Small Business Services

Many small businesses have a bookkeeper or office manager who does a perfectly fine job with accounting and payroll. They may also have a CPA who prepares their annual tax returns. What they do not have is a fractional CFO who can provide insight into trends in their company’s financial statements and help implement budgeting and cash flow forecasting to anticipate and manage future upsides and downsides.

In addition to financial planning and analysis, a fractional CFO has the experience with helping business owners in such matters as working capital management, financing through credit lines, leases and term loans, staffing and compensation, pricing and discounting, and internal controls.  Furthermore, in terms of long-term planning, the outside CFO can assist with acquiring other businesses and planning an eventual exit.

As your finance partner, we can have conversations and develop action plans to support your goals for sales and profit growth, liquidity, and process improvement.

Planning and Analysis

Although there are companies that have an annual budgeting process, they may not take a longer view of where their business is going—or where they may want it to go. A long-term forecast can enable management to plan future growth and at the same time plan additions to staffing in areas such as customer service, the sales force, and operations. At the same time, the cost of infrastructure expansions should be included in the forecast, whether in office space, production, warehouse, or the fleet of vehicles.

  • Develop a business plan with management that includes multi-year financial projections including detailed revenue modeling

  • Benchmark financial position and performance against standard industry ratios

  • Review customer and product profitability for volume and pricing opportunities

  • Analyze production and warehousing costs and recommend operational efficiencies

Process Improvement

Many companies are stuck in a rut when it comes down to improving operations. We are all creatures of habit to some extent. While “paving the cow paths” may feel like process improvement, it may take an independent consultant to analyze processes holistically and make process reengineering recommendations. Sometimes the scope may be a focused review, or it may be accompanied by the search for an ERP system.

  • Develop policies & procedures with attention to efficient communications and internal controls

  • Perform diagnostic reviews to identify potential improvements in process management, internal controls, and management reporting

  • Assist management with selecting an ERP system to replace the company’s legacy system

M&A Transactions

Most companies do not have the expertise or time to manage either side of an M&A transaction. For a buyer, an outside expert can perform due diligence, identifying the target company’s strengths and weaknesses while evaluating the quality of earnings. For the seller, the expert can assist with developing a company sale strategy and then working closely with a buyer under a letter of intent, particularly in providing information required in the buyer’s due diligence.

  • Work with ownership on exit planning strategy

  • Assist with creating a pitch deck for prospective buyers

  • Provide sell-side support during negotiations with a potential buyer

  • Perform due diligence with quality of earnings on acquisition candidates

  • Work with legal counsel on terms

Cost Accounting

In a manufacturing environment, the capture of material, labor, and overhead costs is critical for decisions related to managing efficiencies and capacity utilization. From a sales standpoint, accurate cost of goods sold is important for setting prices and discounts that will meet gross profit targets. Having up-to-date standards is critical for managing both operations and sales profitability.

  • Develop costing standards

  • Establish factory burden rates for overhead allocations

  • Analyze production and warehousing costs and recommend operational efficiencies

  • Design new reports for capturing costs of inefficiency such as downtime and scrap

Contact us

Tell us about your business and let us know how we can help you. We typically respond within 1-3 business days.

Or, schedule a consultation using the link below:

Calendly

  • “As CFO/COO of a mid-market company I engaged Chuck Langenhop to develop a "Quality of Earnings" report.  He delivered an excellent work product and just as important he was very professional and so helpful to me during the entire process.”

    -Mark Vise, COO/CFO, Burrow Global, LLC

  • “I was fortunate to work with Chuck as our part-time CFO. Never had to worry about anything in Chuck's realm and was able to stay focused on our organization's objectives.”

    -Victor Fishman, Executive Director, Texas Research Alliance

  • “Chuck started as a fractional CFO and thankfully stayed with us for 11 years. He was able to organize our financials into reporting that mapped out our financial future, moving us forward during our growth, an acquisition, and finally through a business sale. He is a great listener and communicator.”

    -Louis Guerra, CEO, Rudy’s Food Products, Inc.

  • “Chuck is very detail-oriented, with great ability to assist organizations with knowledge and insight into their cost accounting and cash flow concerns. Chuck is able to assist companies with growth through helping them identify their operational strengths and providing insight into their financial reporting.”

    -Tim Avance, Director of External Reporting, Alcon

  • “Chuck is a focused and detail-oriented advisor who is committed to the best interests of his clients.”

    -David Valenti, Managing Shareholder, Valenti Corporation GC, PC

  • “Chuck stands out because he takes the time to know the people he works with and is eager to help whenever he can. I highly recommend Chuck.”

    -Norman Myers, Co-founder, Efirm, Inc.

  • “We have worked with Chuck on various projects and have seen his ability to work on diverse projects from business plans, capital raises, to tax compliance. He is extremely capable and would be an asset to any organization.”

    -Greg Hext, CEO/Founder, Hext Financial Group LLC

  • “Prairie Elder Care has greatly benefited from working with Chuck Langenhop as our Fractional CFO. Chuck is trustworthy, insightful, and knowledgeable. He has provided valuable financial guidance and helped us strengthen our decision-making processes. His expertise, professionalism, and commitment to our success have made him a trusted advisor and an important part of our growth journey.”

    -Allyson Seitz, CEO & Co-Owner, Friendship Lodge Home Care LLC dba Prairie Elder Care

  • “Chuck’s most notable strength is taking the time and energy to understand the dynamics of our company. His unique knowledge was instrumental in maximizing our performance metrics. His knowledge and abilities are great, and best of all, he is genuinely invested and a joy to work with.”

    -Shawn Rife, Project Manager/Manufacturing Engineer, Axxea Systems

  • “Chuck's ERP experience was invaluable to the Sixth Floor Museum in the selection process for their ticketing and retail solution. Chuck was also pivotal in bringing the parties together through a challenging contractual negotiation, resulting in language which will now be incorporated in all of our future agreements!”

    Scott Clover, Founder and Owner, Siriusware

  • “At The Mind Electric, a successful software startup, I hired Chuck for high level financial matters. He helped us immensely in financial strategy & planning, prep for VC investment, revenue recognition, and general financial and accounting management. He was always very accommodating to our needs and extremely easy to work with.”

    Stewart Bush, COO, AtLink Communications

  • “Chuck brings more than knowledge and skill in financial planning to the table--he brings a curiosity and drive to know as much as possible about his client's specific situation. This truly sets him apart. It's great to work with someone who cares about the details of my company as much as I do.”

    Heather Easterday, Owner and Consultant, Easterday Associates

  • “I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Chuck Langenhop for nearly four years. From the beginning, Chuck was an invaluable resource. He carried a significant workload, helped guide Lakeview through multiple period closes, and improved processes along the way. In every interaction I’ve had with him, Chuck has demonstrated a rare ability to quickly understand the needs of the business and deliver thoughtful, professional, and insightful work.”

    Jeff Kirkland, CFO, Lakeview Dairy Products, LLC.