Build a better business. 

Figure out what’s getting in the way. Fix what matters. Build a stronger and more valuable business for whatever comes next.

WHEN THE BUSINESS GETS HARDER TO READ

Most owners know when something isn’t working. They just can’t always see why.

Maybe revenue is growing, but profits aren’t following. Cash is tighter than it should be. You’re making decisions with numbers you don’t completely trust. Or you’re thinking about an eventual exit and realize the business isn’t as ready as it should be.

The answer usually isn’t another dashboard, a thicker report, or more advice.

It’s figuring out what’s actually happening. And then doing something about it.

BETTER BUSINESS STARTS WITH CLARITY

Numbers matter. But they’re rarely the whole story.

A financial statement can tell you what happened. It doesn’t always tell you why.

That takes understanding how a business actually works. Where you make money, where you lose it, which customers and products create value, and what’s making the business harder to run than it should be.

That’s where Estacado Advisors starts.

We get behind the numbers, identify what actually matters, and turn what we find into decisions and action. No unnecessary complexity. No recommendations that live in a presentation deck.

Just better information, better decisions, and a better business.

BETTER BUSINESS STARTS WITH CLARITY

Numbers matter. But they’re rarely the whole story.

A financial statement can tell you what happened. It doesn’t always tell you why.

That takes understanding how the business actually works. Knowing where you make money, where you lose it, which customers and products create value, where cash gets tied up, and what’s making the business harder to run than it should be.

That’s where Estacado Advisors starts.

We get behind the numbers, identify what actually matters, and turn what we find into decisions and action. No unnecessary complexity. No recommendations that live in a presentation deck.

Just better information, better decisions, and a better business.

Experience. Judgment. Action.

BUILT FOR BUSINESS OWNERS

Experienced advice. Without the usual consulting baggage.

Estacado Advisors is a founder-led advisory firm helping owners of privately held businesses improve performance, prepare for an eventual exit, and navigate the decisions that come in between.

I founded Estacado Advisors after nearly three decades working with businesses and their owners. I’ve seen businesses growing quickly, preparing to sell, struggling for cash, working through difficult transitions, or just plain stuck.

The best advice starts with understanding the business, telling the truth about what you find, and focusing on the things that will actually make a difference.

That’s how we work at Estacado Advisors.

Chip Schweiger
Founder & Managing Director

HOW ESTACADO HELPS

Better performance now. More options later.

The best businesses are more profitable, generate more cash, and depend less on the owner to keep everything moving. Those same qualities also make a business more valuable when it’s time for whatever comes next.

Business Performance Advisory

Find what’s holding the business back. Then fix it.

We dig into how your business actually makes money—assessing profitability, cash flow, customers, pricing, people, and the numbers you use to make decisions.

We look at whether you have the reporting, forecasts, and financial visibility you need to run the business with confidence. Then we focus on the changes that can make the biggest difference and help put them into practice.

Exit & Transaction Advisory

Build value before a buyer starts asking questions.

We help owners understand what drives or detracts from the value of their business, strengthen what needs attention, and prepare for the financial and operational scrutiny that comes with a transaction.

CFO Advisory

Experienced financial leadership when you need it.

For businesses that need senior financial judgment without another full-time executive, Estacado also provides selective CFO advisory around cash flow, forecasting, reporting, financing, and important business decisions.

WHEN OWNERS CALL US

Usually, there’s a reason.

Profits aren’t keeping pace with revenue.

There’s plenty of revenue, but never enough cash.

The business depends too much on the owner.

The owner is thinking about selling, but isn’t sure the business is ready.

They know the business could be performing better than it is.

The numbers tell what happened, but not what to do next.

HOW WE WORK

Find the problem. Focus on what matters. Get done.

We don’t start with a predetermined answer. We start by understanding the business. How it makes money, where cash goes, what story the numbers are telling, and what they aren’t.

Then we narrow the field. Most businesses don’t need twenty new initiatives. They need to identify the things that will make the biggest difference and execute them well.

And we don’t hand you a presentation and disappear. We stay involved where it makes sense, helping turn recommendations into results.

01 — UNDERSTAND

Get underneath the numbers and understand what’s actually happening.

02 — PRIORITIZE

Focus on the few things that can make the biggest difference.

03 — EXECUTE

Stay involved long enough to turn decisions into results.

Free Guide

5 Things That Make a Good Business Worth Less

You don’t have to be planning an exit to build a more valuable business. Learn five common problems that hurt performance today, and can cost owners real money when it’s eventually time to sell.

Cover of business guide

Free Guide: 5 Things That Make a Good Business Worth Less

You don’t have to be planning an exit to build a more valuable business. Learn five common problems that hurt performance today, and can cost owners real money when it’s eventually time to sell.

Cover of business guide

REAL RESULTS

What changes when you fix what’s really getting in the way.

01 — DISTRIBUTION BUSINESS

THE SITUATION

WHAT CHANGED

The owner knew the business should be more profitable. The reporting couldn’t tell him why.

Revenue was growing, but the owner couldn’t see which products were actually making money. Sales and expenses were being reported in broad categories that hid the economics of the business.

We rebuilt the reporting around product-level profitability and identified where the business was actually making and losing money. That gave the owner a clearer basis for pricing, product mix, and where to focus resources.

02 — OWNER-MANAGED BUSINESS

THE SITUATION

WHAT CHANGED

The business was profitable. Cash still felt tighter than it should.

The owner had a profitable business but limited visibility into where cash was going and what the next several months would look like. Existing reporting explained what had already happened but wasn’t giving him what he needed to manage cash proactively.

We built a 13-week cash-flow forecast, improved the financial reporting, and identified roughly $140,000 in cash-flow leakage. The owner gained a much clearer view of upcoming cash needs and a better basis for making operating decisions.

03 — MANUFACTURING BUSINESS

THE SITUATION

WHAT CHANGED

After fraud, the business needed more than cleaner books.

The company was dealing with the aftermath of internal fraud. Financial information couldn’t be relied upon, internal controls were weak, and management needed to restore confidence in the numbers, and with its lender.

We rebuilt the financial infrastructure, established stronger controls, and put a reliable monthly close and reporting process in place. Management regained visibility into the business, and the company restored credibility with its lender.

Client details anonymized for confidentiality.

You probably already know something could be better.

Let’s figure out what’s getting in the way, and what to do about it.