Financial Review
Your financials, explained in plain English.
Financial statements are only useful if you can read them. A Financial Review walks through the numbers with you in language that does not assume an accounting background, so you know what the business actually did and what to do about it.
What a review covers
Four questions, answered every time.
What the numbers say
Revenue, gross margin, and expenses explained in plain terms, with the drivers behind each figure rather than just the totals.
What changed and why
Comparison against prior months, quarters, or years, with the reason behind each swing instead of a variance column you have to interpret.
What needs attention
Cash position, receivables that are aging, liabilities coming due, margin that is slipping, and anything drifting in the wrong direction.
What to do next
A short list of practical actions, plus the questions worth carrying into a tax planning conversation while there is still time to act.
Cadence
Monthly, quarterly, or once a year.
The right cadence depends on how fast the business moves and how close you want to stay to the numbers.
Monthly review
A short walkthrough after each monthly close. Suited to businesses where cash is tight, the numbers move quickly, or decisions are being made month to month.
Quarterly review
A deeper session every three months. Compares quarters, checks the trend, and surfaces tax issues while there is still time in the year to do something about them.
Annual review
A full-year look before the return is prepared. Covers how the year finished, what the return will reflect, and what to set up differently for next year.
Who this is for
Owners who want to understand the numbers, not just receive them.
A Financial Review suits owners who have never been walked through a Balance Sheet, businesses whose books are current but never discussed, partners who need the same picture before a decision, and anyone who has been signing a tax return without knowing what sits behind it. No accounting background is assumed and no question is too basic.
Financial Review FAQ
Questions about the review.
How the review works, how it differs from the monthly commentary and from CFO services, and how it is priced.
How is this different from the commentary in the monthly package?
The monthly commentary is a written note that comes with the financials and summarizes what the numbers show. A Financial Review is a scheduled walkthrough that goes further: it compares periods, digs into why something moved, looks at cash and receivables, and ends with a short list of actions. The commentary tells you what happened. The review makes sure you understand it and know what to do.
Do my books have to be with Ashmore Books?
No. A review can be done on books kept elsewhere, as long as the file is current and reliable enough for the numbers to mean something. If the condition is unclear, the free Books X-Ray checks that first, because reviewing numbers that have not been reconciled would give you false confidence rather than clarity.
Is this the same as CFO services?
No. CFO services are an ongoing retainer covering forecasting, budgets, cash planning, and decision support as things happen through the month. A Financial Review is a scheduled session that explains results that have already been recorded. Many owners start with a review and move to CFO services when the questions become forward-looking.
How long does a review take?
A monthly review is usually a short session. Quarterly and annual reviews run longer because more ground is covered and the comparisons go wider. Each one comes with written notes afterwards, so nothing depends on remembering what was said.
How is a Financial Review priced?
As a fixed fee, either per review or as a fixed monthly or quarterly amount, based on the size of the business and the cadence chosen. It can be added to monthly accounting or bought on its own. See Pricing for how fees are put together.
Can a review be done before a tax return is filed?
Yes, and that is often the most useful timing. An annual review before the return is prepared covers how the year finished, what the return will reflect, and anything that still needs a decision, so the filing is not the first time you see the full picture.
Not sure what your financials are telling you?
Tell us how the books are kept, the software in use, and how often you would want to go through the numbers. We will reply within one business day.