A large portion of what I do is part-time CFO work for businesses and higher income individuals. You can read about all the ways I can help right here!
Below you will find a list of specific the services that I provide. I am often paid a monthly retainer to perform some, or all, of the services. However, I can also help out by the hour.
COST: VARIES
1) MANAGE THE BOOKS
• Initially I will review what you have in place, and we’ll talk a bit, so I can learn about you and/or your business. We’ll create a budget (or update the existing one), as well as establish your revenue requirements and then track against them both.
• I can manage all your books: bank accounts, credit cards, loans, investment accounts, etc. For a business I do this in Quickbooks. For individuals I do it in Quicken (but i'm open to using other software).
• I enter and pay all the bills, record receivables, and reconcile all the accounts every month. I'll track things like your assets, liabilities and net worth, then report every week or two on the progress and ways to improve your situation. We can also have a Skype once or twice a month to dive a little deeper into the numbers.
• I’ll make all your accounting as automated as possible, and get your financial and business docs organized as well. I have a few unique processes I like to implement to make things easy for everyone.
• I’ll also handle your business payroll—usually in Gusto or Quickbooks Payroll—but I can utilize whatever you have set up.
2) ANALYSIS
• I review your company or personal numbers and analyze the results. We'll have discussions about what's working, what's not, and brainstorm any ideas to improve.
• We’ll also review all your expenditures and see if there are any places to save money. Usually there are!
• I’ll introduce myself to your insurance brokers so I can stay on top of the insurance side of things. We'll also review your coverage and make sure you are not overpaying.
3) GROWTH
• I can assist in any area in which I have experience or knowledge. For example, I have helped clients acquire credit lines, helped them navigate real estate transactions (a specialty of mine) and have prepared financials for investment proposals.
• I can also work with you to identify or vet any other business ideas that you can piggyback on top of what you are already doing. As an example, one client of mine was thinking about adding a distribution arm to their beer company. I crunched all the numbers for that, and it turned out to be a very compelling addition to the business model with a low cost of entry (because they were already partly doing it).
4) TAXES
• I prepare year end financials for your CPA at tax time.
• I will interface with your CPA, alongside you, to help ensure they have taken advantage of all the tax deductions available to you.
5) PLANNING
• I will help create a savings plan that will get you where you want to be for retirement or even for a career change or “downshift.” I have come to refer to the latter as “Act 3 of a 4-Act Life.”
• I act as a sounding board and share my insights on any financial and investment related strategies including: public markets investing, real estate, asset protection, trust planning, starting a business, etc. I offer the knowledge I’ve amassed through research and real life execution over the years.
• I will guide you on a path to personal Financial Independence, depending on what age you hope for your assets to cover the cost of your essential life expenses.
6) ADDITIONAL CONSULTING
• Marketing & Branding: A large portion of my previous business (Therapy Studios) was working with multinational ad agencies. So, in addition to overseeing all the branding and marketing for the company, I have a lot of knowledge about how big brands do their marketing.
• Operations: I know almost everything there is to know about the functions of running a business. While I can’t do it all from afar, I can help in certain areas. Some examples would be managing email, calendars, and communication systems. If its web-based, I can help manage it for you!
• Media Creation: We made all sorts of media and content at Therapy Studios, including commercials, branded content, music videos, feature films, television shows, website assets, and still photography—you name it. So, I have an in-depth understanding of how to create all types of digital media. Whatever you or your business needs to get made, I can help.
• Websites: Another of our businesses was a website called worldwideinterweb.com (a pop-culture/humor site). We grew it to over 500K unique visitors a month. Through creating and then driving traffic to this property, I’ve amassed a fair amount of knowledge in the internet marketing space. Things like site development, SEO, SEM, and content marketing. I’m not a master of the space, but I know more than most!
• Technology: I oversaw a significant amount of technology at Therapy, so I’m consequently quite tech-savvy. We had a network of over 100 computers and devices, utilizing Mac, Windows and Linux platforms. I love tech, automation, and all the efficiency it provides.
• Real Estate: I executed the entire process of buying two commercial buildings for Therapy Studios. I found the properties, negotiated the deals, got the financing, designed the space plans, worked with the architects, oversaw construction, designed the interiors, and bought all the furniture…quite an undertaking! I also own and have renovated a fair amount of residential real estate (part of our retirement plan), so I have all that knowledge to share if ever needed.
WHAT I AM NOT
To be clear…
– I am not a licensed tax professional (we’ll work with one, or yours, come tax time)
– I am not a licensed attorney (we’ll call on one if and when we need too)
– I am not a licensed financial advisor (but I'm happy to shoot the investing sh!t with you)