Why is cash tight when the backlog is strong?
Connect backlog, billing schedules, receivables, holdbacks, payroll, equipment, tax, and debt into one forward cash view.
Fractional CFO for Construction and trades
Construction businesses can be profitable on paper and short of cash at the same time.
I run the finance function around the realities of construction: billing timing, WIP, holdbacks, backlog, job margins, equipment, debt, and the gap between doing the work and collecting the cash.
The questions that matter
Use the numbers to make the operating call.
The work is useful when it connects the financial result to what management can change next.
Which jobs are actually making money?
Review estimated versus actual labour, materials, subcontractors, overhead allocation, change orders, and remaining cost to complete.
Can the business take on more work?
Test working capital, labour capacity, bonding, equipment, and management bandwidth before the contract is signed.
What will the bank or surety need?
Prepare a credible forecast, WIP schedule, covenant view, downside case, and explanation of the operating plan.
What I take responsibility for
Run the finance function around the business model.
The bookkeeper and accountant remain important. The CFO role makes sure their work comes together into one management view.
- Run the monthly close and WIP calendar across the internal team and outside accountant.
- Maintain cash, backlog, margin, and covenant views.
- Review job reporting and challenge assumptions before problems reach the financial statements.
- Support financing, equipment, hiring, pricing, and bid decisions.
Where I work
Remote across Canada and the United States.
I am based in Hamilton, Ontario. Most work runs remotely. The local pages below remain available for businesses looking by market.
A useful first conversation
If one of these questions is already on the owner's desk, that is enough for a first conversation.
Tell me what the decision is, what information exists today, and who is currently handling the finance work.