Real engagements. Real numbers. Real outcomes.
Anonymized case studies from clients who allowed us to share their stories. Different industries, different sizes, same disciplined approach.
From 18-month bookkeeping backlog to investor-ready financials in 90 days.
A direct-to-consumer apparel brand approaching a Series A had not closed their books in over a year. Investors were asking for three years of clean financials. They had six weeks.
The Challenge
18 months of unreconciled Shopify, Amazon, and Stripe transactions. Inventory accounting was nonexistent. The chart of accounts had ballooned to 400+ accounts with overlapping categories. Tax filings for two years were on extension.
The Approach
We rebuilt the chart of accounts from scratch around DTC standards. Imported and categorized 22 months of transaction data. Implemented inventory tracking through A2X. Filed the back tax returns. Built the financial package the investors required.
The Outcome
Series A closed at original valuation. Monthly closes are now done by the 8th business day. The client moved into our advisory tier and now uses a 13-week cash forecast for every operating decision.
"We thought we had to delay the round by a quarter. Troy turned around eighteen months of cleanup in less than three. Our lead investor told us the package was the cleanest they had seen from a Series A company."
CEO, DTC Apparel Brand ($8M revenue)$47,000 in annual tax savings through S-Corp election and entity restructuring.
A consulting firm with $850K in annual profit was operating as a sole proprietorship. Their previous accountant had never raised the S-corp election. We modeled the savings on the first discovery call.
The Challenge
Founder was paying 15.3% self-employment tax on the full $850K of net profit, well past the point where S-corp election would dramatically reduce payroll tax exposure. No reasonable compensation analysis had ever been done.
The Approach
Filed Form 2553 within two weeks of engagement. Built a defensible reasonable compensation analysis using RC Reports benchmarks for senior consultants. Set up payroll through Gusto. Modeled the full five-year savings.
The Outcome
First-year tax savings of $47K, recurring annually. Our $2,200/month engagement fee was paid for 21 times over by Year One savings alone. The founder added retirement contributions through a Solo 401(k) for additional optimization.
"My previous CPA was filing my returns for ten years and never once mentioned the S-corp election. Troy modeled the savings on our first call. I am still annoyed at how much money I left on the table before switching."
Founder, Management Consulting FirmSurvived an IRS payroll audit with zero adjustments and no penalty.
A general contractor with 40 employees and a network of subcontractors was selected for a worker classification audit by the IRS. The exposure on misclassification could have exceeded $300K.
The Challenge
The IRS examination notice arrived without warning. The client was using a mix of W-2 employees and 1099 subcontractors and had no contemporaneous documentation supporting the classification of any of them. Audit closing date was four weeks away.
The Approach
We requested an extension and used the time to assemble contemporaneous evidence for each subcontractor's classification: contracts, invoices, separate insurance, project independence. Walked the auditor through the 20-factor test for each role. Negotiated audit scope.
The Outcome
Audit closed with zero adjustments and no penalty. We then implemented an ongoing classification documentation process to prevent recurrence. The client has since added a payroll cleanup engagement and ongoing audit support to their monthly retainer.
"The IRS notice felt like a five-alarm fire. Troy was at my office the next day. They walked the auditor through every classification decision and we came out of it without a single dollar of adjustment. I cannot put a value on that."
President, General Contractor (40 employees)From founder-managed spreadsheets to GAAP-grade financials in eight weeks.
A B2B SaaS company at $4M ARR had outgrown its founder-managed bookkeeping. Lender diligence on a new credit line revealed the books did not support GAAP revenue recognition. Capital raise was at risk.
The Challenge
Annual contracts were being recorded as revenue in the month invoiced rather than ratably over the contract term. Deferred revenue was zero on the balance sheet despite $2M+ in prepaid customer contracts. Lender flagged GAAP non-compliance.
The Approach
We migrated from a spreadsheet-based system to QuickBooks Online with a SaaSOptics integration. Built ASC 606-compliant revenue waterfall. Restated prior-period financials with proper deferral. Built MRR/ARR dashboards for the leadership team.
The Outcome
Credit line approved at original $2M size. The CFO-grade reporting is now used by the leadership team weekly. Client added our fractional CFO engagement and is preparing for a Series B with reporting that institutional investors will accept on day one.
"Our books went from a liability to an asset in two months. The reports our investors get now would have been embarrassing for us to produce a quarter ago. The transformation is hard to overstate."
CEO, B2B SaaS Platform ($4M ARR)