Better Numbers for Bigger Business Decisions
Can we afford another employee? Why is cash tight even though we’re profitable? Which part of the business makes the most money? Can we afford equipment or another location? CFO Support helps you use your financial information to think through questions like these.
Let’s Talk About Your Business →
What Is CFO Support?
CFO Support sits between accounting and business decision-making. Accounting tells you what has happened. CFO Support helps you understand what the numbers mean and consider what could happen next. You may need experienced financial support for a particular decision without employing a full-time CFO.
When Does a Business Need CFO Support?
It may be useful when revenue grows but cash remains tight, margins change, a major hire or investment is planned, a lender needs better information, or management is considering financing, a large contract, acquisition or expansion.
Cash Flow
Profit and cash are not the same. Customers may pay slowly, inventory may increase, debt may need to be repaid, or tax payments may become due. Understanding the drivers of cash flow helps identify pressure earlier.
Learn More ↓Profitability
Revenue growth does not always mean profit growth. Looking at margins, labour costs, overhead and profitability by customer, service, product or location can help identify what is really driving results.
Learn More ↓Budgets and Forecasts
A useful budget or forecast helps assess a real decision: hiring, investment, working capital, pricing or the effect of a sales decline. The objective is better decisions, not more spreadsheets.
Learn More ↓Financing and Major Decisions
Banks and lenders often need reliable historical financial information and a reasonable view of what comes next. We can help organize the information and evaluate the financial impact of a proposed commitment.
Learn More ↓Start With Reliable Numbers
Financial advice depends on the information behind it. Our accounting team handles detailed records and reporting; experienced professionals help interpret the information when important questions arise.
Learn More ↓Facing an Important Business Decision?
Tell us what you’re considering and what information you have.
Let’s Talk About Your Business →Cash Flow
Profit and cash are not the same. Customers may pay slowly, inventory may increase, debt may need to be repaid, or tax payments may become due. Understanding the drivers of cash flow helps identify pressure earlier.
Let’s Talk About Your Business →- 13-week rolling cash flow forecast — updated monthly from Xero
- HST remittances, payroll remittances and quarterly corporate tax instalments built into the forecast
- Client collection timing mapped against supplier and payroll outflows
- Cash flow gap identification — 60–90 days before a shortfall occurs
- Seasonal planning — revenue-lean periods identified and funded in advance
- Operating line utilization — advice on when and how to use credit facilities
Profitability
Revenue growth does not always mean profit growth. Looking at margins, labour costs, overhead and profitability by customer, service, product or location can help identify what is really driving results.
- Gross margin by service or product line — identifying which work returns the most after direct costs
- Overhead allocation — understanding the full cost of each service, including allocated overhead, not just direct costs
- Client-level profitability — identifying clients or contracts that consume disproportionate time relative to revenue
- Pricing analysis — determining whether current pricing reflects the true cost of delivery
- Monthly P&L review — actual results from Xero reviewed line by line each month against prior period and budget
Budgets and Forecasts
A useful budget or forecast helps assess a real decision: hiring, investment, working capital, pricing or the effect of a sales decline. The objective is better decisions, not more spreadsheets.
- Annual operating budget — revenue targets by service line, expense budgets by category, projected P&L and cash flow for the year
- Monthly variance analysis — actual results vs budget, line by line. What was different, why it was different, and what to do about it
- Rolling forecasts — updated quarterly to reflect actual performance and changing business conditions
- Salary vs dividend optimization — annual modelling of the optimal owner compensation mix, accounting for RRSP contribution room ($33,810 limit in 2026), CPP obligations, and the passive income threshold
- Tax instalment planning — quarterly corporate and personal instalments modelled into the budget to avoid CRA interest
Financing and Major Decisions
Banks and lenders often need reliable historical financial information and a reasonable view of what comes next. We can help organize the information and evaluate the financial impact of a proposed commitment.
- Hiring decisions — full cost of a new employee (salary, CPP, EI, benefits, overhead), revenue needed to break even, and cash flow impact in months 1–12
- Capital expenditure — payback period, CCA tax implications, lease vs buy analysis, impact on operating cash flow
- New contracts or clients — whether a large new contract actually improves profitability after accounting for the resources required to deliver it
- Acquisition analysis — financial due diligence, normalized EBITDA, deal structure modelling (share sale vs asset sale), post-acquisition integration
- Bank financing — preparing the financial package for a bank credit application, line of credit, or commercial mortgage — financial statements, forecasts, and management discussion
- Succession planning — QSBC eligibility review, LCGE optimization (~$1,275,000 tax-free in 2026), estate freeze structuring, and exit deal modelling (share vs asset sale, earnout structures)
CPA Note: The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption (LCGE) on Qualified Small Business Corporation (QSBC) shares requires meeting the 90% active asset test at time of sale and a 24-month continuous holding period. These conditions take time to set up — often 2–5 years of advance planning. Bronte Bay reviews QSBC eligibility annually as part of CFO support, so business owners approaching an exit are not disqualified by a structure problem that could have been fixed years earlier.
Start With Reliable Numbers
Financial advice depends on the information behind it. Our accounting team handles detailed records and reporting; experienced professionals help interpret the information when important questions arise.
Tell Us What You’re Considering
Tell us what you’re considering and what information you have.
CFO Support vs a Full-Time CFO
| Full-Time CFO | Bronte Bay CFO Support | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | $180,000–$300,000+ salary + benefits | Fixed monthly retainer — see pricing page |
| Tax integration | Financial only — separate CPA needed for T2 and HST | Integrated — CFO support + T2 + HST + bookkeeping under one CPA |
| Canadian tax knowledge | Varies — not always CPA-qualified | CPA, CMA, MBA — 40 years Canadian experience |
| Employment risk | Full-time employee — vacation, illness, resignation | Fixed monthly retainer — no employment obligation |
| Data accuracy | Dependent on quality of bookkeeper’s work | Same CPA does both bookkeeping and CFO advice — no handoff |
| Right for | Revenue $20M+ with complex finance team | Revenue $500K–$15M incorporated businesses |
Frequently Asked Questions
“The team has a lot of experience and is very friendly and supportive. Subhash is always able to advise us and share his insightful experience. He has an abundance of business experience and knowledge across industries and jurisdictions. I am very grateful that we have the opportunity to work with Bronte Bay.”
— Managing Director, Lyra Marketing
Facing an Important Business Decision?
Tell us what you’re considering and what information you have.
Toronto: 5000 Yonge Street, Suite 1901, North York, ON M2N 7E9 · Vancouver: 600-1285 West Broadway, BC V6H 3X8 · +1 416-439-4648
Related pages: Accounting Services · Tax Services · Accountant in Toronto · Accountant in Vancouver · Government Grants & Loans · Cash Flow Management