Maximize Profit & Growth: Strategic Business Advisory
Essential information and practical guidance for managing accounting, tax, and advisory in your business Ding Financial strategic advisory and accounting services
Content reviewed and verified by Graham Chee, with 25+ years in accounting, taxation, investment management, governance, risk & compliance. Last reviewed December 2025. Next review scheduled for March 2026.
Introduction
Why this matters for your business
Strategic business advisory combines accounting, tax planning, and financial guidance to help owners make confident, data-driven decisions. In this article, you will learn the core concepts that strengthen profitability and cash flow, how to navigate complex regulations without stress, and practical ways to plan for sustainable growth. We cover key concepts, real-world applications, a recommended step-by-step approach, and answers to common questions business advisory for property owners and real estate investors. The goal is to equip you with clear, actionable insights you can apply immediately, and to show where experienced advisors add value.
Key Considerations
Essential points to understand
Financial visibility is more than a tax return: Reliable monthly management reports, cash flow forecasts, and relevant KPIs (such as gross margin, operating margin, and cash conversion cycle) allow you to see issues early and act decisively.
Tax planning is an ongoing strategy: Entity structure, timing of income and expenses, available deductions and credits, and documentation all influence your tax position. Proactive planning during the year is more effective than last-minute scrambling.
Compliance reduces risk and supports growth: A clear compliance calendar, sound bookkeeping, and an audit-ready record trail minimize penalties and build confidence with banks, investors, and key partners.
Pricing and margins drive profit: Understand unit economics, contribution margins, and product or service mix. Align pricing with value, review discounting policies, and monitor cost drivers to protect margins.
Working capital is your day-to-day lifeline: Manage receivables, payables, and inventory to shorten the cash conversion cycle. Negotiate supplier and customer terms and consider appropriate financing for seasonal or growth needs.
Data, systems, and governance matter: Integrated systems, a consistent chart of accounts, standardized procedures, and clear financial policies create reliable information for decisions and scale.
Practical Application
How this works in real businesses
Professional services firm: Revenue looks healthy but profit is inconsistent. An advisor implements job costing to track time and expenses per engagement, establishes target utilization and realization rates, and introduces monthly margin reviews. The result is clarity on which services to expand, which to reprice, and which to streamline.
Retail or eCommerce: Inventory ties up cash and margins are tight. The advisor sets up demand-based reordering, aged inventory reporting, and category-level margin tracking. They align marketing campaigns with stock positions and introduce a simple cash flow forecast so purchasing stays within planned limits while meeting demand. Multi-jurisdiction tax obligations are mapped to a compliance calendar.
Construction and trades: Projects span months and cash flow is lumpy. The advisor sets up work-in-progress (WIP) accounting, progress billing, and staged payment schedules. They clarify subcontractor documentation and payroll compliance, and build a rolling 13-week cash forecast to plan for payroll, materials, and tax payments.
How advisors help day-to-day: A good advisor translates your goals into numbers and your numbers into decisions. That includes setting measurable targets, creating dashboards, simplifying your chart of accounts, implementing monthly close routines, identifying tax opportunities early, and facilitating quarterly strategy reviews. The emphasis is on practical execution: clear responsibilities, timelines, and consistent follow-up.
Recommended Steps
A structured approach
Assess
Review your profit and loss, balance sheet, and cash flow; map your tax profile and compliance obligations; baseline key KPIs; identify risks, quick wins, and growth opportunities.
Plan
Set financial and strategic goals. Build a plan that covers pricing and margin targets, cash flow forecasts, resourcing, tax strategies, and a clear compliance calendar with owner responsibilities.
Implement
Establish monthly reporting and a disciplined close process. Update systems and procedures, train your team, tighten controls, and document policies. Execute pricing changes and process improvements.
Review
Hold monthly or quarterly reviews. Compare results to targets, run what-if scenarios, adjust budgets, and complete mid-year tax check-ins to keep strategy and execution aligned.
Common Questions
What business owners ask us
Q.What is the difference between accounting, tax planning, and advisory?
Accounting organizes and reports financial activity. Tax planning optimizes your position within the rules. Advisory connects your numbers to strategy, helping you make decisions that improve profit, cash flow, and growth.
Q.How often should I meet with an advisor?
Monthly is ideal for active management, with deeper quarterly strategy reviews. At minimum, schedule consistent check-ins aligned with your reporting cycle and seasonal patterns.
Q.I already have a bookkeeper—do I still need advisory?
Bookkeeping ensures transactions are recorded accurately. Advisory interprets those numbers, recommends improvements, and supports pricing, planning, tax strategy, and funding decisions.
Q.What information should I prepare before engaging an advisor?
Recent financial statements, a trial balance, tax returns, sales and cost data by product or service, key contracts, payroll details, inventory reports (if applicable), and your goals or pain points.
Q.How are fees typically structured?
Common approaches include fixed-fee monthly advisory, project-based work for specific initiatives, and hourly support. The best model depends on scope, complexity, and meeting cadence.
Conclusion
Take the next step
Strong financial management is the foundation for sustainable growth. By uniting accounting, tax planning, and strategic advisory, you can protect cash, improve margins, and make confident decisions. If you are ready to translate your numbers into a practical growth plan, speak with an advisor. Contact our team for tailored guidance based on your goals, industry, and current systems.
About the Author
Graham Chee, FCPA, GRCP, GRCA, IAIP, IRMP, ICEP, IAAP
Principal Advisor & Founder
Graham Chee is a highly qualified business advisor with over 25 years of professional experience spanning accounting, taxation, investment management, governance, risk, and compliance. As a Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA), Graham brings deep technical expertise combined with practical business acumen. His qualifications include Governance Risk and Compliance Professional (GRCP), Governance Risk and Compliance Auditor (GRCA), Integrated Artificial Intelligence Professional (IAIP), Integrated Risk Management Professional (IRMP), Integrated Compliance and Ethics Professional (ICEP), and Integrated Audit and Assurance Professional (IAAP). Graham has advised hundreds of Australian SMEs on strategic planning, succession, business valuation, and compliance matters, helping business owners build sustainable, valuable enterprises.
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