For marketing, creative, web and digital agencies on QuickBooks Online
A CFO for your agency, without the calls.
Every month after your books close, you get a written review, a 12-month forecast and the next one or two things to do. Checked by a CFO. $990 a month.
Hi Simon,
I want to hire a designer at $65,000 to start in November. September was a good month, yet our cash fell. I read the review twice and I do not follow why.
Can we afford her?
Dana
Hi Dana,
I would start her in February instead of November.
The hire costs about $6,400 a month with payroll taxes and benefits. Your forecast has cash at its lowest in December, at $104,200. That is already $15,800 under your $120,000 safety level. A November start takes another $12,800 out by the end of December.
A February start fits. Your room for a hire is $6,500 a month from February.
On your cash question, clients owed you $19,300 more than a month ago. That is most of the $23,200 drop. The review lists Fernhill's $24,800 as the first thing to collect.
Simon
Sound familiar?
Most agency owners know their profit. Fewer know what it means for the next six months. The P&L does not tell you.
“We had a busy month. Why is there less in the bank?”
“Can I afford another hire, or will it leave us short?”
“If my biggest client leaves, how long do we last?”
“I want to pay myself more. I do not know what is safe.”
“Should I raise my prices? I cannot tell what it would do.”
“I have thought about a CFO. I do not want another standing call.”
Your P&L tells you what happened. This tells you what to do next.
Same books. Same month. Different questions answered.
| Your P&L says | Kestrel CFO adds |
|---|---|
| You made $12,300 in September. | Cash still fell $23,200. Clients owe you $19,300 more than a month ago. |
| Revenue is up 2.4% on last month. | Team cost rose to 60.9% of revenue, from 60.2%. Gross margin fell to 39.1%. |
| Nothing about next month. | Cash runs lowest in December, at $104,200. That is $15,800 under your safety level. |
| Nothing about what to do. | Collect the $24,800 that Fernhill Brands owes you, now 64 days old. Set your owner pay at $6,000 this month. |
How it works
No new software to learn. No calls. You get an email.
- 01
Apply
A few short questions. We reply within two business days.
- 02
Invite us to QuickBooks
Add us as an accountant user. We read your books and never change them. You can remove access at any time.
- 03
Send your client and team lists
Your clients with retainer values and end dates, and your team by person. We build your forecast from them. In month one we also tell your bookkeeper what to recategorize.
- 04
Get your review
After your books close, a written review arrives by email. Every month after that, you get the next one.
What lands in your inbox
A review each month. A forecast you can change. An alert when cash needs you.
Every month
A written review after your books close. Where you stand, where your cash went, team cost as a share of revenue, revenue per team member, gross margin and your largest client's share of revenue. Then what you can safely pay yourself, room for a hire, and one or two things to do next.
A forecast you can change
Twelve months ahead, built on your client list and your team by person. It sits in a Google Sheet you can open and edit. We roll it forward every month.
Alerts
An email when cash heads below your safety level, a client goes past 60 days, one client grows too large, or team cost passes the line.
Any time, and once a year
Email a question and we reply within two business days. When a question needs a model, such as a hire, a lost client or a price rise, we build one. Once a year you get next year's plan, a budget with a hiring plan, built by email.
Profit
| Sep | Aug | Sep last year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 152,400 | 148,900 | 133,600 |
| Team cost | (78,200) | (76,700) | (69,800) |
| Contractors | (14,600) | (12,900) | (11,200) |
| Gross profit | 59,600 | 59,300 | 52,600 |
| Overhead | (47,300) | (46,800) | (43,100) |
| Net profit | 12,300 | 12,500 | 9,500 |
Where your cash went
| Net profit | 12,300 |
| Clients owe more than last month | (19,300) |
| Annual software and insurance paid up front | (6,500) |
| Owner pay | (9,000) |
| Loan principal paid | (2,100) |
| Other | 1,400 |
| Change in cash | (23,200) |
Six numbers to watch
Alerts sent this month
- Cash heads below your $120,000 safety level in December.
- Fernhill Brands is past 60 days. It owes $24,800 and the oldest invoice is 64 days old.
Two things to do
- Collect the $24,800 that Fernhill Brands owes you. The forecast has it paid in January. Paid in October, the December low point rises to $129,000, above your safety level.
- Set your owner pay at $6,000 this month. Last month it was $9,000.
A note from the CFO
I spent ten years in corporate finance in the automotive industry. Earlier, on the client side of agency relationships at a car company, I checked that agency spend paid off.
Since 2019 I have built monthly reporting and financial models for growing companies. That includes the models behind a $30 million raise. I was the fractional CFO to an online retailer that grew to about $12 million in revenue.
An agency owner faces the same few questions every month. Can I hire? What can I pay myself? What happens if my biggest client leaves? A P&L does not answer them.
CFO firms answer them on calls, for $2,000 to $3,000 a month. I built Kestrel CFO to answer them in writing, for $990. Software builds your numbers. AI drafts the notes. I check every review before it reaches you.
Reply to any review with a question. I write back within two business days.
Simon Shim
CFO
One plan. No calls at any stage.
We take on a few new agencies each month, so every setup gets the time it needs.
A written review every month, a forecast you can change, and answers by email.
- A written review after your books close
- Where your cash went last month
- Team cost as a share of revenue, revenue per team member, gross margin and your largest client's share
- What you can safely pay yourself, and how much room you have for a hire
- One or two things to do next
- A 12-month forecast built on your client list and your team, in a Google Sheet you can change
- Alerts when cash heads below your safety level, a client goes past 60 days, one client grows too large, or team cost passes the line
- Email questions, answered within two business days, with a model when a question needs one, such as a hire, a lost client or a price rise
- A short screen recording when a number is easier to show than explain
- Next year's plan each year, a budget with a hiring plan, built by email
- In month one, a list of what your bookkeeper should recategorize in your accounts
Ask whenever you need to. We reply within two business days. If a question turns into a project, like a lender package, we tell you and quote it before we start.
- Setup is included for our first clients.
- If your first review does not show you anything useful, we refund the first month.
Calls, bookkeeping, tax and system setup are not part of the plan.
Agency CFO firms charge $2,000 to $3,000 a month for this kind of work, with calls. Software costs less, and you do the work yourself.
AgencyFi lists its CFO plan at $3,000 a month with calls. Michael Wark prices agency CFO packages at about $2,000 to $3,000 a month with meetings.
A good fit
- Marketing, creative, web and digital agencies
- About $750,000 to $5 million in revenue
- Mostly retainer clients
- QuickBooks Online, with a bookkeeper who closes each month
- One company
Not a fit
- Agencies with no bookkeeper at all
- Groups of several companies
- Owners who want weekly calls
- Agencies not on QuickBooks Online
Questions owners ask
Do you use AI?
Yes. Software builds your numbers. AI drafts the notes. Simon checks every review before it reaches you.
Why no calls?
Everything you need is in the review and the forecast. Email gives you an answer in writing that you can read again later. It also keeps the price well below a CFO firm with calls. When a number is easier to show than explain, Simon sends a short screen recording.
What if my books are messy?
Books do not need to be perfect. They need a bookkeeper. In month one we tell your bookkeeper what to recategorize. Staff cost goes apart from other vendors. Owner pay goes apart from staff payroll.
What if I have a lot of questions?
Ask whenever you need to. We reply within two business days. If a question turns into a project, like a lender package, we tell you and quote it before we start.
Can I cancel?
Yes, any month. The plan is month to month.
Do you replace my bookkeeper?
No. Your bookkeeper keeps the books and closes the month. We turn that work into a review and a forecast. You need a bookkeeper to use Kestrel CFO.
What is not included?
Calls, bookkeeping, tax and system setup. A lender package is quoted as a separate project before we start.
How is the forecast built?
From your client list, with retainer values and end dates, and your team by person. It sits in a Google Sheet you can open and change. We roll it forward every month.
What happens after I apply?
We read your answers and reply within two business days. If it is a fit, we set you up. You never need a call.
Is there a setup fee, and what if the review is not useful?
Setup is included for our first clients. If your first review does not show you anything useful, we refund the first month.
A CFO for your agency, without the calls.
Two minutes to apply. No calls, even to buy.
Apply →We take on a few new agencies each month, so every setup gets the time it needs.
P.S. Not ready? The one-page report template is free. Use it with your bookkeeper this month.