Know where your finances stand before you hire anyone to fix them.
Finance problems in a growing business are expensive to guess at, so we don't guess and we don't quote blind. We read your books, your bank activity, and your numbers the way a CFO would, and send you a written answer: what is working, what is costing you money, what it takes to fix, and what you can safely leave alone.
- Fixed fee, quoted up front
- Answer in writing
- Report is yours to keep
| Area | Status |
|---|---|
| Books & close | Needs work |
| Cash visibility | Urgent |
| Margin by service line | Unknown |
| Receivables | Open |
| Pricing | Clear |
A report you can act on, not a sales call.
Every diagnostic ends in a written document built from your numbers. Here is how each one is laid out.
Where you stand
Three of five areas need attention, one of them urgent. Cash is being managed from the bank balance, margin by service line has never been measured, and receivables over 60 days exceed one month of payroll.
| Area | Finding | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Books & close | Cash basis; three months behind | Reporting unreliable |
| Cash visibility | No forecast; two near-misses on payroll | Urgent |
| Margin by service line | Not measured | Largest unknown |
| Receivables | 34% over 60 days | $118,000 at risk |
| Pricing | Set 2019; no cost basis | Review in 90 days |
The short answer
The business can support the facility it wants. Two items will draw questions in diligence and both are fixable in 60 days.
- ✓Accrual statements reconcile to bankReady
- ✓Revenue recognized by date of serviceReady
- !Owner compensation not normalizedFix before diligence
- !Receivables allowance not establishedFix before diligence
- ✓Debt schedule and covenants documentedReady
- !Customer concentration above 25%Disclose and explain
Layouts shown for illustration with hypothetical figures. Every report is written for your business, and every finding comes from your numbers.
From your files to a clear answer in four steps.
- 1Day 0
You send the files.
A short intake form, then read-only access to your accounting system (or an export), twelve months of bank and card statements, payroll summaries, receivables and payables aging, and any lender or investor documents. Missing pieces are fine — we tell you what matters.
- 2Days 1–7
We read it the way a CFO would.
We rebuild the last quarter on an accrual basis, trace where the cash actually went, measure margin by product, service, or location, and test the receivables. Not a checklist — the same review we'd do in the first month of an engagement.
- 3Days 8–10
You get it in writing.
Your position in each area, every finding with a dollar figure, the recommended fix, a 30/60/90-day plan, and a fixed monthly retainer to carry it out — in plain language.
- 4When it suits you
We walk you through it.
A 30-minute results call. Then you decide: engage us on the retainer quoted, act on the report yourself, or take it to another advisor.
Two ways to start, one for your situation.
Both are a fixed fee, both end in a written report and a results call, and neither obliges you to anything further.
Not sure which one fits?
Book a free 30-minute call. A quick read of your situation and a plain answer on which diagnostic applies — or whether you need one at all.
A retainer quoted without a review is a guess.
- The numbers tell us the scope.No one can price a finance function from a phone call. Reading the actual books, bank activity, and receivables is the only honest way to quote the work.
- Most owners are less exposed than they fear — and leaking more than they know.The report separates the urgent from the merely untidy, and it usually finds money: uncollected receivables, mispriced work, a payer or customer below cost.
- You decide with the answer in hand.You commit to nothing beyond the diagnostic. If the fix is small, you may do it yourself. If it isn't, you'll know exactly what you're hiring us for, on what calendar, for what fee.
What if the report says the finances are in good shape?
Then you have that in writing, which is worth having before a lender, a partner, or a buyer asks. The fee stands, because the review is the work.
Do I have to hire Zobov & Partners afterward?
No. The report is yours. Some owners use it to fix things themselves; some take it to their existing accountant. Most go ahead with us because the retainer is already scoped and priced.
What do you need access to?
Read-only access to your accounting system (or a full export), twelve months of bank and card statements, payroll summaries, receivables and payables aging, and any lender or investor documents. Everything is covered by a confidentiality agreement signed before you send anything.
What if my books are a mess or months behind?
That is often why people order one. Send what you have. The ten-day clock starts once we have enough to work from, and we tell you within one business day if something essential is missing. If the books need a catch-up before anything else, the report says so and prices it.
Is this a fractional CFO trial?
No. It is a fixed-scope written review by the CFO who would run your engagement. Nothing recurring starts unless you decide it should. The diagnostic is priced as its own piece of work, and the retainer quoted in the report is priced on its own.
How do I pay?
You receive an engagement letter before we start. Payment by ACH, Zelle, card, or wire transfer, in U.S. dollars.
Is the results call the advice?
The written report is the advice. The call is there to make sure you understand it and to answer questions about the next step.
Start with the answer.
A fixed fee, a written report within 10 business days, and a retainer quote you can accept or decline.
Every Finance Diagnostic and Deal Readiness Review is prepared by the CFO who would run the engagement. Fees are in U.S. dollars.
The content on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute accounting, tax, legal, or investment advice. A Finance Diagnostic and a Deal Readiness Review are assessments based on the documents supplied — not audited or reviewed financial statements, not a formal quality-of-earnings report, and not a substitute for a full engagement — and their conclusions depend on individual facts and circumstances and are subject to change. Figures shown in report layouts are illustrative. The fee is a standalone fixed price for the written report and results call; it is not credited against a retainer. See our full Legal Disclaimer.