accounts and project costing built for how the business operates.
We segmented the data by department and gave each division head current, relevant numbers so decisions could be made faster and closer to the work. For the leadership team, we consolidated the data into a view of the whole organization’s financial health. We also set up rolling financial and cash flow projections to keep management informed of both short-term and long-term needs.
The result
With timely information at every level, the business moved from breaking even to a consistent profit while more than tripling revenue.
Single-trade construction
Revenue: $300,000 to $720,000. Profit: $0 to $92,000.
The situation
A single-trade contractor was busy but not profitable. The owner did not know which jobs made money and which lost it until well after they were finished.
What we did
We worked closely with the owner to understand the business and define the financial concerns that mattered most. That confidential collaboration took some of the weight off the owner’s shoulders and let us focus on realistic, specific improvements.
We set up timely, accurate data collection and connected it to the goals we had discussed. Then we built and maintained a job costing system for every project, analyzed each job at every stage so profitability was clear while work was still underway, and advised on changes to improve a job’s margin or rescue one that was losing money. Ongoing compliance support kept filings current throughout.
The result
The business more than doubled its revenue and moved from breaking even to a steady profit.
What these cases have in common
None of these owners needed a new idea about their industry. They needed accurate numbers, delivered while there was still time to act, and someone to talk them through. That is the work we do. If your business is busy but the results do not reflect it, an introductory call with our client services team is a simple first step.
Individual results vary, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes.