You’re bringing in more revenue. You’ve hired. You’ve expanded. But every time you ask for a margin report or runway forecast, the answers are vague. Everybody seems to have their own version of those numbers.
I work as a Fractional CFO with growing businesses across the world, typically between $2 million and $25 million in revenue. Here’s what I’ve seen again and again: The business scales. But finance stays stuck.
The books are late. The metrics are unclear. Budgets are more of a guess than a plan. And somehow, even with all the success, the founder feels anxious about cash every month.
Here are 7 things every growing business must fix, before your finance function becomes the bottleneck to everything else.
Accounting is not a checkbox. It is the foundation
One of the first things I often ask is, “How long after month-end do you close your books?”
If the answer is over 15 days, we’re already late.
At scale, you can’t afford delays. You need accurate, complete and timely financials — every month. And that too, on time! That means:
- Revenue and costs are recorded in the right periods
- Clear chart of accounts
- Proper treatment of accruals, taxes and adjustments
If your numbers aren’t current, you’re running your business in the dark. That’s not a system. That’s survival mode.
2. Revenue means nothing if you’re not collecting it
I’ve seen companies with strong sales pipelines that still struggle to make payroll on time. Why? Poor collections. Invoices go out late. Follow-ups are inconsistent. Credit terms are unclear. And receivables balloon quietly in the background. And the worst thing is that finance and operations are disconnected. You keep serving the customer, despite knowing that they’ve not paid for 180 days.
If you’re not turning revenue into cash, you’re not scaling — you’re just accumulating receivables. Every growing business needs:
- Defined billing and collection cycles
- Weekly cash collection tracking
- Account-level credit limits and aging reports
The moment finance is treated like an afterthought to sales, cash gets squeezed. Scale only magnifies that pain. And one day, you will wake up thinking, “Why don’t I have enough money in the bank?Revenue and costs are recorded in the right periods
Clear chart of accounts
Proper treatment of accruals, taxes and adjustments
If your numbers aren’t current, you’re running your business in the dark. That’s not a system. That’s survival mode.
2. Revenue means nothing if you’re not collecting it
I’ve seen companies with strong sales pipelines that still struggle to make payroll on time. Why? Poor collections. Invoices go out late. Follow-ups are inconsistent. Credit terms are unclear. And receivables balloon quietly in the background. And the worst thing is that finance and operations are disconnected. You keep serving the customer, despite knowing that they’ve not paid for 180 days.
If you’re not turning revenue into cash, you’re not scaling — you’re just accumulating receivables. Every growing business needs:
- Defined billing and collection cycles
- Weekly cash collection tracking
- Account-level credit limits and aging reports
The moment finance is treated like an afterthought to sales, cash gets squeezed. Scale only magnifies that pain. And one day, you will wake up thinking, “Why don’t I have enough money in the bank?”
3. Your budget can’t just be a rough estimate
Budgeting isn’t just about controlling spend — it’s about giving the business a plan.
I help founders move beyond ballpark targets by installing three key tools:
- A 13-week cash flow forecast that updates weekly
- A 12-month budget with functional accountability
- A 3-year directional forecast tied to milestones
The businesses that feel in control aren’t always the ones with the most cash.
They’re the ones with the clearest view of how it’s being used — and why.
4. Not all revenue is equal — focus on what earns, not just what sells
It’s amazing how many founders grow topline revenue while quietly subsidizing low-margin customers.
I’ve worked with service businesses where 60% of revenue came from clients who, once delivery costs were factored in, barely broke even.