Results
What a retained CFO changes.
Rather than borrow another firm's numbers, the scenarios below show how a typical engagement unfolds across the sectors Helm Financial serves in the Caribbean. Each one is illustrative, not a real client.
Illustrative scenarios
Illustrative engagement scenarios
Each example shows a typical situation, what a retained CFO put in place, and the kind of outcome that work supports.
A note on these examples: they are illustrative, not real clients. Each is representative of a sector we serve and is shown pending consented client stories. Outcomes are directional, not measured results from a named business.
- 01
Construction
Profitable on paper, short on cash
Situation
A contractor was winning work and showing a profit, yet kept running short of cash between progress payments and could not see which jobs actually made money.
What a retained CFO did
A retained Financial Controller introduced job and contract costing that captured landed cost including duty and freight, a work in progress and retentions view, and a 13 week rolling cash flow forecast tied to the contract schedule and VAT remittance dates.
Illustrative outcome
The owner could see margin by job, time labour and supplier payments to expected receipts, and walk into the bank with a forecast rather than a guess.
- 02
Wholesale & Distribution
Cash trapped on the shelf
Situation
A distributor carried wide stock with thin margins.
What a retained CFO did
We built gross margin analysis by product line on a landed cost basis, reviewed supplier and forex terms, and set a working capital plan with reorder discipline around the fastest and slowest movers and a cash buffer for hurricane season.
Illustrative outcome
A clearer view of margin and stock turn by line, a path to release cash from slow inventory, and pricing and purchasing decisions grounded in the numbers.
- 03
Manufacturing & Food Processing
A selling price set by guesswork
Situation
A food processor knew its selling prices but not the true cost to produce each line.
What a retained CFO did
A retained Financial Controller built product level unit costing that included landed raw material cost, labour, and overhead, added yield and wastage tracking by run, and mapped the cash conversion cycle from raw material purchase through to customer receipt alongside VAT remittance timing.
Illustrative outcome
A defensible cost per unit for every line, visibility of where yield and wastage eroded margin, and pricing decisions grounded in real cost rather than a mark up on guesswork.
- 04
Hospitality
Busy nights, thin months
Situation
A hospitality operator was busy but the monthly result swung unpredictably, and the team could not explain why a strong month for covers was a weak one for profit.
What a retained CFO did
A retained CFO put in place outlet and department profitability, labour to revenue tracking, board ready monthly management accounts with written commentary, and a seasonal cash buffer to carry the slower months.
Illustrative outcome
Visibility of which outlets and shifts carried the month, labour cost managed against revenue, and a monthly leadership session to act on the trend.
- 05
Healthcare
Growing practice, unclear economics
Situation
A private practice was growing, but rising costs and slow paying insurers left the owner unsure which service lines actually earned their keep or when cash would arrive.
What a retained CFO did
A retained Financial Controller introduced service line profitability, receivables and payer management to shorten the time from treatment to payment, and capacity planning tied to the numbers, with a cash buffer set aside for hurricane season and VAT remittance dates.
Illustrative outcome
A clear picture of which service lines and clinicians drove profit, a tighter collection cycle on payer receivables, and capacity decisions grounded in the economics rather than instinct.
See what this looks like for your business.
A complimentary financial health review is the honest place to start: a direct look at your own numbers, not a borrowed story.
Request a complimentary review