This Service Business was Ready for Fractional CFO Strategy and Guidance
Lynn Graham was a founder and the head of marketing for a smoothie company when she was approached by Amazon to sell shelf-stable products online. Lynn successfully sold products with Amazon as it expanded its reputation beyond books, CDs, and DVDs. Her Amazon representative recognized her skillset and shared that many Amazon sellers were struggling with onboarding and building strong online sales. What if he referred these companies to her for consulting and guidance? With that, Beekeeper Marketing was born.
“My biggest regret was not hiring Propeller Industries two years earlier than I did. As a new business owner, it can be scary to hand over the keys to your finances. But once I did that, it really freed me up to do what I do well which is work with clients, drive their sales, and grow my agency.”
Before Propeller
Propeller Successfully Guided the Team Through a Complex Acquisition Process
Beekeeper Marketing eventually grew to 40 employees by helping brick-and-mortar CPG companies successfully shift to a digital channel. Lynn hired a COO, who recommended bringing on Propeller to advance the organization’s financials.
After bringing on Propeller, Lynn realized that the competition in her space was growing. Beekeeper’s sales were booming, but would she be able to maintain the growth given her competition? In order to scale, Beekeeper would need to build sophisticated technology infrastructure and data analytics. In addition, she was being approached with acquisition offers and needed help figuring out if this was the direction she wanted to pursue.
Propeller guided Beekeeper through the complex acquisition process by connecting her with key resources, building pitch decks, organizing finance documents, attending calls with prospects, coaching Lynn with talking points, assisting with negotiations and due diligence processes, and more.
Since Beekeeper was acquired, Lynn has remained on board with Advantage Solutions as Senior Vice President. She has shifted her entrepreneurial vision to angel investing of her own. And she still engages with Propeller for advice and guidance related to prospects.
Propeller Solutions
- Transitioned to full accrual, GAAP-based financials
- Implemented operating budget and long-term forecast
- Refined pitch deck for potential buyers
- Evaluated all potential offers to purchase the business and provided key negotiation points
- Managed negotiation, due diligence, and closing process
- Collaborated with purchaser to transition accounting
“I’d never sold a company before. I didn’t know where to start. I’ve seen colleagues and competitors go through acquisitions who did not have a great experience. Fortunately, with Propeller, I felt supported strategically, tactically, and emotionally.”
Results with Propeller
Entrepreneurs and Founders can Count on Our Financial Expertise
- Nearly doubled revenue from $3.7M in 2017 to $7M in 2018
- Successful exit with Beekeeper Marketing acquired by Advantage Solutions in 2018
Are you a services firm that needs a more sophisticated financial model to support your growth?
Let’s start a conversation today.
