Bennett Financials Journal
Practical ideas for protecting profit, planning tax, and building a business that works better for you.
A fractional controller owns the close, the balance sheet, and the controls. Here is what that work should include, how to price it from hours, and the three tests that say whether you need a controller or a CFO first.
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The P&L looks comfortable, the bank has cash, and the operations team has already ordered $90,000 of equipment and materials. If those purchases are absent from the cash forecast, the owner is deciding how to spend money that may already be committed.
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Your dashboard shows $300,000 of card sales, but the bank receives much less. Before blaming collections, check whether the processor is holding part of those receipts in reserve.
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Before asking a payer for “10% more,” identify the services that need a rate change and the allowed amount that would make the contract acceptable. A general percentage request is easy to negotiate down because it doesn't explain the practice's specific economics.
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The business owes a customer a $20,000 refund on Friday. Finance believes $1,200 of the original sales commission should come back. Budget Friday's refund at $20,000 until the recovery is approved and its timing is real.
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A $25,000 placement fee in the bank is not a reason to forget the guarantee attached to it. Before distributing cash, estimate what the remaining guarantee could require: money returned, a credit issued or another search completed without a new fee.
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The client wants a $120,000 project delivered this quarter and paid over six months. Before saying yes, decide how much of your payroll the business is willing to finance for that customer.
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Don't add an “extra payroll” line to the 2027 budget because someone says it is a 27-payday year. Export your actual payroll calendar, apply the approved holiday rules and count the payment and bank debit dates.
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A 20% increase in fuel prices does not justify adding 20% to a home-service invoice. Recover the change in the fuel component, subtract anything already recovered elsewhere, and check that the customer agreement supports the adjustment.
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A lender offers a smaller monthly payment. Don't approve the refinance until you know how much debt will remain when you expect to sell the business, repay the loan or refinance again.
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