E Squared CFO Advisory Services

World-class financial expertise, alongside you.

E Squared brings small and medium-sized trade businesses the financial expertise of a seasoned CFO. Our software turns your financial data into a powerful system for spotting opportunities and strengths — and as your outsourced CFO, we help you keep achieving your business goals.

The kind of question we answer

Are we actually making money on the work we’re doing?

Outsourced CFOBuilt for trade businesses

Dashboard to decisionYour numbers, made clear
  • Seeyour whole financial picture on one dashboard, in plain language
  • Compareperformance to your targets, your history and your industry peers
  • Planbreakeven, cash and what-if scenarios before you commit
  • Decidewith a CFO advisor at the table for the big calls
What you get

A CFO’s expertise, without a full-time CFO.

Trade-based businesses make critical decisions every week — pricing, hiring, equipment, growth, cash. We join you in making them with better information and a seasoned financial partner.

Outsourced CFO

An experienced financial advisor who works alongside you on the decisions that matter, on a cadence that fits your business.

KPI dashboards and targets

Revenue, margins, receivable and payable days, working capital and more — each measured against the target you set.

Peer benchmarking

See where you rank against comparable companies in your industry, so you know what is normal and where to dig.

Profit and breakeven

Know your breakeven point, your margin of safety and what each dollar of revenue really leaves behind.

Cash and working capital

Keep an eye on receivable and payable days, current assets and liabilities, so growth doesn’t outrun your cash.

What-if planning

Test price, volume and cost changes before you make them, and see what it takes to reach a profit goal.

Industry Insights

Your financial data, turned into a system.

Our software connects to your financial data and turns it into dashboards, trends, benchmarks and plans that a non-financial manager can read at a glance.

See everything that matters, at a glance.

A KPI scorecard shows each result next to its target, its trend and where it ranks against peers — so you know in seconds what needs attention.

  • Result vs. target with clear pass/fail markers
  • Profitability, activity and efficiency grouped together
  • Peer median and percentile ranking
KPI scorecard with result, target, trend and benchmark columns

Click any number to see the story behind it.

Every KPI opens into a plain-language explanation, a 12-month trend against target, and your position among peers.

  • Month-over-month and year-over-year change
  • Rolling averages and importance ratings
  • Rank and percentile against a segmented peer group

Know exactly where you break even.

See revenue, total costs, fixed and variable costs on one chart, along with your breakeven point and margin of safety.

  • Breakeven revenue and margin of safety
  • Variable cost per dollar of revenue
  • Drill into your top revenue and expense accounts
Breakeven analysis chart showing revenue, variable costs and fixed costs

A profit and loss statement you can actually read.

Month-over-month variance, common-size percentages and year-to-date totals turn the P&L from a report into a conversation.

  • Variance versus the prior period, color-coded
  • Every line as a share of revenue
  • Year-to-date at a glance
Profit and loss statement with variance, common size and year to date columns

Screens show sample data. Industry Insights is E Squared’s financial software system.

Try it yourself

What would it take to reach a 15% profit margin?

Our what-if tool shows the changes required to hit a profit goal. Move the sliders on this example business and watch the margin respond — it’s the kind of question we work through with owners.

Example business · Operating profit margin · Goal 15.0%

12.4%Move a slider to see what it would take.
Same work, same costs, more revenue per job.
More jobs, spread over the same fixed costs.
Materials, subcontractors, direct labor.
Overhead that doesn’t change with volume.

Any one lever can get there, and most owners combine a little of each. A CFO advisor helps you decide which levers are realistic for your business.

Illustrative example with simplified assumptions (variable costs about 54% of revenue; fixed expenses about 34%). It is not client data or a forecast. In practice we build the model from your own financials.

How it works

From your data to better decisions.

A simple path, with an advisor beside you the whole way.

1

Start a conversation

A short, no-pressure call about your business, your goals and where you want financial support.

2

Connect your data

We bring your financial data into Industry Insights and turn it into a working system.

3

Baseline and targets

We review your results, set targets together and spot your strengths and your opportunities.

4

Regular CFO support

An advisor joins you for reviews and decisions, on a cadence that fits your business.

5

Plan and follow through

Test scenarios before you commit, then track progress against your goals.

  • Built for small and mid-sized businesses
  • Flexible engagement
  • Plain-language reporting
  • An advisor beside you
Client perspectives

What business owners say about E Squared’s financial software.

Owners and managers from E Squared’s garage door & dock peer group, in their own words.

The E Squared financial software system (INDUSTRY INSIGHTS) is an excellent tool which provides great information in an easy to access format. The system enables you to see a dashboard of everything that is important to your business financially so that you can identify easily what areas may need your attention. The ability to compare your performance to those of your peers is an additional bonus which gives you the information you need to investigate and correct areas that may be a concern. I think it is a powerful tool and one I would recommend to others.
Kriste LaMayBroten Garage Doors, FL
The software (INDUSTRY INSIGHTS) is easy to use. It allows us to see how we compare to other dealers with relevant metrics. The graphs provide an easy visual to see where your company is ranked.
Bob HabegerWayne Garage Door, OH
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS is a great tool for non-financial managers to quickly see how the business is doing and then take action.
Martin MaddenOverhead Door of South Bend, IN
We have been using INDUSTRY INSIGHTS to gain a deeper understanding of our business. It provides us with metrics that lead to smarter decision making.
Gary BechtoldAmerican Door Works, MN
Who it’s for

Built for trade-based businesses.

For owners who want a financial partner at the table — not just a report at the end of the month.

  • Trade-based service and contracting businessesDoor, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, restoration and similar trades, where jobs, crews and cash cycles drive the numbers.
  • Small and medium-sized companiesBig enough to need real financial insight, not yet ready for a full-time CFO.
  • Owners making critical decisionsPricing, hiring, equipment, expansion, acquisitions — and wanting an advisor beside you when you make them.
  • Financial data you want to put to workYou have the books. You want them turned into clear dashboards, targets and a plan.
  • Questions about margin, cash or growthYou want to know where you’re strong, where you’re exposed and what to do next.
  • A long-term viewYou’re building a business that performs today and can be transferred on your terms tomorrow.

Not sure it’s a fit? Reach out and tell us about your business — the first conversation is how we find out.

FAQ

Straight answers.

Anything else you’d like to know? Ask us on your first call.

What is an outsourced CFO?

A senior financial advisor who works with your business part-time, on a schedule that fits. You get CFO-level thinking — planning, targets, cash, margin and decision support — without the cost of a full-time executive.

How is this different from my accountant?

Your accountant keeps the books and handles compliance and taxes. A CFO advisor looks forward: what the numbers mean, where the opportunities and risks are, and what to do about them.

What is Industry Insights?

It is E Squared’s financial software system. It turns your financial data into dashboards, KPI scorecards, trends, peer comparisons, breakeven analysis and what-if planning that a non-financial manager can read at a glance.

Do I need to change my accounting system or bookkeeper?

We work from your financial data. On your first call we’ll look at what you use today and how to bring it in. No need to start over.

Is this only for the garage door industry?

No. Industry Insights was proven with door and dock businesses, and the approach applies to trade-based businesses generally. Peer benchmarking depends on having comparable companies, which we’ll talk through for your industry.

What does it cost and how much time does it take?

Engagements are shaped around your needs, from ongoing CFO support to focused projects, so pricing is discussed on your first call. You control how much time you invest.

Put a CFO at your side.

Start a conversation about your business, your numbers and the decisions in front of you.

Talk to a CFO advisor
E Squared Consulting

E Squared Consulting. We help independent owners grow stronger businesses through peer groups, financial advisory and strategic planning. Learn more at esquaredconsultants.com.