ELECTRICAL: THE ROUGH-IN-TO-TRIM CASH HOLE

Because the job structure buries cash in the middle. Wire and labor go in at rough-in, trim-out billing lands months later, retainage holds 5 to 10 percent, and switchgear deposits leave the account years before the gear bills. Profit shows on the statement while the cash sits in walls, holdbacks, and OEM production slots.

Two ways. Deposits of 10 to 30 percent are now standard to hold a production slot, which is cash out years early. And gear quoted at 16 weeks to 128 weeks means stored-materials billing and early buyout language have to be in the contract, or the contractor finances the wait.

Three tiers, and which one you are in depends on how much of the work you want off your desk. Core is where you stop guessing: job costing built against the way you estimate, a 13 week cash forecast, monthly WIP, and a monthly meeting that ends in decisions, while your bookkeeper keeps doing the books. Executive is where you stop touching the books, because we run the bookkeeping and the controllership as well. Strategic is where every job shows its margin while it is still running, because the job costing and WIP platform is set up and managed for you. No payroll. No scope gaps.

Sixty days. We migrate your books back to the start of your last taxable year, set up ControlQore, and build your job costing structure from scratch. Fully operational in two months.