The short version

You keep running the business. We run the financial side of it.

Most owners don't want a lecture about their accounting. They want the work handled — correctly, on time, and without a dozen follow-up questions every week.

So we keep it simple. We take responsibility for the financial functions you hand us, do them well, and give you clear numbers you can actually use. You always know what we own, what it costs, and where things stand.

We start with a conversation, not a contract.
We scope the work to what the business needs today.
We clean up and build before we take anything over.
We run the agreed functions on a predictable schedule.
We report in plain language, not accounting shorthand.
We grow the finance function as the company grows.

You own and run the business. We help run the finance function behind it.

The process

Four steps: understand, build, operate, improve.

Every engagement follows the same path. The depth changes with the business — a small company's cleanup looks different from a mid-market close overhaul — but the sequence is always the same.

Step 01

Understand

Before we touch anything, we learn how the business actually operates — how it makes money, where cash comes from and goes, and how the finance function stands today. We look at what's working, what's held together with spreadsheets, and what's quietly creating problems. The goal is a clear, honest picture, so nothing we recommend is a guess.

Understand the business model, customers, and how work gets billed.
Review the current books, tools, and who does what today.
Identify the real pain points — late close, unclear cash, thin reporting.
Agree on what "good" looks like for this specific company.

Step 02

Build

Next we clean up and put the foundation in place. That means fixing the books where they've drifted, establishing a repeatable monthly close, setting up reporting you can trust, and adding the controls and systems the business needs. This is the unglamorous work that makes everything after it reliable — done once, properly, so it doesn't have to be redone.

Clean up historical books and reconcile the accounts.
Establish a consistent close calendar and reporting package.
Set up processes and controls for AP, AR, and payroll.
Configure the financial systems and chart of accounts to fit the business.

Step 03

Operate

Once the foundation holds, we take responsibility for the financial functions we agreed to run — and we run them consistently. Bills get paid, customers get invoiced, payroll reconciles, the books close on schedule, and reporting shows up when it's supposed to. You stop chasing the accounting and start receiving it. This is the part that gives owners their time back.

Own the day-to-day: bookkeeping, AP, AR, and payroll coordination.
Close the books every month on a predictable schedule.
Deliver management reporting you can read and act on.
Stay a phone call away when questions come up.

Step 04

Improve

With reliable numbers in hand, we help the business get better. We use the financial information to improve the cash coming in and going out, sharpen margins, build forecasts, and support real decisions — hiring, equipment, pricing, expansion. This is where accounting stops being a cost of doing business and starts earning its keep. It's also where many clients grow into controller, FP&A, or CFO-level support.

Improve the cash coming in and going out with forecasting and tighter collections.
Analyze profitability by job, customer, or service line.
Build budgets and forecasts that guide decisions.
Bring stronger financial judgment to big calls before you commit capital.

The four steps repeat as the business changes. New problems get understood, new systems get built, and the finance function keeps improving.

Flexible engagement

One firm, several ways to work together.

Not every business needs the same thing, and needs change over time. We shape the engagement around how much of the finance function you want to hand off — and adjust as the company grows.

As your finance department

We run the whole financial function from the outside — books, close, reporting, cash, and reporting leadership — so you don't have to build a department in-house.

Alongside your existing team

You have a bookkeeper or accountant, but need more horsepower or oversight. We work with your people, not around them, and coordinate with your tax CPA.

Supplemental capacity

Your team is capable but stretched. We take specific functions off their plate — the close, AR, reconciliations, reporting — so the work stays current.

Fractional leadership

You need controller, FP&A, or CFO-level judgment without a full-time executive hire. We provide senior financial leadership at the level of engagement the business actually requires.

Interim / temporary cover

A key finance person left, or you're between hires. We step in to keep the financial operation running steady during the transition — and hand it back cleanly.

Start small, expand later

Many clients begin with the books and grow into controller, FP&A, or fractional CFO support. You don't switch providers as your needs get more sophisticated.

We can operate as your finance department, work alongside your existing team, add supplemental capacity, or step in as interim leadership. We'll recommend the model that fits — not the biggest one.

Getting started

What onboarding looks like.

The first weeks are about earning the handoff. We don't take over your accounting on day one — we understand it, review it, fix it, and then run it.

Conversation

We talk about the business, what's frustrating you, and what you want off your plate. No obligation, no hard sell — just a clear read on whether we're a fit.

Review current state

We look at the books, tools, and processes as they are today. You get an honest assessment of what's solid, what needs cleanup, and what the engagement should cover.

Cleanup and build

We fix the books, set up the close, and put reporting, controls, and systems in place — so the foundation is reliable before we take responsibility for it.

Take over operations

We assume the agreed financial functions and run them on a predictable schedule. From here, you receive the accounting instead of chasing it.

Tax returns

We don't prepare or file tax returns. We keep your books and reporting clean and coordinate with your tax CPA so filing season is straightforward.

Audit and attestation

We're not your auditor. When you need audited financials, we prepare the company and work with the audit firm — we don't sign the opinion.

Taking over the business

We run the financial function, not the company. You keep the decisions, the relationships, and the control. We give you better information to lead with.

Honest boundaries

What we don't do.

Being useful means being clear about where we stop. We're the outsourced finance function — a complement to your tax CPA and other advisors, not a replacement for them.

Tax preparation and outsourced finance are complementary roles. We coordinate with your tax CPA rather than compete with them, and we'll tell you plainly when something falls outside our lane.

Ask what fits your business

One firm, four levels

The finance function grows with the business.

Most clients start at one level and grow into the next. The four-step process runs at every level — the numbers just get more sophisticated as you move along the continuum.

Foundation

Operational Accounting

Clean books
Reliable close
Accurate reporting
AP / AR

Management

Controller and Financial Mgmt

Cash management
AR / AP oversight
Margins
Controls

Planning

Strategic FP&A

Budgets
Forecasts
Scenario planning
Decision support

Leadership

Fractional CFO

Strategy
Capital
Growth
Financial leadership

Explore each level: Operational Accounting, Controller, Strategic FP&A, Fractional CFO, and Interim Financial Leadership.

Questions

How the engagement works

How long does onboarding take?

It depends on the condition of your books and the scope of the engagement. A clean set of books moves quickly; a bigger cleanup takes longer. We'll give you a realistic timeline after the current-state review, and we won't take over operations until the foundation is solid.

Do we have to hand over everything at once?

No. Many clients start with a defined scope — the close, or AR, or reporting — and expand as trust builds and needs grow. You decide how much of the finance function to hand off, and we can start small.

Can you work with our current bookkeeper or accountant?

Yes. We regularly work alongside an internal bookkeeper or accounting team — as leadership, as supplemental capacity, or by owning specific functions. We coordinate rather than compete.

Do you prepare our tax returns?

No. We don't prepare or file tax returns. We keep your books and reporting clean and coordinate with your tax CPA — the roles are complementary. See our full FAQ for more.

What if our needs change or grow?

That's the point of the model. As the company grows, we move along the continuum — from operational accounting to controller, FP&A, and fractional CFO support — without you having to replace providers.

Let's talk

The financial side doesn't have to live on your desk.

Start with a conversation about the business. We'll tell you what the right level of support looks like — and how we'd take it off your plate.

Schedule a Conversation About Back End Solutions

No hard sell. Start with a conversation about the business.

A straightforward way to take the financial side off your plate.