You earned it. Where'd it go?
Profit & Cash Flow Consulting Services for Edmonton Trades & Contractors
Profit and cash flow help
for Edmonton Trades & Contractors
The short answer
Who can help fix cash flow in a contracting business in Edmonton?
The Business Builders by Workplaces works with trades and construction owners in Edmonton and across Alberta who are busy and still short at payroll. We find where the cash is going, collect what you’re already owed, and set up a simple cash system that pays your profit and your own wage first.
The jobs are booked, the invoices go out, the money comes in. Then payday hits, the supplier calls, the truck needs tires, and you are standing there staring at the bank balance wondering how you can be this busy and still this broke. You are not bad with money. Your business was just never set up to pay you.
That is what we fix. We set up a dead-simple cash system that skims your profit and your paycheque off the top, before it vanishes into the next job. Your money starts working for you instead of running through your fingers. It is built on the Profit First framework from Mike Michalowicz, tuned for how a trades shop really runs: deposits, holdbacks, slow winters, and the truck that always needs something.
No spreadsheets from hell, no accounting degree required. A few accounts, a habit you can actually keep, and finally a straight answer to the question every owner is scared to ask: where does it all go?
What You’ll Gain:
- Clarity on where your money actually goes.
- A cash flow system that pays you first.
- Tools to manage your spending with purpose.
- Confidence that profit isn’t random: it’s built in.
What we do first
Collect what you’re owed
A lot of owners chasing more sales already have the cash they need sitting in receivables. Anything over 30 days, someone calls this week. Anything over 60, you call yourself.
Find out which jobs pay you
Pull your last 10 jobs and put what you quoted beside what each one really cost and the hours you put in yourself. Some work pays you. Some just keeps the crew busy.
See the next 13 weeks
A week-by-week cash forecast, so payroll, supplier bills and slow months stop arriving as surprises.
Pay yourself first
Separate accounts for profit, tax and your pay, built on Mike Michalowicz’s Profit First and set up for deposits, holdbacks and slow winters.
Then we fix why the cash got stuck: a deposit before you start, progress bills on set dates instead of when the office gets to it, and no new work for a customer who still owes you on the last job.
Turn Confusion Into
Profit Clarity
Thousands of business owners have used this shift, documented in Mike Michalowicz's book Profit First, to go from debt and stress to real profit. It’s not about working harder. It’s about running your business with the right financial priorities.
True profitability doesn’t come from time management seminars or better budgeting tools. It comes from clarity. From making profit a non-negotiable. From knowing exactly where your money goes, and keeping more of it.
Let’s assess where your business stands financially and give you clear next steps to stabilize cash flow and improve profit.
Grow
Profits plateaued even as revenue grows? We’ll help you find the margin that’s hiding in your own numbers.
Not Sure?
Not sure where you actually stand? A “Mexico Test” shows you exactly what’s holding your growth back and what to fix first.
Rescue
Cash flow chaos eating your nights? We’ll find where the money’s leaking and stop the bleed first.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Cash Flow Consulting Services
Do I need a fractional CFO or a business coach to fix cash flow?
If you need someone to keep the books and run the reports, that’s an accountant or a CFO. If the money comes in and still disappears, the cause is usually how the business quotes, bills and collects. That’s the work we do with owners, using your own numbers.
Do you work with contractors outside Edmonton?
Yes. I work with owners in Edmonton and across Alberta, and coach by video outside the Edmonton area.
What is money management for Businesses?
A practical cash flow system that installs clear allocation rules, simple routines, and tools so profit and owner pay happen on schedule, not by accident.
How is this different from bookkeeping or year end accounting?
Bookkeeping records what happened. Money Management changes what happens next by adding a bank account structure, weekly or monthly allocations, and decision rules your team can follow.
What is the difference between profit and cash flow?
Profit is an accounting result. Cash flow is the movement of money in and out of your bank. You can show a profit and still run out of cash without clear allocation rules.
How much cash reserve should a business keep?
A common target is two to four months of operating expenses. Seasonal and project based businesses often hold more. We set allocations to build that reserve consistently.
How can I improve cash flow quickly?
Invoice faster, take deposits, tighten terms, follow up weekly on receivables, pause nonessential spend, and move slow inventory. We pair these moves with a simple allocation rhythm so gains stick.
Will this work for seasonal or project based businesses?
Yes. We tune allocations for feast and famine cycles so tax, payroll, profit, and owner pay remain funded during slow months.
Do you only set up bank buckets or do you help with pricing and costs too?
Both. We review pricing, expense timing, and process leaks, then codify simple rules so cash stops slipping through the cracks.
What is the first step?
Send me your books and I will show you where the money went. You will leave with clear priorities, a draft allocation plan, and your next three cash moves.
Let's Build Your Business Together
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The Business Builders by Workplaces
Ready to talk about your business?
Pick a time that suits you. No pitch and no pressure, and you leave knowing whether we are the right fit.
Book a conversationSame four areas, two very different starting points. Pick the one that sounds like your business today.
The work is there and the team is busy, but growth is buying you longer days instead of freedom. You want to scale without the wheels coming off.
Grow your business →Good months still end with nothing left, and the money never lands where it should. You need to stop the bleed first, then rebuild.
Rescue your business →