Visionary Numbers

The Methodology

The Visionary Numbers methodology is based on the notion that most business owners utilize the three financial reports (Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement) at best incompletely, and at worst, not at all.

At virtually every company I advise the pattern repeats itself:

The books were usually a complete mess, the business owners don’t know what to ask for, the bookkeepers aren’t up to the task, and no one is putting in basic procedures for even the most simplistic financial oversight.

Even if the bookkeeper is doing a good job, they have no idea how to deliver it to the business owner in a way they understand. It is always “Here are your financials,” and the owner promptly tucked them in a pile marked “to review.” After a few months, the oldest and still-untouched financials would be tossed, making way for the next set.

The reality is that most business owners simply don’t speak accounting. They hate the very idea of it. Maybe they don’t get nauseous thinking about it like I did, but that’s probably because they avoid it altogether.

This methodology is based heavily on three books (see

Resources⁠

Entreprenumbers by Spencer Sheinin

The 7 Minute Conversation by Mike Milan

Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! by Greg Crabtree

To properly prepare reports for business owners, we need to understand the difference between the layers of finance - strategy, reporting and compliance, and transactions. Spencer Sheinin calls these layers Insights and Hygeine.

The purpose of our methodology is not to delve into the day-to-day transactions or policies of accounting - we are strictly concerned with giving insights to the business owner.

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