Profit First simplifies financial planning, manages cash flow, and boosts profitability for small businesses. By prioritizing profit over cost coverage, businesses improve finances, increase owner income, and achieve lasting success. Despite objections from some CPA Firms due to additional account tracking, as a Profit First CPA Firm, we use and support this approach for our own business and clients.
What is Profit First?
Profit First, developed by Mike Michalowicz, is an innovative yet straightforward approach to managing business finances. Unlike traditional GAAP accounting, which can be complex and focus attention on the wrong areas, Profit First prioritizes cash flow and business growth. As a Certified Profit First CPA Firm, we integrate this system with your traditional accounting needs.
The Profit First system adapts personal finance principles to small businesses, similar to Dave Ramsey’s approach that finance is 80% behavior, 20% math. It helps you allocate cash effectively, ensuring you pay yourself, cover expenses, and drive profitability—often leading to a 200% profit increase within 18-24 months.
Consistent Monthly Pricing
Profit First involves more frequent transactions, so maintaining diligent financial records is key. Instead of one large annual accounting bill, our Profit First clients opt for monthly services, either through us or a partner Profit First firm. This ensures consistent, predictable costs while covering all your accounting and financial needs.
For Controller Clients, we regularly review your business’s profitability and Profit First implementation. These reviews help identify potential tax issues early and keep your business on track for growth.
Starter - Compliance
- Quarterly Accounting
- Annual Tax Returns
- Annual Tax Planning
- Quarterly Reviews
- Entity Review & Payroll
Advanced Insight (Bronze)
- Monthly Accounting
- Cash Allocation Strategy
- Monthly Financial Statements
- Monthly Reviews
- Everything in Starter – Compliance
Fractional Controller (Silver)
- Weekly Accounting
- Business Goal Tracking
- Advanced Quarterly Tax Planning
- Weekly Reviews
- Everything in Advanced Insight (Bronze)
Fractional CFO (Gold)
- Daily Transaction Imports
- Weekly Cash “Tie-Outs”
- Weekly Reports of KPIs
- Monthly KPI Driven Strategy
- Everything in Fractional Controller (Silver)
Kick Back and Grow Profits
Our Profit First programs are focused on owner-operated businesses that have achieved some stability but are struggling to grow and provide the owners a consistent income. Our entry level Starter Package helps the smallest firms get control of their finances, but most Profit First clients utilize our Controller services to maintain stronger financial controls. Once your firm has managers that make financial decisions, our Fractional CFO package make more sense. Fractional Controller service gets you an outsourced accounting department for your business, while Fractional CFO offers you a modern KPI-driven finance department.
We utilize and support Profit First to help companies grow from owner-operator, where you have created a job, to owner-manager, with a real time and the freedom that comes from there.
Why have a Profit First Professional for a CPA?
While Profit First itself is straightforward, many clients find it goes faster and more successful with outside expertise – we did it here when we implemented it in our firm, and it helped us double our business over 24 months. If finances don’t come natural to you, or you find yourself procrastinating on financial matters, you’re not alone, you’re pretty normal, and you’ll benefit from having a Profit First Professional in your corner.
As a CPA firm and a certified Profit First Professional organization, we help you bring the concepts of Profit First into your organization while maintaining all the compliance that you count on your CPA firm to do for you. For those whose challenges are implementation and some of the issues regarding the psychology of money, we refer you to specialist Profit First Professionals to help you implement.
This focus on profitability means you take more out of your business. Any accountant can do your taxes and reconcile your books. Profit First bookkeepers can help you implement some of the cash management techniques. But bringing in a Profit First CPA lets you reap the benefits of the synergies of developing KPIs that maximize profitability and cash flow, keeping in compliance with the tax code, and having a single source of financial advice.
Ready to Become Profitable?
Taking your business seriously and focusing on growth is a choice.
Profit First clients meet regularly with Bette to ensure they’re achieving their business goals.
If you’re working hard but not seeing the financial rewards, it’s time to make a change and prioritize profitability.
Why Choose Bette Hochberger, CPA, CGMA, for Your Profit First CPA Firm?
Expert guidance and proven experience.
We’ll help you implement the Profit First system efficiently, often within a few months. Having worked with numerous businesses, we understand the common challenges and are equipped to ensure a smooth transition. As your business grows, our Fractional CFO services will grow with you, supporting your reinvestment and scaling efforts. When you’re ready for a full-time CFO, we’ll assist with that transition, ensuring you stay on track.
We’re committed to being part of your success for years to come. And if the day comes when you outgrow our boutique firm, we’ll celebrate your achievements and help you transition to a larger CPA firm, all while keeping you on our holiday card list.
When you’re ready to have your business and financial systems work for you, let’s explore how Profit First can take you to the next level of success.