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Senior finance for Australian owner-led businesses

Know your numbers. Grow your profit. Sell it well.

The finance and operations muscle that helps small and medium-sized businesses thrive. One operator, not a firm of juniors.

What we do

Your economic engine, running well.

Operations, finance and technology, joined up, so you always know where you stand. Click anything marked ↗ to see it working.

Balfene does it: tap to see itBalfene oversees
Updates made to accommodate board decisions What people see Book · Pay The front doorClean digital touchpoints ↗Brand strategy and marketing Operations& technology Runs the businessSystems joined up, typed once ↗Hours back from automation ↗Your software, kept to best practice Reporting & compliance Numbers you can trustMonth-end financial reports ↗Tax and compliance, full year ↗Bookkeeping, done to our standard Business intelligence What the numbers meanWhy profit isn't cash ↗Profit by site and service ↗Cash, twelve months out ↗Full-year profit to free cash ↗ Strategy& courses of action Option AOption BOption CRECOMMENDED: B What we recommendOptions costed side by side ↗The recommended option ↗ Board decisions The board decidesThe monthly board pack ↗Every decision logged ↗The decision itself is yours askansweraskanswerBoard queries& special projectsAnswers, on requestSensitivity analysis ↗A discrete project or task ↗Exit strategy& transactionsPlanned, not rushedThe moves before a sale ↗The sale: IM and data room ↗Who does whatBalfene does it: click to see itBalfene oversees ityour team or advisers do it; we keepit to best practice. Done badly, itbecomes a bottleneck or an error.
What people seeThe front door

Brand strategy and marketing

Operations & technologyRuns the business

Your software, kept to best practice

Reporting & complianceNumbers you can trust

Bookkeeping, done to our standard

Business intelligenceWhat the numbers mean
Strategy & courses of actionWhat we recommend
Board decisionsThe board decides

The decision itself is yours

Board queries & special projectsAnswers, on request
Exit strategy & transactionsPlanned, not rushed

↕ Two-way with the board. Board queries and transactions go back and forth until the board decides.
↺ Back into operations. What the board decides is carried out in the business, and customers feel the difference at the front door.

Swipe sideways to see the whole economic engine.

What people see

Clean digital touchpoints

The question: “What does a clean front door actually change?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresOne-off set-up

Before and after: the front door, rebuilt.

The high-level checklist, not just the look. Illustrative case study, invented figures.

Phone speed score

3896

Bookings made online

0%64%

Time to book

Days of emailsUnder a minute

Before

  • Slow on phones: eight seconds to load
  • Book by phone or email only
  • Pay by bank transfer, chased later
  • Hard to find in local Google searches
  • Every enquiry in one shared inbox
  • No idea where bookings come from

After

  • Fast on any phone
  • Online booking, straight into the live diary
  • Point of sale: pay when you book
  • SEO basics done: page titles, local listing, reviews
  • Enquiries routed to the right person
  • Every booking traced to where it came from

Northline

Book a session

PhysioPodiatryPilates

Thursday 7 November

8:009:3011:002:15
Pay $95 and confirm

✓ Confirmed. Reminder the day before.

What it tells you. The booking, the payment and the record now land together, so nothing is typed twice and every booking shows where it came from.

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Operations & technology

Systems joined up, typed once

The question: “Why is the same thing typed three times?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresOne-off set-up

Six steps and two people, down to three steps and nobody.

Website, bookings, payments, accounts and email, joined up so each fact is typed once.

Before
  1. Fill in a form
  2. Email it in
  3. Someone re-types it
  4. Invoice sent by hand
  5. Payment chased
  6. Record updated twice
6 steps · 2 people
After
  1. Choose and pay online
  2. Receipt and record, automatic
  3. Reminder before renewal
3 steps · nobody

What it tells you. From a recent concept for a member organisation. Nothing is re-typed, so nothing is re-typed wrong.

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Operations & technology

Hours back from automation

The question: “Where does all the admin time go?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresSet up once, then every day

Let machines do what they do best, so your people can do what they do best.

What gets set up, and the hours it gives back each year. Illustrative figures.

What gets set up

  • The right technology stack, set up properly
  • Systems that talk to each other, so nothing is typed twice
  • Routine tasks automated end to end
  • Quality checkpoints built in, so errors are caught early
  • Live dashboards instead of hand-built reports
  • A named person for anything the system can't handle
Hours a year, before

171

Hours a year, after

40

Hours saved every year

131

BeforeAfter0 h10 h20 h30 h40 h50 hRenewals48 h10 h · 38 h savedRecords39 h12 h · 27 h savedReports36 h11 h · 25 h savedReceipts26 h4 h · 22 h savedReminders22 h3 h · 19 h saved

Swipe the chart to see all of it →

What it tells you. 131 hours a year is more than three working weeks. That time goes back to clients and to the work only people can do.

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Reporting & compliance

Month-end financial reports

The question: “Where did we actually land last month?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresEvery month

October, closed and reported in five business days.

Profit and loss against budget, and where the money sits. In the pack: Profit and lossBalance sheetCash flowWho owes youKey numbers

OctoberBudgetvs budgetYear to dateBudgetvs budget
Revenue$318.4k$310k+$8.4k$1,226k$1,240k−$14k
Direct costs$172.9k$169k−$3.9k$660.6k$676k+$15.4k
Gross profit$145.5k$141k+$4.5k$565.4k$564k+$1.4k
Overheads$99.3k$101k+$1.7k$395.6k$404k+$8.4k
Net profit$46.2k$40k+$6.2k$169.8k$160k+$9.8k
Cash$168.6kdown $13.8k in October
Customers owe you$112.4kup $31.5k in October
You owe suppliers$48.7kup $4.1k in October
Net assets$612.3kup $46.2k in October

Swipe the chart to see all of it →

What it tells you. Revenue is $14k behind budget for the year, but costs are tighter, so profit is $9.8k ahead. The watch item is the $31.5k customers owe you, up this month.

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Reporting & compliance

Tax and compliance, full year

The question: “Is everything lodged and paid, and can I cover what's next?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresThis financial year

Everything lodged and paid on time. 3 due in the next 30 days, all covered.

Every lodgement and payment for the year on one statement, with a traffic light and a note on each line.

6 Done3 Due in 30 days5 Coming up0 Overdue
ObligationDueAmountNote
Bank accounts reconciledTo 31 October——All four accounts, every line matched.
Month-end closeOctober5 Nov—Reports out five business days after month end.
BAS, quarter 1July to September28 Oct$18.4kLodged 24 October and paid.
Superannuation, quarter 1July to September28 Oct$36.9kPaid 22 October, ahead of the deadline.
PAYG withholdingSeptember wages21 Oct$20.8kPaid on time, four months running.
Income tax returnLast financial year——Lodged by your tax agent on 12 September.
Payroll tax (Victoria)October7 Nov$6.9kReturn drafted, ready to pay.
PAYG withholdingOctober wages21 Nov$21.4kCovered: $151k cash after it.
Insurance renewalProfessional indemnity30 Nov$8.2kTwo quotes in; renewing saves $600.
ASIC annual reviewCompany details14 Dec$0.3kDetails checked, no changes to report.
Superannuation, quarter 2October to December28 Jan$38.2kCovered: $128k cash after it.
BAS, quarter 2October to December28 Feb$24.6kThe tightest point of the year, still covered at $109k.
BAS, quarter 3January to March28 Apr—Estimate updates monthly from the forecast.
Payroll year-end (STP)Full year14 Jul—Finalised from the payroll system; nothing to re-key.

Swipe the chart to see all of it →

What it tells you. Next up: payroll tax $6.9k on 7 November and PAYG $21.4k on 21 November. Both covered, and nothing is overdue.

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Business intelligence

Why profit isn't cash

The question: “Why have I made a profit, but my cash hasn't moved?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresMonthly

October: $46.2k profit. Cash went down $13.8k.

Every dollar between profit and cash, on one page. Cash: $182.4k on 1 October, $168.6k on 31 October.

+$46.2kProfit+$6.8kDepreciation(not cash)−$31.5kCustomerspaying slower+$4.1kSupplierspaid later−$18.4kBASpaid−$9kLoanrepayments−$12kNewequipment−$13.8kCashmovement

Swipe the chart to see all of it →

What it tells you. Customers are paying slower: $31.5k is sitting in unpaid invoices, and three accounts make up most of it. Chase those and the month looks very different.

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Business intelligence

Profit by site and service

The question: “What actually made money this month, and what didn't?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresMonthly

What made money in October, and what didn't.

Profit by site and by service. Darker means more profit; outlined means a loss.

PhysiotherapyPodiatryPilates classesSite total
Northcote$12.4k$6.1k$3.2k$21.7k
Preston$9.8k$4k−$2.6k$11.2k
Thornbury$8.3k$5.7k−$0.7k$13.3k
Service total$30.5k$15.8k−$0.1k$46.2k

Swipe the chart to see all of it →

What it tells you. Pilates loses money in Preston and Thornbury. Northcote shows it can work: the same classes made $3.2k, with rooms 82% booked against 51%.

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Business intelligence

Cash, twelve months out

The question: “Will I have enough cash all year?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresUpdated monthly

Cash, twelve months out: never below $109k.

Every month's payroll, rent, tax and super, against the bookings you already have.

$150k$200kTwo months of payroll: $96kNowNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctLowest: $109k, February$164k$168.6k

Swipe the chart to see all of it →

What it tells you. February is the tight month: the quarterly BAS lands in a quiet trading month. It is still $13k above two months of payroll, so nothing to fund. Just no big purchases that month.

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Business intelligence

Full-year profit to free cash

The question: “What will I make this year, and how much cash can I actually use?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresUpdated monthly

Full-year profit $503.8k. Free cash $271.9k. Here is the plan for it.

Four months actual, eight projected. Budget: $480k. Profit is the score; cash is what you can actually use.

$200k$400kJulAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunBudget, $480k for the year$503.8k$169.8kActualProjected

From profit to free cash, for the full year

$503.8kFull-yearprofit+$81.6kDepreciation(not cash)−$126kCompanytax−$31.5kCustomerspaying slower−$48kNewequipment−$108kLoanrepayments$271.9kFreecash flow

The plan for the $271.9k

$120kDividends to owners44%
$60kReinvested: a second physio22%
$70kFuture growth fund26%
$21.9kCash buffer top-up8%

Swipe the chart to see all of it →

What it tells you. You are $23.8k ahead of budget on profit. After tax, equipment and loan repayments, $271.9k is free: $120k to the owners, $60k reinvested, $70k into a growth fund, the rest to the buffer.

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Strategy & courses of action

The recommended option

The question: “What should we actually do?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresEvery decision

Board paper: a second physio at Northcote.

Three options, costed on profit, cash and risk. One recommendation, on one page.

Option A

Keep as is

Profit
$0
Lowest cash
$109k
Risk
The waitlist of 38 people keeps growing

Option BRecommended

Hire a second physio

Profit
+$64k a year, from March
Lowest cash
$97k in February
Risk
Takes about three months to fill the diary

Option C

Longer hours, no hire

Profit
+$21k a year
Lowest cash
$109k
Risk
Two clinicians over 45 hours a week

What it tells you. Option B adds the most profit, and cash still stays above two months of payroll ($96k). It goes to the board at the December meeting.

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Board decisions

The monthly board pack

The question: “What does the board actually get each month?”

MonthlyA monthly board pack, page by page27 seconds. Illustrative business, invented figures.
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Board decisions

Every decision logged

The question: “Did we actually do what we decided?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresEvery meeting

Every decision has an owner and a date.

And it is checked at the next meeting, so nothing is decided twice and forgotten.

DecisionOwnerByStatus
Raise Pilates class prices 8%+$2.1k a monthAnna1 NovDone
Chase three overdue accounts ($31.5k)Jo8 NovIn progress
Move Preston Pilates to two eveningsSam15 NovIn progress
A second physio at NorthcoteDecide next monthBoardDecember meetingCosted

Swipe the chart to see all of it →

What it tells you. The price rise is already paying $2.1k a month. The overdue accounts from the cash page are being chased this week.

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Board queries & special projects

Sensitivity analysis

The question: “What happens to profit if one thing changes?”

Northline · illustrative business, invented figuresWhen the board asks

What moves full-year profit most? Bookings, then price.

Each line moves one thing and holds everything else. Base case: $503.8k.

Base case $503.8k$400k$450k$550k$600kBookings, 5% either way$420.9k$586.7kPrices, 2% either way$430.4k$577.2kClinician wages, 3% either way$443.8k$563.8kRent, 10% either way$479.8k$527.8k

Swipe the chart to see all of it →

What it tells you. A 2% price rise is worth $73.4k a year. A 5% drop in bookings costs $82.9k. That is why the first question at the board was how full the Preston rooms are.

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The Pareto principle in action (80:20 rule)

A few things, done well. For owners who already run theirs well.

Balfene does not take over your business, and it is not trying to be a specialist in everything. It gets the core of your economic engine firing, so you can run the parts only you can, and it is honest about who should do the rest.

Who we work best with

Brilliant at the business. Not a finance specialist.

  • An owner who knows their field better than anyone, and built the business on it.
  • Grown past a bookkeeper and a spreadsheet, not yet ready for a full-time finance director.
  • Wants the numbers and the big decisions done properly, without handing over the keys.
  • Stays the one running it. Balfene sits beside you, not in your chair.

You keep doing what you do best, the part no one else can do. Balfene takes the part you should not have to. Not the right fit: a business looking for someone to run it day to day.

What Balfene does well

The parts of your engine we get firing

  • Front of house that looks the part: website design, UI and UXFront door
  • A clean, modern tech stack instead of a legacy tangleOperations
  • Automation that cuts admin and errors, so your people do higher-value workOperations
  • Bookkeeping kept to best practice, overseen and checkedReporting
  • Board reporting you can rely on, the same pack every monthReporting
  • Financial modelling and forecasts that hold upIntelligence
  • Business intelligence that shapes the strategyIntelligence
  • Clear recommendations, so the board makes clear decisionsStrategy

A marker for every stage of the engine above. Get these firing and the whole business runs faster, with fewer errors.

What Balfene is not

Said plainly

  • Your HR manager or recruiterYour people
  • Your lawyerA specialist
  • Your tax agent or auditorA specialist
  • Your IT helpdeskA specialist
  • Your marketing agency. We build the front of house, not the campaignsA specialist
  • A registered valuer or financial plannerA specialist

These still matter, and they still need doing. Your own team or a good specialist does them; Balfene works alongside, makes sure what they are given holds up, and can point you to good people.

How we use technology

Not a software company. Not an AI company. A nimble way to put in the systems that let you thrive.

You are not buying software or a chatbot. Balfene implements, installs and oversees best-practice systems, software and automation, and uses AI only where it gives a clear, secure result you can check. Each tool has a job, and you will know what it is.

What it does

The repeatable work

  • Pulls the numbers from your accounts, so the board pack is current, not three weeks old
  • Runs the reconciliations, reminders and reports nobody should do by hand
  • Drafts a first pass faster, so senior time goes on judgement
What it never does

The calls that matter

  • Make a decision for you
  • Write your information memorandum or ring your buyers. Anthony does that
  • Send your data anywhere you have not agreed to
How you can check

Nothing on trust

  • Every number traces back to its source
  • Every tool used on your account is named up front
  • A person checks everything that leaves the building
Your login

Everything in one place. For everyone who needs it.

One secure login for the business. The owner sees everything; each manager and team member sees only what is theirs.

Sign in with XeroUse the Xero login you already have. No new password to remember.
Access by roleOwner, manager and staff each see what is theirs, and nothing else.
Updated every morningPulled from your systems overnight. Not a PDF that arrives a month late.
Every report in one placeMonth-end reports, compliance, board packs and the decision log, all filed.
Approve in the appA recommendation waiting on you? Say yes, and it is logged with the date.
On your phoneWorks in any browser. Nothing to install.
Access by role

Who sees what

WhatOwnerManagerStaff
Cash and profit, every siteAllOwn site–
Month-end reports and complianceAllOwn site–
Recommendations and decisionsApproveView–
Rosters, hours and targetsAllOwn teamOwn
Bonus and performanceAllOwn teamOwn
No pitch, no obligation

Not sure where to start?

That is a normal place to start. Thirty minutes on the phone and you will know, including if the answer is that you do not need me at all.