No business owner should carry the weight of the numbers alone.
You’re an expert at what you do — that’s why you started this business. Nobody handed you a manual on cash flow, pricing, or financial strategy. I’m a CPA, and I use my financial background to help owners across Toronto and the GTA build a growing, more profitable business with numbers they can actually understand and act on.
Most owners I meet are dealing with at least three of these
If you recognise yourself here, you’re in good company — these are the five things I hear most often from business owners.
Everything runs through youYou’re the chief salesperson, chief technician, chief everything. Take a week off and things wobble. You’re working in the business constantly, and some weeks you’re earning less per hour than your staff.
You need cash to grow — and growth to get cashYou can see the opportunity. You just can’t free up the money to take it, and no one has shown you how to break the loop.
You get financial statements, not answersYour accountant hands you a P&L and a balance sheet. They’re accounting reports, not decision-making tools. So what’s actually working this month? Hard to say.
There’s a quiet worry you don’t say out loudWhat if it doesn’t hold up? What would that mean for your family? That stress doesn’t stay at the office — it follows you home.
You want to be successful — on your termsBut nobody’s ever helped you put a number on what success actually looks like, or built a plan to get there.
So what exactly is an outsourced CFO?
Large companies employ a Chief Financial Officer — the person whose entire job is making sure the money works: what’s coming in, what’s going out, what’s coming next, and what to do about it. A good one costs well north of $200,000 a year, which is why most small and medium businesses simply go without.
An outsourced CFO gives you that same thinking for a few hours a month. Here’s how it differs from the financial help you already have:
Your bookkeeper
Records what already happened and keeps the books accurate. Essential — but it’s history.
Your tax accountant
Makes sure you’re compliant and your returns are filed correctly. Also essential — and also about the past.
An outsourced CFO
Uses those numbers to answer the questions that keep you up: Can I afford this hire? Will cash hold through the slow season? What do I change this month? That’s my job.
One clear path, followed every month
No mystery, no reinventing things each quarter. We set a target once a year, then follow the same five steps every month to keep you on track.
We agree what success actually looks like — as a number
First I ask what you want from the business and from your life. Then we turn that into a cash flow target for the year: one that puts you on track for your definition of success, and the business on track for consistent positive cash flow. That number becomes the scoreboard we play against.
Update the actuals
Where the business really is, year-to-date, against the target.
Forecast the finish
Where you’ll land by year end if nothing changes.
Score it
Red, amber or green — one page, at a glance, no jargon.
Set the objectives
The one or two things to focus on over the next 30 days.
Agree the next steps
Specific actions — so you leave every meeting knowing exactly what to do.
What it’s like once the numbers stop being a question mark
You stop guessing. You can see exactly where the money goes and how to use it to grow — no more decisions made on a hunch.
You stop being the bottleneck. The business runs when you’re not in the room, because the plan doesn’t live only in your head.
You know what’s working at a glance. One page tells you the story — no digging through financial statements.
You feel in control. The business starts supporting the life you wanted from it, instead of consuming it.
Who I work best with
This is probably a fit if…
- You own an established business — usually somewhere between $500K and $5M in annual revenue
- You’re genuinely good at what your business does, and less sure about the financial side
- You’ve felt at least a couple of those five challenges above
- You want a long-term partner, not a once-a-year filing service
- You’re ready to act on advice, not just receive it
Probably not a fit if…
- You only want a tax return filed once a year
- You’re looking for the cheapest option rather than the most useful one
- Your business is very early-stage and pre-revenue
- You’d rather not look at the numbers at all
And yes — the compliance side is handled too
Good advice needs accurate numbers underneath it. If you need these, I offer them; if you already have a bookkeeper you’re happy with, we simply build on their work.
Bookkeeping
Monthly reconciliation, AP/AR, QuickBooks setup, monthly financial statements, catch-up work.
Tax & Filings
Corporate (T2) and personal (T1) returns, HST/GST filings, CRA correspondence and audit support.
Payroll
Processing, remittances, T4 and ROE filings, CRA account setup.
Questions business owners ask me
Isn’t a CFO something only big companies have?
Full-time, yes — the salary alone puts one out of reach for most small and medium businesses. That’s exactly why outsourced CFO work exists: you get the same forward-looking financial thinking for a few hours a month, at a fraction of the cost.
I already have a bookkeeper and an accountant. Why would I need you?
They keep your records accurate and your filings compliant — both essential, and both about what already happened. My job is what happens next: whether you can afford the hire, whether cash holds through a slow season, what to change this month. Different question entirely.
What does it cost?
It depends on your business and what you need, so I don’t quote a number before I understand the situation. Typically I’ll do a Financial Assessment first — a proper look at your numbers — and then propose something specific. Foundation services like bookkeeping and tax have set pricing, listed above.
What actually happens on the first call?
A relaxed 30-minute conversation. You tell me about the business and what’s on your mind; I’ll ask some questions. If it sounds like I can help, I’ll suggest a next step. If not, I’ll say so. No pressure either way — and no prep needed from you.
My books are behind and a bit of a mess. Is that a problem?
Not at all, and you’re far from the first. We start where you are. Sorting out the foundation is often the first thing we do together.
Let’s find out if we’re a good fit.
Thirty minutes, no charge, no pitch. Tell me what’s going on in the business and I’ll tell you honestly whether I can help — and what I’d do first.
Book a Free 30-Minute Call
EVERFLOW CPA ADVISORS