EP 483: How to get more involved in your agency finances in 2025 with Sandy Catour
Jan 6, 2025
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Sandy Catour, an agency owner and accountant with over 20 years of experience, shares her insights on agency finances. She stresses the importance of agency leaders being deeply involved in financial discussions. Sandy discusses cash forecasting and emphasizes the need for transparency in financial reporting. She also highlights effective pricing strategies and the collaboration between creative and financial teams to ensure profitability. Transitioning these practices can lead to more informed decisions and stronger financial health for agencies in 2025.
Agency owners must establish and monitor financial KPIs to proactively track performance and make timely adjustments.
Fostering a strong communication line between owners and accounting staff is essential for addressing financial concerns and strategizing effectively.
Understanding financial reports like P&L statements empowers agency owners to engage meaningfully with their finance teams and improve decision-making.
Deep dives
Importance of Financial KPIs
Establishing financial Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is crucial for agencies to effectively monitor their progress toward set goals. Agency owners are encouraged to create a dashboard with specific metrics to track their financial performance, including the average gross income per full-time employee and utilization rates. By having these benchmarks established before the start of the fiscal year, agencies can quickly identify areas where they may be falling short and make necessary adjustments. This proactive approach helps set a clear pathway for achieving financial objectives throughout the year.
Building Relationships with Accounting Staff
A strong relationship between agency owners and their internal accounting personnel is vital for financial health. It is important for owners to view their bookkeepers, accountants, or CFOs as critical team members who can provide valuable insights into the agency's financial situation. An open line of communication allows both parties to address financial concerns and operational strategies effectively. This partnership aids in fostering a collaborative environment where financial matters become less intimidating for the agency owners.
Financial Education for Non-Math People
Agency owners who lack a background in finance should focus on acquiring a basic understanding of financial statements and metrics. They are advised to learn how to interpret essential financial reports such as the P&L statement and balance sheet, as these documents provide valuable narratives about the agency's performance. Simplifying the analysis of financial data can empower owners to ask informed questions and engage in productive discussions with their accounting teams. By overcoming the fear of numbers, owners can make better decisions that positively impact their businesses.
Cash Management Strategies
Effective cash management is a perennial concern for both small and large agencies, and varying strategies are necessary depending on the agency size. Smaller agencies often focus heavily on cash flow needs and might consider whether to outsource financial tasks or bring on internal staff. Conversely, larger agencies may analyze profit margins on a client basis to determine how efficiently they are running each project. A comprehensive approach includes regular checks on receivables and expenses, ensuring that the agency remains financially healthy and can meet its obligations.
Establishing a Structured Financial Meeting Routine
Scheduling regular financial meetings between agency owners and their accounting personnel is crucial for operational transparency and financial success. Meeting monthly, reviewing previously sent financial reports, and discussing forecasts allows for an ongoing assessment of the agency's financial trajectory. Owners should prepare a list of prioritized reports to discuss, aiming to maintain open channels of communication about financial goals and challenges. This structured approach not only supports accountability but also allows the accounting staff to provide essential insights into the financial health of the agency.
Almost no agency owner got into the agency world for their passion for bookkeeping. And if you did — great! You’re several steps ahead of most of us. But the reality is, most of us are just happy to keep cash in the bank for payroll and probably aren’t looking at the finances as much as we should be.
Sandy Catour joined me this week to share why we should rewire this habit. Agency owners should be just as involved with the agency finances as their finance and accounting teams, and they should be in frequent communication with one another.
Without a good understanding of your cash forecast, how your money is being spent, and where you’re losing the most profit, it’s impossible to run the agency by the numbers and keep a good handle on where all your money is going.
So join us to get a realistic look at what agency owners should care about the most in the agency financial reports and what they can talk to their finance teams more openly and honestly about in 2025.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
How an agency owner should approach agency finances
How agency finance conversations differ between small and medium agencies
What financial reports you should be looking at as an agency owner
Knowing how to price and how to find profit black holes in the numbers
How agency owners should think about the financial roles in their company and how they serve the agency
How to communicate well with your financial team
What monthly financial meetings should look like with your accountants, bookkeepers, or other finance team members
Getting an accounting person to put together a cash forecast and what that should look like
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