122 —Making the Invisible Visible: Pricing, Profit, and Founder Sanity
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In this episode, Sue Hirst unpacks why Founders can't afford to ignore the power of a virtual CFO. Discover how financial clarity, strategy, and a few smart decisions can unlock hidden profit, improve cashflow, and drive enterprise value without adding stress or overhead.
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In this episode of the ScaleHQ Podcast, Sean dives into the world of virtual CFOs with Sue Hirst, Co-Founder of CFO On-Call. Too many Founders rely solely on bookkeepers and tax accountants, leaving a dangerous gap when it comes to financial clarity and forward-looking strategy.
Sue explains how virtual CFOs fill this gap, acting as a financial co-pilot to help Founders avoid common pitfalls like unplanned growth, cashflow squeezes, and pricing mistakes. If you're a Founder navigating the challenges of scaling a $1m-$10m business, this conversation is packed with actionable insights on why financial strategy, not just compliance, is critical for growth and profitability.
Sean and Sue Discussed:
- Why Founders outgrow their accountant: The critical difference between compliance accounting and strategic financial leadership, and when your business needs a virtual CFO to drive growth, not just count it.
- The hidden dangers of unplanned growth: How scaling without financial clarity leads to cashflow squeezes, profit erosion, and the risk of "growing broke," and how a virtual CFO helps you grow sustainably.
- Unlocking profit through smart pricing and cost control: Real-world examples of how small changes in pricing, cost of goods, and operational efficiency can add millions to your bottom line and enterprise value.
- Systems, automation and reducing overheads: Why investing in the right systems at the right time can prevent overhead blowouts, streamline operations, and increase business value without adding stress.
- The virtual CFO advantage: How having a financial co-pilot provides strategic insights, accountability, and confidence, plus what Founders need to know to get maximum ROI from a virtual CFO engagement.
If you're feeling the pressure of growth, unsure about your cashflow, or simply want to extract more value from your business, this episode will show you how a virtual CFO can help you scale smarter, not harder.
ABOUTÂ OURÂ GUEST:
Sue Hirst is the Co-Founder of CFO On-Call, a leading network of virtual CFOs and Financial Controllers dedicated to helping businesses maximise profit, cashflow, and enterprise value. With over 40 years of experience in small business finance, Sue is renowned for translating complex financial concepts into plain English, empowering Founders to take control of their financial strategy, not just compliance.
Passionate about reducing the high rate of small business failure, Sue advocates for treating financial control as a core pillar of business success. She specialises in supporting businesses with $2m–$100m turnover, providing practical guidance on pricing, costing, working capital, and cashflow efficiency.
Known for her down-to-earth approach and sharp insights, Sue helps Founders avoid "financial turbulence" and ensures their numbers drive better profit, cashflow and lifestyle.
About Sean Steele
Sean has led several education businesses through various growth stages including 0-3m, 1-6m, 3-50m and 80m-120m. He's evaluated over 200 M&A deals and integrated or started 7 brands within larger structures since 2012. Sean's experience in building the foundations of organisations to enable scale uniquely positions him to host the ScaleUps podcast.
