Advisory

Big decisions deserve real numbers.

Defined-scope financial advisory or on-call retainer for owners facing the calls that move the business — pricing, expansion, capital, acquisitions, partnership structure, exit prep. Senior, flat-fee, no hourly billing.

§ 01 When to call us

Some decisions are too big to guess at.

Advisory is for the moments when the cost of getting it wrong is meaningfully higher than the cost of bringing in a senior outside voice. We engage on a defined scope, deliver a defensible recommendation, and stay on for execution if you want us to.

01

Pricing & gross margin

You haven't raised prices in 3 years and your margin is bleeding. Or you're considering a 25% jump and don't know what you'll lose. We model it.

02

Expansion decisions

Second location. Third truck. New service line. We model the unit economics, the cash drag, and the breakeven before you commit.

03

Capital & financing

SBA loan, line of credit, equipment financing, equity raise. We model the impact, prep the package, and walk you through what lenders are going to ask.

04

Sale prep & exit

Considering an exit in 12–36 months? Books need to be tight, add-backs documented, and growth story coherent. We do the prep that earns you 1–2x more multiple.

05

Acquisition due diligence

Buying a competitor or a complementary business? We do the financial DD: quality of earnings, working capital, real EBITDA, and the things sellers don't volunteer.

06

Partnership & equity structure

Multi-owner business getting tense around money? We model fair distributions, set up clean equity tracking, and structure agreements that survive a dispute.

§ 02 Engagement shape

One project. Or one decision at a time.

Project

Defined-scope advisory

Fixed fee. Fixed deliverable. Typical engagements run 3–8 weeks: a financial model, a strategic recommendation, a board-grade report. We scope it, quote it, deliver it.

Example: "Should we open a second gym location in Provo?" — 4-week project. Output: full unit economics model, market analysis, breakeven scenarios, owner recommendation.

Retainer

On-call advisory

Monthly retainer that gives you senior advisory time without committing to a defined scope upfront. For owners facing a steady stream of medium-stakes decisions.

Example: A real estate investor closing a deal a month — needs an advisor on Slack and a 60-minute call every two weeks.

Note

Advisory pairs naturally with our Fractional CFO service — most CFO clients have advisory built in. Standalone advisory is for owners who already have solid financial leadership and just need outside perspective on a specific decision.

§ 03 How we work

Senior, partner-led, never offshored.

Step 1

30-min consult

Free. We understand the decision, the constraints, and what success looks like. You learn whether we're the right fit (sometimes we're not — we'll tell you).

Step 2

Scope & quote

Within 48 hours we send a defined scope, deliverable list, timeline, and flat fee. No hourly billing. No surprise invoices.

Step 3

Engage & deliver

Weekly check-ins. Mid-engagement preview so you can course-correct. Final deliverable is owner-ready: clear recommendation, defensible numbers, executive summary.

§ 04 What you get out

A defensible answer. Not just a deck.

  • Clear written recommendation with the reasoning behind it
  • Financial model you keep — not a black box you can't update
  • Executive summary fit for a banker, board, or partner
  • Risks, tradeoffs, and the things we'd want to know if we owned this
  • Optional: implementation support to actually execute
§ FAQ Common questions

Things owners ask before signing.

What's the difference between Advisory and Fractional CFO?
Fractional CFO is ongoing, monthly, broad scope — we're embedded in your business. Advisory is project-based or limited retainer, focused on a specific decision. Most CFO clients get advisory bundled in. Standalone advisory is for owners who have solid financial leadership in place and just need outside perspective.
How much does an advisory engagement cost?
Flat project fees scoped to complexity. Most defined-scope projects fall between $5,000 and $30,000 depending on depth. We quote transparently after the consult — no hourly billing, no scope creep.
Do you do M&A or capital raises end-to-end?
We do financial preparation, modeling, and due diligence — the stuff that determines whether the deal works. We don't represent you as an investment banker or broker; we'll work alongside one if needed and recommend strong ones we trust.
Can you advise on industries you don't list?
Honest answer: we focus on real estate, trades, and gyms because that's where we have the deepest reps. We'll take advisory work outside those if the engagement is purely financial (modeling, capital, M&A) and doesn't require deep industry-specific operating knowledge. We'll tell you on the consult if it's not a fit.
How fast can a project start?
Most engagements start within 1–2 weeks of signing. Truly urgent decisions (lender deadline, deal under LOI) we can usually accommodate same-week — call us.
Same satisfaction guarantee?
Yes. If we can't solve the problem within 30 days, two-month refund, no questions. The same standard applies to project work — measured against the scope we agreed to upfront.

Ready to see your numbers actually mean something?

30-minute call. No obligation. We'll tell you straight whether we can help — or who can.