$10,000 Value Delivered at No Cost to You
3-6 month program designed to help startups and small businesses build a scalable finance function to support future growth and potential investment or business sale.
Costs are covered by Upward Insights and is free for eligible businesses.
A fractional CFO will help you build your finance function and advise on growth
Investor-grade financial reports for you to provide to investors and partners
Tax Ready Cash Basis Bookkeeping done for you by our professional accountants
We will help you build a professional forecast and budget
The combined value of the services included is ~$10,000.
Upward Insights will bear the cost of delivering this service for up to 6 months. During this period, you will pay absolutely zero.
You read that right - it costs you absolutely zero. This way you can focus on growing the business.
After the program ends you have the following choices:
Transition to a paid monthly Bookkeeping plan (expectation as you'll need a bookkeeper anyway)
Say good bye (there are no obligations to stay with us)
the accelerator program is designed to be completed in 3 months but in some cases may take up to 6 depending on circumstance
First Month
Objective 1: Review Business Economics
Review and Document Revenue Model, Products and Services, Unit Economics, Gross Margins and Contribution Margins
Define Profit and Cost Centers and Financial Statements Structure
Objective 2: Deploy/Configure Software and Systems to enable financial reporting that aligns with business economics
Accounting Software Configuration
Financial Reporting Software Deployment
Invoicing and AR systems configuration
Billing and AP systems configuration
Payroll and Benefits system configuration
Cap Table and Equity Management System
Model future funding rounds if needed
2nd Month
Objective 1: Establish Financial Reporting Standards
Define Accounting Methodology (Accrual vs Cash Basis)
Write Accounting Policies: Revenue, Expense, Capitalization Policies
Define Cadence of Financial Reporting and Recipients and Timelines
Objective 2: Build Financial Model and Forecast
Develop a financial model for the next 12 months and save as a forecast/budget for variance analysis
3rd Month
Objective 1: Establish Financial Operations Processes
Accounting SOPs
Files and Documents Inventory
Define Standard SOPs for key business processes
Objective 2: Establish Financial Policies and Internal Controls
Objective 3: Assess Taxation and Compliance Obligations (doesn't include filing)
Annual Franchise Tax/Information Reports
Employer Registrations
Sales Tax Obligations
Federal Tax Compliance Requirements
1099s
Income Tax Returns
This program is for US based startups small businessess with full time motivated founders that generate revenue.
There has to be a full-time team in the business. Especially, the founders have to be full-time and dedicated to the company. This can't be a hobby or "one of your many" ideas you're trying to turn into a company. We're serious, you have to be also.
$100K in Revenue in last 12 months or currently generating about 10K per month. These are not hard numbers, we understand fluctuations - we just want to make sure you have revenue to work with.
If you're pre-revenue, you have to have raised at least $250K from investors.
The founder needs to demonstrate desire to grow and scale the business, otherwise this program doesn't have much sense. Normally we do that during our interview while we get to know you.
if you're wondering "where is the catch?", don't worry this isn't charity
we'd rather spend our money investing in our clients who will spread the word, instead of spending it on ads
the entirely free portion of the accelerator is time-bound to 3-6 months, after that it transitions to a paid plan
this accelerator is not for everyone, your business has to qualify - check out the eligibility criteria above
A fractional CFO will be available for you for general guidance and Q&A
Limited Ad-hoc advisory and guidance is FREE of charge
Other in-depth projects outside of the items listed in the program structure will be priced separately
It's actually, not that illogical if you think about it: if you're an eligible startup, that means we believe you'll be quite successful and we'd like to help you get there.
We'll invest time and money in you with the expectation that you'll need the service we provide in the future (whether that's 3,6, or 12 months from now).
When that time comes, it won't make sense for you to go anywhere else to get these services. We win and you win.
Here is how much value is embedded in the program:
Operational Advantage
Get a head start on establishing strong Finance function. When it’s time, you can expand it seamlessly
CFO Advisory
This program provides access to CFO-level advisory. Mainly via email for operational items. Live meetings for strategic items.
Fundraising Support
When it’s time to raise the next funding round, our team will help!
Value of Services: $10K+
The services we provide are valued at over $10,000 per year
Your bookkeeper (sorry to say) can't compete.
When you're a tiny startup, doing bookeeping yourself doesn't require much and can be done by yourself in the evenings, but when you go from being a tiny startup to a scaling business, you'll need infrastructure in place to support the growth. These projects are intended to configure the financial infrastructure of your business for scaling.