The question we set out to answer:
How can a solid, established business with a negative bottom line create enterprise value growth—fast and without chaos?
Recently, we worked with a marketing agency that asked us to evaluate their business through the lens of value creation. The objective wasn’t to produce another report. The objective was a 90-day plan that converts today’s bottlenecks into tomorrow’s cash flow and confidence.
What the scorecard revealed
- Revenue (TTM): ~$1.3M
- Operating income (EBITDA): ~($89k) loss
- EBITDA margin: Negative (target 10–15%; best-in-class reaches 30–50%)
- Revenue retention: Strong (estimated 80%+; repeat corporate buyers)
- LTV:CAC (gross profit basis): ~7.6:1
- CAC ≈ $5k (mainly RFPs + conferences)
- Avg. client ≈ $50k/year × 2 years = $100k revenue; ~38% gross profit = ~$38k lifetime GP
- Trend: Revenue is declining
The good news: clients return.
The challenge: profit is negative, and new demand has slowed.
For enterprise value growth, the business needs two things—more qualified opportunities entering the funnel, and a faster path from first call to first order.
Value adders and detractors
Adders:
- Loyal, repeat clients
- Strong operational reliability in logistics and compliance (customs, duties, taxes)
- Established reputation in B2B fulfillment
Detractors:
- Customer concentration risk: one large client contributing over 15% of annual revenue
- Market exposure: trade and tariff conditions slowing orders
- Lead generation gap: limited advertising, inconsistent outbound, and weak CRM follow-up discipline
- Choice overload: too many SKUs creating decision fatigue
None of these issues require reinvention—only focus and better flow.
The core constraint (and why it matters)
We used a simple framework: fix the biggest bottleneck first.
The agreed constraint: lead generation.
The secondary constraint: product discovery friction—too much choice, not enough guided curation.
Addressing these two constraints is the most direct path to restoring profit and unlocking enterprise value growth.
The 90-Day Roadmap
1) Make the offer easy to say “yes” to
We designed a front-end “Merch Program Audit” — a 30–45 minute consultation offering:
- a spend map
- curated catalog
- logistics plan
- SLA risk score
- three quick wins
Layered with proof (case studies, on-time percentages, rush order savings, international clearances) and a small credit toward the first order, this shifts the narrative from vendor quoting to strategic planning.
Positioning statement:
“Never miss an event. Predictable pricing. Audit-ready reporting — all under one contract.”
This aligns the offer with what Finance, Ops, and Compliance leaders actually care about.
2) Build demand through a proof-first Dream-100 ABM approach
We developed a Dream-100 target list across corporate and government organizations with recurring merchandise and event needs.
Execution framework: 100 outreach actions per day for 100 days—email, phone, LinkedIn, and direct mail.
Consistency replaces guesswork.
Cadence (7–10 touches in 7 days):
- Day 1: email + call + voicemail + text
- Days 2–3: two calls/day + text
- Days 4–7: one call/day + text + drip proof points
- Always BAMFAM (Book A Meeting From A Meeting)
- Stack reminders (24h, 12h, 3h, night before, morning of, 60 min prior)
Messaging themes:
- “Rush cost killers: cut emergency buys with locked SLAs.”
- “Global logistics handled across 55+ countries.”
- “Predictable pricing and audit-ready reports for Finance and Compliance.”
These connect directly to the agency’s operational differentiator.
3) Reduce friction to the first order
Simplify choice with curated product sets: good / better / best.
Bundle common event kits.
Automate CRM follow-ups for reorders, new product drops, and upsells.
Speed matters—because friction kills conversion.
4) Pay for performance that creates profit
Restructure sales compensation to reward gross profit, not just revenue.
Tie bonuses to booked margin and collected cash.
Shift focus from account management to pipeline creation with daily activity targets and conversion checkpoints.
5) Manage the funnel, not the feeling
Define one clean flow:
Actions → Replies → Booked → Show → Proposals → Wins
- Replies <3%? Strengthen hooks and proof.
- Show rate <70%? Add reminders and double-dial.
- Close rate <25%? Simplify the ROI case and press for an initial order.
This cadence creates weekly accountability and real visibility from effort to outcome—the foundation for enterprise value growth.
Finance snapshot (and why speed matters)
- Payroll: ~$24k/month—within reasonable range but tight for current revenue.
- Opex savings: Replacing $1.6k/month software with an internal system (<$200/month).
- Imperative: Return to positive operating income through new client acquisition and higher order frequency.
The aim of this 90-day sprint isn’t perfection—it’s flipping from loss to profit and installing a repeatable acquisition engine. That’s how you build sustainable enterprise value growth.
How Argento CPA Supports Execution
As a Fractional CFO & Advisory team, we don’t stop at recommendations. We install operating discipline and accountability that turns ideas into earnings.
- Fast, accurate financials: GAAP-compliant month-end close by Day 10 with variance analysis and cash bridge.
- Forward visibility: 12-month rolling forecast and a 13-week cash model updated weekly.
- Unit economics clarity: Gross profit by client, product, and offer.
- Aligned incentives: Sales and operations comp tied to gross profit and AR targets.
- Board-level rhythm: Monthly director meeting with decisions, owners, and next actions.
This rhythm ensures focus on the core constraint until throughput improves—then moves to the next one, compounding enterprise value growth over time.
Why This Matters Now
This business doesn’t have a delivery problem. It has a demand generation problem—and that’s fixable.
A proof-first offer, disciplined outbound cadence, curated catalog, and profit-aligned incentives build a pipeline faster than any new technology. Together, these turn a current-year loss into margin, margin into cash, and cash into future optionality.
That’s the shortest path to enterprise value growth.
Want your own 90-day Enterprise Value Diagnostic?
Argento CPA | Fractional CFO & Advisory — helping founders get clear, get profitable, and grow what their business is worth.