FAQ
The questions owners actually ask.
Straight answers, including the ones that end with "this isn't for you yet."
My books are a mess. Can we still start?
Yes, and please don't tidy them first. Part of the first 90 days is finding the numbers that don't tie and flagging them for your bookkeeper to fix, and we'd rather see them as they are. Bring the mess; sorting it as we go is normal, not a blocker.
Do you replace my bookkeeper or accountant?
No, keep both. Your bookkeeper records what happened; your accountant handles tax and compliance. We're the decision layer on top, turning those numbers into what to do next month. We work alongside your accountant and refer to them when something falls outside our lane.
What exactly do I get each month?
A signed board pack covering the KPI pulse strip, a Decision Ledger holding last month's decisions to account, cash forecast scenarios, working capital and profitability analysis, and the specific decisions for the month ahead. Where a goal isn't something you move directly, like revenue, the pack also reads how the plan we agreed at the goals workshop is tracking: the levers, who owns each one, and whether they're landing. You also get the client portal, with dashboards updated each cycle. Advisory adds a monthly call to walk it through. On Reporting the calls are at the start, the kickoff and the goals workshop, and after that nothing is scheduled: the pack and the client portal carry the month, and questions go by email. Download the sample report to see the real thing.
We're not on Xero. Does that rule us out?
No. If you're on Xero, you connect it once and we pull from it each cycle. Everyone else sends a monthly export (MYOB, Reckon, spreadsheets). A one-off onboarding fee covers building your data mapping — after that, every month runs touchless from the same export.
Is the report just AI?
No, and the order matters. Code computes every number, reconciled to within ±1% of your source data or it doesn't ship. AI drafts the commentary in plain English, sized to your numbers. Then a real advisor reviews and signs every page before you see it. AI on its own can't be trusted to do the same job twice; the system around it is the product.
What does it cost?
Fixed fees, no hourly billing: Reporting at $2,500/month, Advisory at $4,000/month (the pack plus a monthly call), or Quarterly Reporting at $8,000/quarter. To put that in context, a single targeted move — invoices paid ten days sooner, or a margin point recovered — can be worth a multiple of the annual fee on a business of reasonable size. The pricing page shows that worked through with the assumptions stated.
What size business is this for?
Owners for whom the big calls are getting expensive (taking the large contract, adding headcount, funding growth) but a full-time CFO salary doesn't stack up yet. That's typically SMEs from a few million to around $20M in revenue. If the timing isn't right yet, we'll say so on the call and tell you what to revisit it against.
Am I locked into a contract?
No lock-in: 30 days notice either side, per a plain-English engagement letter with clear scope boundaries. Reporting runs month-to-month; Advisory has a three-month minimum and Quarterly Reporting a two-quarter minimum, because the value compounds across cycles. Professional indemnity insurance is held.
Where does my financial data live, and who can see it?
Australian data residency: your financials are hosted in Sydney. We don't sell or share client data, and every sub-processor we use is listed on our legal page. Our privacy policy sets out how we handle your information, and your client portal login can only ever see your own business.
Do you lodge BAS, tax returns, or give investment advice?
No. We're not a tax agent, registered accountant, or AFSL holder, and that's deliberate. Compliance stays with your accountant; investment products aren't our lane and we'll say so. What we own is the monthly decision cycle: what the numbers mean, and what to do about them.
Deeper dives: who does what across bookkeeper, accountant, and CFO · what a strategic CFO costs in Australia · the sample report · scope, sub-processors, and data residency.
Question not here?
Ask it on a 20-minute discovery call — or email and we'll reply within a business day.
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