The 3:1 LTV:CAC Rule Is Wrong for Service Businesses. Here’s the Real Floor.
The 3:1 LTV:CAC rule comes from SaaS — and breaks for service businesses with 60% margins. Here's the real floor and the diagnostic behind it.
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Financial clarity for the decisions that matter.
Practical ideas for protecting profit, planning tax, and building a business that works better for you.
269 articles and counting
Your Recruitment Tech Stack Isn’t G&A. That’s Why the Database ROI Math Is Broken.
Most recruitment firm owners measure database ROI wrong. Reclassify your tech stack into COGS, run the 3.5x labor efficiency test, and the answer gets sharp.
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Cash Flow vs Profit: Why Working Capital Is the Real Problem
Profitable on paper, cash-tight in the bank? The problem isn't your AR aging report. It's working capital — and the fix sits in your gross margin.
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Quarterly Fractional CFO Performance Review: The 8-Question Owner Scorecard
Most owners review their fractional CFO on the wrong things. Here's the 8-question scorecard that measures margin, unit economics, and EV — not dashboards.
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How Plastic Surgery Practices Should Structure Owner Distributions (Most Get the Order Wrong)
Most plastic surgery practices structure owner distributions in the wrong order. Here's the salary, comp split, and distribution sequence that holds up.
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The 60-15-15 Rule for MSPs and IT Services: How It Actually Applies
Most MSPs run 8% EBITDA. Best-in-class hit 20%. Here's the 60-15-15 operating model — 60% GM, 15% S&M, 15% G&A — and the order that closes the gap.
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The Service Business Pricing Increase Playbook: When and How to Raise Prices
Your close rate is the signal. 80%+ means triple your prices. Here's the 6-month playbook for raising prices in a service business without losing the team.
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Plastic Surgery Profit Margin Benchmarks 2026: The 60-15-15 Standard
Cosmetic practices brag 70% gross margins. Most still net 12-18% operating margin. The 60-15-15 benchmark for plastic surgery practices in 2026.
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The Service Business Health Score: 7 Questions Every Owner Should Answer
Score your service business in 7 questions. Built on the 60-15-15 standard for $1M-$20M founders. Most score 2 or 3 out of 7 the first time.
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5 Tax Strategies CPAs Miss for Service Business Owners
Most CPAs file. They don't strategize. Here are 5 tax strategies CPAs miss that cost service founders $50K–$300K a year — and how to fix it.
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