We know that your time is valuable, and you want to see results for your business as quickly as possible. We want that for you, too!
When we get all the materials, information, and resources we need from our clients in a timely manner, we can make things happen at a pretty efficient pace. This requires some effective partnership and communication, but it can pay dividends when handled correctly.
So you know what to expect from us and what we can deliver, here’s an example of the ideal timeline we aim for when we begin to work with a business:
Step 1: Organizing Financial Information
Approximate timing: 2-12 weeks, depending on your response time and size/complexity of the business.
Materials we’ll need: Prior tax returns, access to the books, asset purchase documents, loan documents, company formation documents, bank and credit card statements and credentials, signed NDA
It’s important to begin with clean, accurate financials. We’ll take a look at your documents and materials in order to make sense of your current financial state, organizing them so that they make sense. This is all done on a retainer basis and any excess time/funds roll over to the next step.
Step 2: Creating Reports and Processes
Approximate timing: 1-3 months
Materials we’ll need: Clean balance sheet from step 1.
From the information we gather and analyze, we will put together easy-to-read reports so that you can see the state of your business at a glance. For example, we will determine whether the P&L statement is optimal as it exists, or if things need to be consolidated or changed. We’ll also walk you through these reports to ensure that you understand and can get the most out of them.
Benchmarking is also key to this process. We’ll research other companies that are similar to yours in order to evaluate what expenses, financial ratios, cash flow, and other elements look like. This helps with realistic goal setting.
We’ll also set up processes to keep these reports up to date and accurate so that we always have the most current data to leverage.
Step 3: Identifying Problems to Solve
Approximate timing: 1 month
Materials we’ll need: Optimized reports from step 2.
Whether your business needs to pay down some debt, pivot business models, eliminate inefficiencies, or adjust its rates, we’ll use the reports we’ve created to figure out where some areas of your organization can be optimized.
This can even be outside of the financial realm. To us, accounting is just the beginning of the process; it highlights areas for improvement. Just like a doctor may run a blood test and find that you have high cholesterol, we can use accounting to discover that your sales structure should change, or if you need to add headcount. Once we have that information, we can help you to strategize and implement the right solutions.
Step 4: Implementing (and Constantly Updating) The Right Strategy
Approximate timing: Ongoing, compounding over time. (Allow a year for solid ROI and clear impact.)
Materials we’ll need: Consistent collaboration and communication with you
Once we have a roadmap to get your organization where it needs to be, we will continue to work with you and ensure you are on track. We aim to be true partners in your business, consistently adding value and helping you to optimize not only your financials, but also your processes in general.
And just like you go to the doctor for your annual checkup, we’ll meet with you regularly, acting as a compass leading you in the right direction. You see the doctor each year because things may come up as time goes on; you age, you may have children, you may get hurt, you want to get in shape to run a marathon, etc. The same is true for your business – markets shift, your sales grow, and you have goals you want to achieve. We’ll catch up monthly to help you navigate all of it.
As you can see, Fox & Partners can make quite the difference for your business in a short span of time when we work together efficiently. We want to be true partners for your business, getting you on the right track as quickly as we can while also being thorough and deliberate in our processes.
To find out exactly what we can do for your organization, set up a call with us today.
