The Challenge
Despite strong demand, Cleaner Guys faced a recurring cash crisis—slow collections, high debt service (~$33K/month), and overhead pressures that eroded profitability. With no job-level margin reporting, the business struggled to scale efficiently or demonstrate value to potential buyers or investors. The founder was forced to focus on firefighting, not growth.
The Solution
Cleaner Guys partnered with a fractional CFO team to drive a comprehensive turnaround and prepare for scalable growth, increased valuation, and sale-readiness:
• 13-Week Cash Flow Triage: Dynamic weekly cash modeling identified risks, improved predictability, and ensured no missed payrolls or bills.
• Project-Level Margin Tracking: Job costing and timeline reporting on every project enabled Cleaner Guys to maximize profitability and prove margin discipline—a key driver of valuation.
• A/R Acceleration & Pipeline Conversion: Systematic collections, accountability, and sales-to-cash process redesign unlocked working capital and fueled growth.
• OpEx & Vendor Optimization: Streamlined payroll, vendor selection, and spend controls reduced fixed costs and improved EBITDA.
• Asset & Debt Rationalization: Liquidated surplus assets, pursued insurance recoveries, and developed a debt restructuring plan to relieve monthly drag and boost cash flow coverage.
• Leadership Alignment & Reporting: Rebuilt the org structure, implemented a weekly KPI dashboard, and institutionalized performance review—shifting the business from founder-dependent to scalable and sale-ready.
• Valuation & Exit Readiness: Implemented margin and pipeline reporting, cash flow forecasts, and clean books—building the foundation for a higher valuation and successful exit, recapitalization, or strategic sale.
“For the first time, we’re running the business with discipline and a real plan. We can scale, attract buyers or investors, and I’m no longer the single point of failure.”
The Results
• Liquidity Stabilized: No missed payrolls, utilities, or taxes since implementing cash flow discipline.
• Collections Accelerated: A/R cycle reduced by half—fueling project delivery and margin growth.
• Job Margin Visibility: 100% of active jobs now tracked for margin and cash realization, eliminating value leakage and proving scalability to acquirers.
• Reduced Overhead: Payroll and vendor savings cut OpEx/Revenue by more than 30%, strengthening EBITDA and valuation multiples.
• Debt Service Relief: Improved debt service coverage and a roadmap to refinancing or forgiveness.
• Sale & Growth Readiness: Robust reporting, job-level economics, and cash forecasting now support a credible growth narrative—positioning Cleaner Guys for a higher valuation, recapitalization, or sale.
