Financial Goals · Construction Business Planning · KPIs · Revenue Targets · Working Capital
Financial Goals · Construction Business Planning · Net Margin · Working Capital · KPIs
Setting Financial Goals
for Your Business.
Most construction subcontractors set revenue goals — bigger backlog, more projects, higher numbers. Very few set financial goals — target net margin, working capital threshold, bonding capacity milestone, owner distribution amount. The difference between a revenue goal and a financial goal is the difference between chasing work and building a business. Here's how to set goals that actually move the needle.
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SPM vs. Other CFO Firms
Most CFO Firms Serving This Trade
- High revenue minimums — most won't serve under $5M
- Advisory only — no bookkeeping, no implementation
- No job costing setup or ControlQore management
- No monthly WIP as standard deliverable
- No pricing published — discovery call required
- No vetted partner network for bonding, lending, or liens
- No prevailing wage specialty
The Construction CFO — SPM
- Serves $1M–$12M — starts at $1,900/month
- Full implementation — bookkeeping, job costing, CFO advisory
- ControlQore setup and managed for you every month
- Monthly WIP standard in Executive tier
- Full pricing published — no discovery call to find out costs
- Vetted partners for bonding, lending, lien services, payroll
- Prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon specialty
What We See in This Business
01
You're Growing Revenue Without Growing Profit
Revenue growing 20% year over year while net margin stays flat at 4% means you're working more for the same return. A revenue goal without a margin goal produces exactly this outcome — more work, more complexity, more overhead, same bottom line. Financial goals require targeting margin, not just volume.
02
You Don't Know What You're Building Toward
Most subcontractors are building a business without a clear picture of what they're building it toward — what it's worth at exit, what distribution target represents success, what working capital position makes them sleep at night. Without a destination, every financial decision is made in isolation rather than in service of a longer-term goal.
03
Goals Get Set in January and Forgotten by March
Annual goals that aren't tracked monthly become irrelevant quickly. A net margin goal set in January and reviewed in December is a report card, not a management tool. Financial goals need monthly measurement against monthly performance to drive the decisions that close the gap.
How SPM Fixes It
The Four Financial Goals Every Subcontractor Should Set
Net profit margin target: what percentage of revenue should be left after all costs. Working capital target: the dollar amount that makes the business financially secure and supports your bonding program. Owner distribution target: what you want to take out of the business this year — sized after working capital is protected. Net worth / business value trajectory: what the business should be worth at the end of the year and in 3 years — expressed as EBITDA multiple.
Making Goals Measurable and Monthly
Financial goals without monthly measurement are wishes. SPM builds goal tracking into the monthly CEO Report for Executive clients — showing actual performance against each financial goal month-to-date and year-to-date. When actuals are tracking behind goal, it surfaces in the monthly meeting with a specific recommendation for closing the gap. Goals are loaded into ControlQore at the start of each year as budget targets.
Aligning Day-to-Day Decisions With Annual Goals
The purpose of setting financial goals is to change how decisions get made throughout the year — which jobs to take, when to add overhead, how much to distribute, whether to buy or rent equipment. SPM helps Executive clients connect daily and monthly decisions to annual financial goals — so the goal isn't just reviewed at year end but is the lens through which decisions are made all year.
Service Tiers
Tier 01
Core Financial
Starts at $1,900 / month
- ControlQore setup and management
- Job costing aligned to your estimate structure
- Cost-to-complete tracking — updated monthly
- Full-service bookkeeping — minimum 30 min/week
- Vendor payments via ACH (you approve, we initiate)
- Accounts receivable management
- Bank reconciliations and transaction matching
- Controllership
- 1 monthly CFO meeting
- 60-day onboarding — books migrated to last taxable year
Most Popular
Tier 02
Executive Financial
Starts at $2,900 / month
- Everything in Core Financial
- Monthly WIP schedule — delivered every month, standard
- 13-week cash flow forecasting
- CEO Report — monthly financial dashboard
- 3 CFO advisory meetings per month
- Strategic accountability and actionable to-dos
- Direct access to Josh Luebker
Pricing by Revenue
Revenue Range
(Last 12 Months) |
Core Financial
Monthly |
Executive Financial
Monthly |
| Under $1M | $1,900 | $2,900 |
| $1M – $3M | $2,600 | $3,600 |
| $4M – $6M | $3,800 | $5,500 |
| $7M – $9M | $5,100 | $6,900 |
| $10M – $12M | $6,100 | $8,500 |
| $13M+ | Quoted | Quoted |
Vetted Partner Network
National Lien Services
When AR gets too long, we connect you directly to our lien services partner to protect what you've earned.
Additional cost — not included in monthly fee
Payroll Integration Partners
Prevailing wage and regular payroll software partners integrated directly with ControlQore job costing.
Additional cost — not included in monthly fee
Bonding Partners
Surety relationships and bonding capacity support. We prepare the financials — our partners get you bonded.
Additional cost — not included in monthly fee
Lending Partners
Working capital lines and equipment financing through vetted lenders who understand construction.
Additional cost — not included in monthly fee
Reviewed Financials
CPA-level financial statement reviews for banking, bonding, and large contract requirements.
Additional cost — not included in monthly fee
CPA Coordination
We work alongside your existing CPA — not replacing them. Clean books and job costing make tax time easier.
Included — no extra cost
Common Questions
Straight answers.
What is a realistic net margin goal for a growing subcontractor?
A realistic first-year net margin goal for a subcontractor engaging SPM is typically 2–4% above current performance — achievable through improved change order capture, overhead rate management, and billing timing without requiring significant business model changes. Once the financial infrastructure is working correctly, 6–8% net margin is achievable for most commercial subcontractor trades at $1M–$12M. Setting a goal of 15% in year one is motivating but not grounded — setting 6% when you're currently at 3% is both ambitious and achievable.
Should financial goals be shared with employees?
Selectively — and thoughtfully. Sharing revenue and backlog goals with field leadership creates alignment around winning and executing work. Sharing specific margin targets, distribution goals, or working capital numbers with all employees is less common and requires careful consideration. What typically works well is sharing job-level financial goals — cost vs. estimate targets by phase — with the foremen and PMs who have direct influence over those outcomes.
What's included in Core Financial?
ControlQore setup, job costing aligned to your estimates, cost-to-complete tracking, full bookkeeping (minimum 30 min/week), ACH vendor payments (you approve, we initiate), AR management, bank reconciliations, transaction matching, controllership, and 1 monthly CFO meeting. Starts at $1,900/month.
What does Executive Financial add?
Everything in Core plus monthly WIP schedule, 13-week cash flow forecasting, CEO Report, and 3 CFO advisory meetings per month. Starts at $2,900/month. WIP, cash flow forecasting, and the CEO Report are Executive tier only.
Do you handle payroll?
No. We have vetted payroll software partners — including prevailing wage integrations — that connect directly with ControlQore. Those are separate engagements at additional cost.
How long does onboarding take?
60 days. We migrate your books to the start of your last taxable year, set up ControlQore, and build your job costing structure. Fully operational in two months.
What software do clients use?
ControlQore. All SPM clients run on ControlQore for job costing and WIP. We set it up and manage it — you don't have to learn it. Clients switching from QuickBooks, Sage, or other platforms migrate during onboarding.
Do you work alongside our CPA?
Yes. We work alongside your existing CPA — not replacing them. Clean books and accurate job costing make their job easier at tax time.
What happens when we grow past $12M?
We have a clear graduation path. We prepare your financials, systems, and team for the transition and connect you with the right firm for your next stage of growth.