Financial Strategy 101

Because guessing is not a growth plan.

We talk to a lot of business owners who want better margins, more money in the bank, or just to stop feeling like they’re flying blind every month.

What they don’t have?
A real financial strategy.

Not a spreadsheet you update once a year.
Not a bank balance you glance at before making a decision.
An actual, intentional, working strategy.

Here’s where to start:

1. Know Your Numbers

You can’t change what you don’t understand.

If your numbers aren’t accurate, or you don’t know where to find them, your “strategy” is just a guess.

Start with clean books. Track your cash flow. Know your margins.
This is your foundation. Everything else builds from here.

2. Set Standards That Work for You

Forget what everyone else is doing.
What matters is building a financial system you can stick with.

What’s your ideal cash reserve?
What’s a healthy margin for your business model?
How often are you reviewing your numbers, and with whom?

Create standards that are realistic, repeatable, and easy to report on. That’s how you stay on track without burning out.

3. Set Goals With Perspective

Don’t dream in isolation. Get input.

Talk to your accountant, your Fractional CFO, your mentor.
Look at trends, capacity, and cash flow—not just wishful thinking.

Then? Set the goals, and be willing to adjust your standards to meet them.
That might mean increasing pricing, cutting expenses, or hiring sooner than planned. Strategy is about agility, not perfection.

4. Make a Decision. Commit.

Financial strategy without decision-making is just a spreadsheet hobby.

Commit to the pricing.
Commit to the budget.
Commit to the next hire or the ad spend cut or the inventory freeze.

Your growth is built on decisions. Not drafts.

5. Don’t Lose Perspective

Not every month will look perfect. Not every risk will pay off.

Zoom out.

Are you profitable over time?
Are your margins improving?
Is your business less stressful than it was six months ago?

Progress isn’t always loud. Stay focused on what matters most.

Bottom line:
Financial strategy isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being intentional.

Know your numbers. Build your standards. Set the right goals.
And then have the guts to follow through.

If you need a second brain on your finances, we do this every day. Let’s build something that actually works.