Michael King

I help fractional CFOs and accountants build multiple 6 and 7-figure advisory firms through coaching and community.

If you run a construction company, growth was supposed to make money stress go away.

Instead, revenue is up, profit is flat, and it still feels like you are one bad month away from a big problem.

Most contractors we work with are:
• Bidding 20 to 25 percent and banking a fraction of that
• Losing sleep over payroll and upcoming draws
• Unsure which jobs are actually making money
• Looking at financials that feel like a foreign language
• Making big decisions based on gut, not clear numbers

At Civil CFO, we provide Fractional CFO services for $10M to $70M contractors.

Our job is simple to say and hard to do - we bridge the gap between bid and bank so you can consistently hit 10 percent plus net profit, with clear cash flow and confidence in every major decision.

What we do for construction companies:
• Build clear forecasts and cash flow plans so you know what is coming before it hits
• Install practical job cost and WIP reporting so you can see which projects are winning or bleeding
• Help you set realistic, data backed profit targets and hold the team accountable to them
• Prepare bank, bonding, and lender ready financial packages
• Sit at the leadership table as your finance partner for growth, exits, or succession

We are not your bookkeeper or tax accountant.

We work alongside them and give you the forward looking financial strategy they cannot provide.

Why this matters:
• More cash in the bank and less time worrying about it
• Cleaner, more profitable jobs
• Reduced debt and stronger balance sheet
• A company that is ready for whatever you want next - growth, sale, or hand off

I founded Civil CFO so construction CEOs did not have to figure this out alone. Our team has worked with contractors across the country to turn financial confusion into a clear plan and disciplined execution.

If you are a contractor between $10M and $70M and you are tired of bidding 25 percent and banking 3, let's talk.

Founder

I help fractional CFOs and accountants start, scale, and optimize their advisory services.

Nic Parish crushed it on stage today at CONEXPO-CON/AGG! 

He talked about how to build a people-first company, particularly about the importance of systematizing that process. 

The thing that stood out the most to me was when Nic asked “if you have a people problem in your company, what are you going to doc about it?” 

Great job Nic.

Founder, Civil CFO | Fractional CFO Firm for $10M–$70M Contractors | We bridge the gap between bid and bank so you can hit 10%+ net profit

No alternative text description for this image

Any better way to spend two days? 
Civil construction + operations excellence. 

I've had a great week in PHX at Benjamin Holmgren's Operations Excellence workshop. 

Having the chance to learn from Zack Estes and some pretty stellar leaders in the civil world has been a blessing. 

The road show continues in 2 weeks in Orlando at the NAHB International Builders'​ Show!

This week in Vegas is a who’s who for the dirt world. 

Just got to hang out with Jason Richmond and Luke Eggebraaten and talk dirt!  

Who else do I need to meet this week before I leave?

I'm so grateful for the chance to sit with these folks last night and talk about the construction industry. 

We talked about: 
• Where the industry is
• Where the industry is going
• What the biggest risks are right now
• And the biggest opportunities that are ahead

Thanks for the time and perspective Mrs. Sargent, Herb Sargent, and Zack Estes. 

(We also had some world-class guac as well!)

Most contractors don’t have a profitability problem.
You have a Work In Progress problem. 

And in a $10M-$70M construction company, it’s one of the only reports that shows what's actually happening inside your projects. 

WIP shows you, job by job: 
➜ How far along the project really is 
➜ How much you’ve billed 
➜ How much cost you’ve burned 
➜ Whether you’re overbilled or underbilled
➜ Your projected margin based on percent complete

We’ve had clients say, “But the P&L looks fine.” 

To which we say, “Then why are you still cash broke?”

Things we see (on the regular): 

• You’re 60% complete, but only billed 40% of the job 
• Approved change orders that were never recorded
• Labor being applied inconsistently across projects

The estimate says 10%.
Reality says 3%. 

A properly maintained WIP catches these issues early.

When WIP is accurate (and reviewed every month!), you stop discovering that a job lost money after it’s already finished.
 
You see it while there is still time to do something about it.

One thing that makes me nervous the second I see it?


Backlog and revenue are way up. 
…but cash is way down.

That combo is a flashing red light in a $10M–$70M construction company.

Because it usually means you “grew” by winning big jobs that came with
:➜ Slow payers
➜ Thin margins
➜ Bad billing terms
➜ Big upfront labor and material costs

So yes, the backlog looks great.

But what you actually won is a cash crunch with a demanding schedule.

This is how contractors end up saying things like, “We’re busier than we’ve ever been… but I feel broke.”

That’s what happens when you scale revenue faster than you scale cash discipline.

In our world, backlog isn’t a trophy.

Backlog is a liability until you know two things:

1. What it does to cash over the next 13 weeks
2. Whether you’re actually billing and collecting at the pace you’re building

If you’re running a $10M+ construction company and you’re feeling that “we’re growing, but I’m freaking out” tension…

You’re not crazy.
You’re seeing the right problem.

It’s fixable.
And we can help.

We had a client come to us through a referral from a former client. They were hanging on by a thread. 


They weren’t just “using” their line of credit.
They had fully maxed it out.
They were borrowing just to cover payroll and keep the doors open.

Most owners assume the solution at that point is to “go sell more.”

But that wasn’t the real problem.

The real problem was cash trapped inside the business.

They were sitting on $2.2M in inventory.
And $700K of it hadn’t moved in five years.

So they were literally burning cash to build inventory… to keep people busy.

The intention was good! 
They wanted to take care of their team.
But financially, it was killing the company.
Pretty soon, no one was going to have a job.

So we did an inventory analysis and made the hard calls.
➜ We helped them sell what could be sold
➜ We reworked the schedule to reduce labor costs

Within 6 months, the entire $250K LOC was paid down.
The client had $500K sitting in the bank.
And hours for employees were increased.

That’s a $750K swing.

“Sell more” isn’t always the answer. 
First, you’ve got to stop the bleeding.

In the last 30 days, I’ve watched multiple $10M+ construction company owners make the same mistake. Almost all of them thought it was normal.

You’ve got 1 or 2 big clients sitting 60–90 days past due, and you’re not treating it like an emergency.

Because you tell yourself:
“They always pay.”
“It’s just part of construction.”

So your follow-up is light.
[Or non-existent.]

And at the exact same time…
You’re paying subs and vendors like clockwork.Because you’re “a good partner.”

So here’s what’s actually happening.

You’re running AP like you’re the premium client… while your AR is treated like it’s optional.

And it gets worse.

On more than one job, I saw projects that were 55% complete, but had only billed 45%.

Because the pay app didn’t go in on time.
Because approved change orders didn’t make it into the billing.
Because nobody wanted to “rock the boat” with the GC or the owner.

That 10% gap doesn’t sound like a big deal until you do the math.

On a $5M job, that’s $500,000 of cash you already earned… just sitting there twiddling it's thumbs.

While you live under the constant pressure of making payroll. 

If that’s you? 
You don’t have a profitability problem.
You have a billing + collections discipline problem.

If you’re running a $10M–$70M construction company and this feels familiar, DM me.

“Can we afford to take this job?”

That’s a loaded question!

It’s about timing.
It’s about cash flow.
It’s about current backlog strain.
Field supervision bandwidth.
Equipment, bonding, and overhead factor in too.

Most contractors look at a new opportunity and ask, “Is it profitable?”

That’s the wrong first question.

A job can look profitable on paper and still create a cash crunch.

Without cash flow forecasting and backlog planning, you’re guessing.

When you can’t confidently say, “Yes, we can take this and here’s why,” or “No, this isn’t the right move right now,” that’s when you’ve outgrown basic bookkeeping.

At $5M, you can (usually) still muscle through.
But at $20M+, that stops working.
            
The clear sign you’re ready for CFO-level planning?
 
When opportunity feels stressful instead of exciting.
 
Growth should feel controlled.

If every new job feels like a gamble, the financial system behind the business hasn’t caught up to the growth yet.

FIRED UP to attend the CONEXPO-CON/AGG conference next week. 

Who do I need to meet while I'm there?

Last day at ConExpo! 

Had a chance to have a coffee and a great convo with Cody Epp this morning. 

Anyone else I need to see before I leave this afternoon?

Roth&Co

Director of Client Accounting & Advisory Services

Whitman Transition Advisors LLC

Specializing in CPA firm operations, profits and planning for that next step being a merger, a sale or hiring for growth.

Managing Director

Wendy Barlin CPA

I spent 25 years behind my desk growing a successful remote accounting and tax firm. I worked less than 40 hours a week and was 50% profitable. I sold my business in 2021 and now I help other professional service firm owners reduce their stress and frustration and create a business that supports their personal definition of success. And perhaps set up for sale!

Fractional CEO helping professional service firm owners go from frustration to freedom

1st Gen Entrepreneurs

I am a member of this community of business owners where we share business advice.

Founding Member

Teaching Business Owners how to Maximize their Tax deductions

Barlin Business Solutions

Upon moving to Los Angeles in 1997, I immediately got to work within my field of accounting and finance. Then, after four years of watching the billable hour ruin client relationships, I decided it was time to strike out on my own. 

In October of 2001, Barlin Business Solutions was born.

My goal with Barlin Business Solutions was primarily to help business owners by creating a working relationship based on mutual trust and respect, and for over 16 years that is exactly what my staff and I have done. Utilizing only the most proven and comprehensive  strategies, we help our clients maximize cash-flow and increase profitability while reducing taxes. And the best part? We do it unlike anyone else in the business.

Rather than charge by the hour, we bill by project and solution. We have a Menu of Services and clients select the services they wish to purchase. Clients don't have to worry about getting billed just to call and ask a question. We do not charge clients to call or email us !

This frees us up to work smarter, rather than faster or harder. We also take pride in offering solutions grounded in the technologies of today.

We utilize:

- Cloud storage
- Web-based forms
- Paperless transactions
- Software solutions

If your revenue is in the millions, do you find that you are consistently facing profitability problems? We can help. Whether you are a plastic surgeon, medical specialist, independent physician, medical concierge, service professional or otherwise, our calling is to help you increase profitability and better manage your cash-flow using bookkeeping, tax strategy, cash-flow and profitability planning. 

One thing you won't find in our office is a bunch of stuffy people in suits who know a lot about crunching numbers, but very little about helping actual people in real, tangible ways. Barlin Business Solutions is in the people business. 

How can we help you work less, make more, and optimize your time?

Owner/Principle

About Profit

Profit Consultant

Offering a Done For You Service - Helping Professional Service Firm Owners go from Frustration to Freedom. Operations, Systems, Processes and Profit Consultant, Professional Speaker - wendybarlin.com

Wendy Barlin, CPA, is an author, professional speaker and business consultant.  Wendy has spent her entire career helping people keep more of their hard earned money with tax strategies and cash management plans.

Wendy is a published author.  Her book,"That’s Deductible! Simple Tips and Tricks to Find More Business Tax Deductions", is available on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Thats-Deductible-Simple-Business-Deductions-ebook/dp/B07XZMBTVK

On a personal level, Wendy is an avid reader of books and a lover of nature who spent a year traveling the world with nothing more than a bag of clothes and a dream.

taplio

The Battle

Michael King

Wendy Barlin CPA

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreMichael King's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Michael King

Wendy Barlin CPA

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Michael King's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMichael King's LinkedIn Performance