How Studio Black Ink Made Sense of Its Finances to Identify Its Best-Fit Clients. And Grow by 300% in Just 3 Years.
I don’t have a formal business background, so when I came to David I didn’t really have a clear picture of where my business was (or even know if it was being profitable!).
Thanks to David’s help first in “cleaning up” my finances and then with forecasting and guiding my business development, I now have a way to see a quick snapshot of exactly where my business is at any given moment.
This has allowed us to identify which clients are the best fit for us, and ultimately grow by 300% in just 3 years.
Adrienne Consales
OWNER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, STUDIO BLACK INK
The Challenge
Finding a guiding partner to help make financial sense of Studio Black Ink
Like many entrepreneurs out there, Adrienne Consales was very talented at what she did, but never had a formal education in how to run a business.
I was 3 years into running Studio Black Ink—a full-service interior design firm in Columbus,
Ohio—but I still didn’t have a clear picture of where my business was.
Was I even being profitable? If so, what clients were most profitable to me? Were there other changes I needed to make? Since I didn’t have a business background, I had never learned how to tackle these issues. And so I really felt like I was just flying by the seat of my pants.
Adrienne Consales
OWNER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, STUDIO BLACK INK
With time, Adrienne found that this already overwhelming situation was only getting worse.
“Since I didn’t really know if the business was profitable or not, I found myself in a fight or flight situation where I took on any client that came even if they weren’t a great fit. This only led to more stress.
Beyond this, as an interior design business… things can get pretty complicated with all of the vendors and various places the money can go. And so when I found out that my former bookkeeper hadn’t actually been keeping track of anything, I had no idea where to start to fix my business.”
As she began to seek out solutions, Adrienne realized she needed more than a bookkeeper or an accountant.
And that’s when she met David.
“I knew I needed a change, and that change was someone who could help me make financial sense of my business and act as a guiding partner.
And when David and I met at a local mindful meditation group, he seemed to quickly understand what I was struggling with, and I felt he could be just the partner both myself and my business needed.”
The Solution
Embarking on a financial “reset” process & forward-thinking financial forecasting
When Panoramic Strategy and Studio Black Ink first teamed up, they had a big job ahead of them: give Studio Black Ink’s finances a “reset” to get a clear picture of what was really going on.
As they progressed through this reset, Adrienne was beginning to feel, for the very first time, that she finally had a true grasp on the state of her business.
It was such a relief to finally have an idea of where I was in my business and be able to see a snapshot of how things were going at any time.
Adrienne Consales
OWNER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, STUDIO BLACK INK
And since it was such a mess before, thankfully David was very patient and did a lot of handholding and teaching at the beginning (which was just what I needed!).”
Since then, David has expanded from an outsourced CFO into a strategic partner who has advised Adrienne on a wide variety of business decisions—hiring, policies, outsourcing bookkeeping, and more—that have allowed her to grow a sustainable and fulfilling company.
“I really feel like David is part of my team even though he’s not in the office with us. He’s a true partner because he understands everything we’re working towards, and he’s become a sounding board for things that I may be struggling with in the business.”
Today, Adrienne and David have transitioned fully into forward-thinking financial forecasting and business development.
“I’m very excited to say that our current work together and monthly meetings are no longer about past mistakes. Today, we are 100% focused on engaging with the future of the business.”
The Results
Growing 300% in 3 years, being able to identify Studio Black Ink’s best-fit clients & finally having full visibility on where the business is at any time
One of the most rewarding results of her work with Panoramic Strategy is that Adrienne can now see exactly where her business is at any given time.
“What I’ve been wishing for—for years!—was a way to see a quick snapshot of where my business was at any given movement. And with David’s help, I finally have just that.”
Thanks to the insights generated by these snapshots, Adrienne has been able to identify and shift towards the type of clients that are the best fit for her business.
“These snapshots have opened my eyes to the fact that Studio Black Ink is as much a custom furniture business as it is an interior design business. And I never would have guessed this— nor transitioned into these types of clients and thus seen the type of growth we’ve seen—if it wasn’t for my collaboration with David.”
Altogether, these changes have led to some impressive growth for Studio Black Ink, which has seen 300% growth in the last 3 years alone as well as improvements across the entire business.
There’s now a method to our madness—we’ve developed a great schedule of reporting, our internal processes are much cleaner and crisper, I have an exact idea of what our billable hours look like, our projects are a lot more fluid… and our clients are happier because of it all!
Through all of these changes, we’ve been able to grow 300% in the past 3 years. With even more growth expected on the horizon!
Adrienne Consales
OWNER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, STUDIO BLACK INK
The Next Steps
Preparing for future projects & expansions that Studio Black Ink had never been able to consider before
Now that Adrienne feels confident in the financial health, organization, and overall direction of Studio Black Ink, she finds that she has the space to explore a handful of exciting new projects.
“I’ve always had a love of custom furniture, and a couple of years ago I started a secondary business in this area that I’m hoping to bring back. I’m also looking into exploring commercial properties to purchase to get us an expanded office that may include a showroom space. This, as well as a few other private projects, are already in the works.
I can’t say that we would’ve been in a place to consider projects like these before. But with David’s help and support (he’s been forecasting the potential profits of each path + giving a breakdown of what needs to be done to make each a reality), they now truly feel like a fit.
If there’s anyone else out there who is trying to grow their business (especially if they, like me, didn’t come from a formal business background) and who needs a partner they can trust… they’d absolutely benefit from working with David and Panoramic Strategy.”
Panoramic Strategy
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