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Dawn talks with financial architect Linda Hunt about “financial architecture” and why a P&L alone can hide what’s really happening in a growing business. Linda explains that many companies operate with disconnected financial pieces and misaligned workflows, causing inaccurate revenue, inventory, and cost of goods data—especially when industry-specific systems integrate poorly with accounting tools like QuickBooks. Using a multi-location medical spa example, she describes how standard costs, consistent delivery processes, and tighter financial operations reveal true profitability by offering or location and stabilize commissions. She distinguishes layers of a well-structured financial function—money operations, accounting/reporting, oversight, and strategy—and notes businesses often need fractional roles (controller/CFO/COO) plus internal ownership of key processes like invoicing. She advises owners to map delivery steps, identify financial impacts, and “nourish” operations instead of defaulting to cost-cutting, and shares how to contact her at SUMSolutions.com for a Financial Clarity Consult.

In this episode...

Who is Linda Hunt and whom does she served? (00:52)

Why P&L Can Mislead (01:29)

Profit by Offering or Location (02:20)

Financial Operations Explained (03:04)

Inventory and Data Lag Pitfalls (04:07)

Hidden Number Feeders (06:27)

Fleet Costs and Budget Assumptions (08:03)

Layers of the Finance Function  (11:29)

Industry Software and Workflow Fit (14:09)

Standardized Delivery and Pricing (16:51)

Med Spa Operational Money Touchpoints (17:55 )

Service Cost Breakdown (19:13)

Pricing Meets Marketing (20:39)

Map Steps to Costs (21:46)

Standard Costs Fix Leaks (24:04)

Why Teams Resist Standards (25:33)

Fractional Finance Roles (26:58)

 When to Upgrade Ops (31:22)

Nourish Not Cut Costs (33:04)

Where to Find Help (34:22)

Linda Hunt's  Information:

For a financial clarity consult:  https://www.sumsolutions.com/evaluations/

For my book:  The Money Conversation - https://www.sumsolutions.com/the-money-conversation/

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