running & growing

The bigger the business gets, the bigger the decisions become. You shouldn’t have to make them alone.

The bigger the business gets, the bigger the decisions become. You shouldn’t have to make them alone.

Somewhere between starting out and building a team, instinct alone stops being enough. There are more moving parts, more money at stake, and decisions that can shape the business for years.

Should you hire? Take the lease? Buy the van or lease it? Push into a new market or strengthen the one you already have?

These are often the decisions business owners find themselves thinking through alone, at the kitchen table at ten at night.

That’s where I come in. I sit alongside you on the financial side of the business — bringing the numbers, experience and perspective to help you make better decisions with confidence.

What I do

For businesses that are established and looking ahead, I work as both your accountant and business adviser. I help you understand where the business is now, where it’s heading, and what the numbers are telling us along the way.

Monthly or quarterly management accounts — a clear, current picture of how the business is performing

Cash flow forecasting and monitoring — so you can see what’s coming and act before cash gets tight

Payroll, PAYE, and KiwiSaver — taken care of for you and your team

Budgets and financial planning — turning your plans for the business into numbers you can work with

Pricing and margins — understanding where you’re making money, where you’re not, and why

Hiring, expansion, and investment decisions — working through the numbers before you commit

Bank and finance conversations — I prepare what’s needed and, when useful, join you in the meeting

Accounts and tax — annual financial statements, tax returns and GST, kept current in the background

Some people call this a Virtual CFO. I think of it more simply: having someone who understands the numbers and understands your business.

For some clients, that means a regular monthly rhythm and a scheduled conversation. For others, it means knowing they can pick up the phone when an important decision lands on the desk.

Either way, you don’t have to make the big calls alone.

What people ask me about running and growing

"What does business advisory actually mean — how is it different from having an accountant?"

An accountant tells you what happened. A business advisor helps you decide what happens next. Most accountants stop at the return; I stay in the conversation — the pricing call, the hiring call, the finance meeting, the "should we or shouldn't we" moment. Compliance is the baseline. The advisory is where the real value is, and it's what most small businesses have never had access to.

"What does business advisory actually mean — how is it different from having an accountant?"

An accountant tells you what happened. A business advisor helps you decide what happens next. Most accountants stop at the return; I stay in the conversation — the pricing call, the hiring call, the finance meeting, the "should we or shouldn't we" moment. Compliance is the baseline. The advisory is where the real value is, and it's what most small businesses have never had access to.

"My cashflow is tight and I don't know why — I'm making sales."

Usually that's a profit problem, a timing problem, or a pricing problem — and they need to be sorted differently. Being busy and making sales isn't the same as making money, and it's not the same as having money in the account when the bills are due. First step is to look at what the numbers are actually telling us. Most of the time it's fixable, and it's cheaper to catch now than in six months.

"My cashflow is tight and I don't know why — I'm making sales."

Usually that's a profit problem, a timing problem, or a pricing problem — and they need to be sorted differently. Being busy and making sales isn't the same as making money, and it's not the same as having money in the account when the bills are due. First step is to look at what the numbers are actually telling us. Most of the time it's fixable, and it's cheaper to catch now than in six months.

"When should I bring in an advisor like you — before I grow, or after?"

Before, if you can. Growth is expensive: new hires, new stock, new premises, tax you didn't see coming. Making those decisions with someone alongside you is the difference between growing well and growing broke. If you're already growing and it feels shakier than it should, that's the same conversation, just later.

"When should I bring in an advisor like you — before I grow, or after?"

Before, if you can. Growth is expensive: new hires, new stock, new premises, tax you didn't see coming. Making those decisions with someone alongside you is the difference between growing well and growing broke. If you're already growing and it feels shakier than it should, that's the same conversation, just later.

“They are an integral and trusted business partner.”
— Anna Comrie Thomson, Auckland

If your business is past the getting-started phase — or you're staring at a decision you'd rather not make alone — let's talk. First conversation's on me, and there's no pressure to become a client at the end of it.