Professional Services

Financial Guidance for Agencies, Consultants, and Other Professionals

Lumiere partners with growth-oriented professional services firms that need financial clarity, operational discipline, and scalable infrastructure.

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Case Studies
Case Studies

Why Choose Us

We understand professional services firms. Resource utilization, project margins, and cash timing requires a disciplined approach.

  • We improve visibility into performance.

    Clear reporting across utilization, realization, margins, and operating efficiency.

  • We align finance with operations.

    We help leadership connect hiring, pricing, delivery, and profitability.

  • We build infrastructure that scales.

    Systems, processes, and reporting frameworks designed for growth.

  • We operate as part of your team.

    Our CFO, Controller, and Accounting professionals work as one integrated unit aligned with leadership priorities.

Our Process

Our approach is structured, disciplined, and designed to deliver clarity at every stage of growth.

  • Assess & Align

    We evaluate your financial infrastructure, reporting, and workflows while aligning with leadership on priorities and growth objectives.

  • Stabilize & Structure

    We clean up reporting, strengthen workflows, and establish disciplined close and reporting rhythms.

  • Optimize & Scale

    We refine reporting, improve forecasting, and strengthen operational visibility.

  • Lead & Advise

    We provide ongoing strategic support and forward-looking guidance as you grow.

Outsourced Accounting

Reliable execution and decision-ready reporting.

  • Month-end close and financial statements

  • AP, AR, and billing operations

  • Payroll processing and reporting

  • General ledger maintenance

  • System integrations and workflow automation

Controller Support

Structure and discipline across your finance function.

  • Close management and reporting oversight

  • Technical accounting support

  • Internal controls and policy development

  • Job costing and margin reporting

  • Audit readiness and coordination

You get:

Working with Lumiere gives you the visibility and discipline required to scale your firm effectively.

  • Financial infrastructure that supports growth.

    Disciplined workflows and reporting processes that scale with your firm.

  • Forward-looking insight for leadership decisions

    Forecasting and scenario planning tied directly to operations.

  • Stronger operational discipline.

    Alignment across hiring, pricing, and delivery with financial outcomes.

  • Confidence with stakeholders

    Reliable reporting for owners, lenders, and advisors.

  • A true finance partner.

    An integrated CFO, Controller, and Accounting team aligned with leadership financial accuracy, real cost control

Fractional CFO Services

Strategic leadership to help your firm scale with clarity and confidence.

  • Financial modeling and scenario planning

  • Budgeting and forecasting

  • KPI and performance tracking

  • Pricing and profitability strategy

  • Cash flow and capital planning

  • Partner and compensation modeling

Featured
10 KPIs Every Creative Agency Should Track Weekly
Agencies, Agency Finance, KPIs, Performance Metrics, Utilization, Gross Margin, Financial Forecasting, Capacity Planning, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO
10 KPIs Every Creative Agency Should Track Weekly
Agencies, Agency Finance, KPIs, Performance Metrics, Utilization, Gross Margin, Financial Forecasting, Capacity Planning, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO

High-performing agencies track these 10 weekly KPIs to improve margins, increase predictability, forecast capacity, and manage revenue more effectively.

Agencies, Agency Finance, KPIs, Performance Metrics, Utilization, Gross Margin, Financial Forecasting, Capacity Planning, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO
The Agency Cash Flow Rollercoaster: Why It Happens and How to Stop It
Agencies, Cash Flow, Agency Finance, AR Management, Fractional CFO, Creative Agency Operations, Revenue Recognition, Media Spend Management, Financial Systems, Outsourced Accounting
The Agency Cash Flow Rollercoaster: Why It Happens and How to Stop It
Agencies, Cash Flow, Agency Finance, AR Management, Fractional CFO, Creative Agency Operations, Revenue Recognition, Media Spend Management, Financial Systems, Outsourced Accounting

Agencies don’t struggle because the work isn’t good—they struggle because cash flow is unpredictable. This guide breaks down why the cash flow rollercoaster happens and the practical steps agencies can take to stabilize it for good.

Agencies, Cash Flow, Agency Finance, AR Management, Fractional CFO, Creative Agency Operations, Revenue Recognition, Media Spend Management, Financial Systems, Outsourced Accounting
How Agencies Should Prepare for Due Diligence (Without Losing Their Minds)
Agencies, Due Diligence, Agency M&A, Exit Planning, Creative Agencies, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO, Acquisition Preparation, Financial Systems, Agency Operations
How Agencies Should Prepare for Due Diligence (Without Losing Their Minds)
Agencies, Due Diligence, Agency M&A, Exit Planning, Creative Agencies, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO, Acquisition Preparation, Financial Systems, Agency Operations

Due diligence can overwhelm agencies that aren’t prepared. Here’s how to organize financials, contracts, operations, and team processes to make the acquisition process smooth and successful.

Agencies, Due Diligence, Agency M&A, Exit Planning, Creative Agencies, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO, Acquisition Preparation, Financial Systems, Agency Operations
Why Agencies Struggle to Forecast Revenue (And How to Fix It)
Agencies, Agency Finance, Revenue Forecasting, Pipeline Management, Capacity Planning, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO, FP&A, Cash Flow Forecasting, Creative Agency Operations
Why Agencies Struggle to Forecast Revenue (And How to Fix It)
Agencies, Agency Finance, Revenue Forecasting, Pipeline Management, Capacity Planning, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO, FP&A, Cash Flow Forecasting, Creative Agency Operations

Creative agencies often guess at future revenue because pipeline, timing, retainer behavior, and delivery capacity aren’t modeled properly. Here’s how to fix it.

Agencies, Agency Finance, Revenue Forecasting, Pipeline Management, Capacity Planning, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO, FP&A, Cash Flow Forecasting, Creative Agency Operations
The Ideal Finance Tech Stack for Creative & Marketing Agencies
Agencies, Agency Finance, Finance Tech Stack, Agency Operations, QuickBooks Online, Forecasting, Automation, Creative Agencies, CRM Integration, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO, FP&A Tools
The Ideal Finance Tech Stack for Creative & Marketing Agencies
Agencies, Agency Finance, Finance Tech Stack, Agency Operations, QuickBooks Online, Forecasting, Automation, Creative Agencies, CRM Integration, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO, FP&A Tools

A complete breakdown of the ideal finance tech stack for creative agencies, including tools for accounting, time tracking, forecasting, CRM, media reconciliation, and automation.

Agencies, Agency Finance, Finance Tech Stack, Agency Operations, QuickBooks Online, Forecasting, Automation, Creative Agencies, CRM Integration, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO, FP&A Tools
“Lumiere brought structure and clarity to our finance function at a critical growth stage. Their team improved our reporting, forecasting, and operational visibility, giving leadership the confidence to make faster and better decisions.”
— Advertising Agency, New York, NY

Financial Clarity for Restaurants

We streamline your back-of-house financial operations so you can control costs, understand performance, and run a more profitable restaurant.

Why Restaurants Choose Us

  • Running a restaurant is fast, messy, and margin-tight. Your financial system can’t be.

  • We give you accurate books, clean processes, and CFO-level insight—without the cost of building a full in-house team.

You get:

  • Financial accuracy, real cost control

  • Better visibility into profitability

  • Actionable reporting you’ll actually use

  • A partner who understands restaurants, not a generic bookkeeping service

Featured
Employee vs Contractor, Exempt vs Non-Exempt: Are You Correctly Categorizing Your Staff?
Payroll, Exempt, Nonexempt, Contractor, Compliance, HR
Employee vs Contractor, Exempt vs Non-Exempt: Are You Correctly Categorizing Your Staff?
Payroll, Exempt, Nonexempt, Contractor, Compliance, HR

Misclassifying employees, contractors, or exempt vs. non-exempt staff can expose your organization to back wages, overtime claims, and legal penalties. This post breaks down how to correctly classify different types of workers, what the IRS and DOL look for, and the steps nonprofits can take to stay fully compliant and protected.

Payroll, Exempt, Nonexempt, Contractor, Compliance, HR
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) - What Employers and Employees Need to Know
Payroll, Benefits, Tax, Tips, Overtime
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) - What Employers and Employees Need to Know
Payroll, Benefits, Tax, Tips, Overtime

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, introduces a wide range of changes to federal tax codes, social programs, and more, impacting both employers and employees.

Payroll, Benefits, Tax, Tips, Overtime
Lumiere's Guide to Implementing Payroll
Payroll, Contractor, Nonexempt, Exempt, Employee
Lumiere's Guide to Implementing Payroll
Payroll, Contractor, Nonexempt, Exempt, Employee

There are a number of things you should do before making your first hire – some are legal and regulatory, while others are just best practices. Here is a short checklist of things you need to do before you make your first hire.

Payroll, Contractor, Nonexempt, Exempt, Employee
Lumiere Guide to Selecting and Implementing Time and Attendance Solutions
Software, Payroll, Time and Attendance
Lumiere Guide to Selecting and Implementing Time and Attendance Solutions
Software, Payroll, Time and Attendance

Time and attendance solutions are critical to most businesses, helping facilitate payroll processing, client invoicing, and can provide insights into your business’s profitability that leads to better decisions and efficient resource management.


Software, Payroll, Time and Attendance
Employee vs Contractor, Exempt vs Non-exempt - Determining Worker Classification
Payroll, Contractor, Nonexempt, Exempt, Employee
Employee vs Contractor, Exempt vs Non-exempt - Determining Worker Classification
Payroll, Contractor, Nonexempt, Exempt, Employee
Payroll, Contractor, Nonexempt, Exempt, Employee
“We needed a reliable partner to help us select and implement the right solution.
Lumiere led us through a process that ensured we chose the best payroll and benefits platform for our company”
— Financial Services Client