Business Services
Coffee + Dunn, Inc. is a boutique business services firm that specializes in guiding organizations through the planning, buildout, and execution of go-to-market strategies.
“Bringing this team on board gave us much-needed structure and consistency in our financial processes. They took over what I managed in bits and pieces and brought clarity to our books, especially as we transitioned to accrual accounting. Their understanding of our business and collaborative style made it easy to work through the changes. Knowing that our day-to-day accounting is in good hands has been a relief. I would confidently recommend The CEO’s Right Hand to other business owners looking for dependable support and to professionalize their financial function.”
Thomas Manders, CEO of Coffee + Dunn, Inc.
The Client
Coffee + Dunn, Inc. is a boutique business services firm founded in 2012. With a team of 15 professionals, the company specializes in guiding organizations through the planning, buildout, and execution of go-to-market strategies using a 360-degree view. Their approach leverages functional, technical, and industry-specific perspectives to create holistic solutions for their clients.
The Challenge
When The CEO’s Right Hand (TCRH) first engaged with Coffee + Dunn, the CEO personally managed the company’s bookkeeping and accounting on top of running the business. This ad-hoc approach strained leadership’s bandwidth and limited the company’s ability to establish timely, accurate, and strategic financial reporting. Month-end closes were inconsistent, and the financials didn’t accurately reflect the business’s performance.
Recognizing the growing complexity of their operations and the need for structured financial oversight, the CEO sought a partner who could not only take over the bookkeeping but also help lay a foundation for professional-grade accounting aligned with industry standards.
The Solution
The engagement with TCRH began in September 2024 with a full clean-up of Coffee + Dunn’s books, including:
- Reconciling bank accounts
- Cleaning up the chart of accounts
- Reclassifying uncategorized transactions
- Resolving negative balances
- Converting from cash to accrual accounting
Converting to accrual accounting also involved developing revenue recognition processes, reallocating payroll costs to “cost of sales,” and implementing monthly accruals for PTO, annual bonuses, and expenses. Finally, TCRH created a custom calendar and checklist for monthly financial deliverables.
With the foundation established, they then launched TCRH’s bookkeeping solution, Right Hand Books, to manage all day-to-day accounting functions.
Then, they implemented Right Hand Reporting, overlaying Coffee + Dunn’s business growth objectives with a robust financial reporting tool. This process included:
- Identifying Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Importing financial and operational metrics
- Drafting a 2025 budget and, in the process, implementing a rolling forecast
- Delivering a complete financial reporting package with integrated KPIs starting January 2025
The Results
The success of this transformation was deeply rooted in a strong collaboration. Coffee + Dunn’s CEO remained closely involved throughout the process, providing critical input, reviewing metrics, and helping tailor the financial reports to match the company’s operational strategy.
A pivotal moment came during the February reporting cycle, when the CEO noted that he could see key performance figures clearly and act upon them immediately. While the insights weren’t always positive, they were actionable, empowering him to make quick, data-driven decisions.
So far, Coffee + Dunn’s investment has yielded the following benefits.
- Operational Efficiency
Before the engagement, the company lacked a formal close process and reliable financial reporting. After only six months, TCRH reduced its month-end close timeline by over 40% (from over 17 days to just over 10 days) while significantly improving accuracy and transparency. - Compliance & GAAP Readiness
Coffee + Dunn’s books now comply with US GAAP standards and are structured to support external scrutiny for future funding, loans, or strategic planning. - Strategic Insights
Through KPI integration and custom reporting, leadership can now easily access and use essential metrics to drive performance management and long-term planning.
Looking Ahead
Coffee + Dunn now has the tools, processes, and reporting capabilities it needs to grow confidently. The CEO can shift his focus to strategic leadership, knowing that the firm’s financial foundation is strong, compliant, and forward-looking.
The CEO’s Right Hand continues to support Coffee + Dunn as an extension of its team and is excited to help power its next growth phase. It continues to review and refine the company’s processes to reduce manual effort and increase overall accounting and reporting efficiency.
