We are the strategic capital partner founder-led businesses hire when they want to scale, protect margin, and plan an exit that holds up to institutional due diligence. Fractional CFO leadership, tax strategy coordination, and owner wealth alignment under one plan.
Strategic Capital Leadership
At $1M to $50M in revenue, financial decisions get complex fast: compensation, capital allocation, tax structure, exit planning. A full-time CFO runs $350K+, which your earnings don't justify. But operating without clarity keeps most owners reacting instead of leading. We are the strategic layer above your CPA, bookkeeper, and investment manager. We don't replace your team. We align and lead it.
We help you build and plan your exit for a larger multiple while taking care of every financial decision along the way. From cash visibility and tax strategy to owner wealth alignment and the KVCA diagnostic, one plan ties business decisions to long-term personal wealth outcomes.
Most advisors look at the business OR the owner. We look at both. Enterprise value only matters if it converts into lasting personal wealth.
Where the business is making and losing money, where cash is tied up, operational bottlenecks, the biggest EBITDA and scalability opportunities, and the biggest risks to enterprise value and a future exit. Built on real provider, location, service line, and payer economics.
See the assessmentHow the value the business creates actually reaches the owner: compensation structure, tax efficiency, retirement and estate alignment, family and executive planning, and the path from enterprise value to durable personal wealth. The two lenses connect every business decision to a balance sheet outcome.
See owner wealthInvestment for the full analysis: $5,000 to $30,000, scoped to business size, complexity, and data quality. Built for owner-operated businesses from $2M to $50M+ in revenue.
These are the value-loss patterns we see most. Each one is fixable. Most owners do not know they are happening until the numbers are pulled apart.
Operating choices get made without a line to enterprise value, so growth and spending do not translate into what a buyer rewards.
Idle capital and ongoing tax drag, often exceeding 40% annually, because there is no framework for the next dollar.
Distributions taken randomly and retirement underfunded, leaving tens of thousands in unnecessary taxes every year.
Multi-generational wealth and executive planning left unstructured, so value built in the business never reaches the next chapter.
The retirement structure does not match the business or the owner, and $70,000 or more per year in contributions goes missed.
Limited cash flow visibility and no exit plan, so the business is unprepared when a transition, sale, or recapitalization arrives.
Every recommendation in the report ties back to improving one or more of these proprietary scores. Every quarterly meeting becomes an opportunity to measure whether they are improving.
Can the business consistently produce the same economic outcome as it grows?
See the indexWhere is the business making money, and where is it quietly losing it?
See the indexHow effectively does the business convert revenue into cash?
See the indexWhat is constraining capacity, and can the model repeat?
See the indexHow attractive is the business to a buyer today, and what caps the multiple?
See the indexEvery dimension is scored against specific, defensible inputs a buyer, lender, or board would recognize. No vanity metrics. Each score maps to a concrete action in the report.
| Dimension | Index | What we score |
|---|---|---|
| Replicability | KRI | Whether the model repeats its economic outcome as it grows: unit-level margins, operational SOPs, management depth, working capital, and growth readiness. |
| Profitability | part of KEV | Where the business makes and loses money by segment, provider, job, and location, plus margin durability and the defensibility of reported earnings. |
| Cash Efficiency | KCE | How revenue converts into cash: working capital, collections, billing accuracy, the cash conversion cycle, and the discipline of reserves and distributions. |
| Scalability | KSI | Whether the model repeats at two or three times the size: capacity constraints, process repeatability, technology adoption, recruiting pipeline, and unit economics at scale. |
| Exit Readiness | KEX | How prepared the business is for a transition: diligence readiness, earnings defensibility, transferability, transaction packaging, and timing and structure. |
The full index library, including the Enterprise Value Index and the Owner Dependence Index, lives on the assessment page.
Three engagement options. One goal: financial clarity. Every engagement begins with a complimentary strategic assessment.
One-time diagnostic and decision framework. A clear plan, defined trade-offs, and a prioritized 0 to 90 day action plan.
Monthly retainer. KPI visibility, rolling 13-month forecast, compensation alignment, and CPA coordination.
Monthly retainer plus priority access. Active exit and EBITDA positioning, family structuring, estate coordination.
Simple. Monthly. No surprises. We plug into the systems you already use, build your financial picture, and deliver clear answers on a cadence that keeps you ahead.
We run the Keystone Value Creation Assessment™, pull your P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow, and establish a clear picture of where the business actually stands today.
A written framework with prioritized 0 to 90 day actions, a capital allocation model, and a rolling forecast. Defined trade-offs, not a deck.
Monthly and quarterly cadence: KPI visibility, forecast monitoring, compensation alignment, and CPA coordination. You stop reacting and start leading.
We align and lead your CPA, bookkeeper, legal, and wealth advisors under one plan. One set of decisions, tied to enterprise value and exit outcomes.
Profitability by provider, location, service line, and payer. The discipline healthcare operators have never had.
See healthcare verticalsRoute density, crew utilization, and acquisition strategy. Where we have a proven $8.35M case.
See advisory angleJob-level profitability, WIP visibility, and bonding capacity. Project businesses live and die by margin per job.
See advisory angleExit readiness is a 12 to 36 month project, not a final quarter scramble. Here is how the arc works when we start early and stay engaged all the way to a transition.
We run the Keystone Value Creation Assessment™, score the five dimensions, and hand you a written summary with a prioritized 0 to 90 day action plan. You leave with clarity whether you engage us or not.
See the assessmentCash visibility, tax strategy, compensation redesign, and capital allocation framework. We align your CPA, bookkeeper, and advisors under one plan. You stop reacting. You start leading.
See the servicesWe reduce owner dependence, build management depth, and document the operating model. The Replicability Index measures whether the business can repeat its economic outcome as it grows.
See the indexClean monthly financials, documented policies, defensible earnings, and the diligence package a buyer and lender expect. Readiness is built over time, so value is not left on the table.
Financial cleanlinessWe advise on timing, deal structure, and post-close transition. The business can survive institutional scrutiny and command a premium instead of being discounted or unsellable.
Exit readinessNo. We operate as the strategic layer above them. We align and lead your existing team rather than replacing them. Your CPA keeps responsibility for filing and compliance.
Founder-led businesses, generally between $1M and $50M in revenue, that have outgrown reactive finance but do not yet justify a full-time CFO.
The Strategic Business Analysis investment ranges from $5,000 to $30,000, scoped to business size, complexity, and data quality. The Owner Wealth Assessment can be added as a separate engagement.
No. Neither Vincent nor Bob is a registered investment advisor, and Keystone has no affiliation with any RIA. We are a strategic capital and financial advisory firm. Our compliance disclaimer is published in the footer of every page.
No. We do not prepare or file tax returns. We design the strategy and coordinate directly with your CPA, who remains responsible for filing and compliance.
Exit readiness is a 12 to 36 month project, not a final quarter scramble. It means the business can survive institutional due diligence: clean financials, defensible earnings, transferable operations, and documentation a buyer and lender require.
The Keystone Value Creation Assessment™ audits your last 12 to 36 months and gives you a written summary whether you engage us or not. If there is not a clear opportunity to create value, we will tell you directly.
From healthcare practices to field services and growth-stage operators, the work is the same: financial clarity, defensible earnings, and an exit that holds up to institutional review.