Fractional finance expert Dorothy Zubel shares how to turn confusion into confidence—and why clean books are the foundation of a valuable business.

If you’ve ever felt uneasy about your numbers, you’re not alone.

Most business owners start out driven by passion and purpose—not spreadsheets. You might even say that finances feel like a necessary evil. But when growth begins to accelerate, messy numbers can quickly turn from background noise into a roadblock.

In a recent conversation with Dorothy Zubel, Co-Founder of The Finance Group, we explored how financial clarity fuels growth, confidence, and long-term value.

The Real Role of Fractional Finance

Dorothy calls her team “a fractional finance firm,” but what they actually provide goes far beyond bookkeeping. It’s insight-based finance—helping business owners read their numbers the way they’d read a roadmap.

A fractional CFO brings executive-level perspective to your financials without the full-time cost. That means you gain visibility into the key drivers of your business: cash flow, gross profit, return on investment, and trends that show what’s really working.

Why So Many Entrepreneurs Avoid Their Numbers

Dorothy’s seen it time and again—entrepreneurs who avoid the financial side until it’s too late.

And it’s not because they’re careless. Most founders are high “Quick Starts” (as Kolbe would put it). They thrive on vision, creativity, and speed. But scaling a business requires more than momentum. It requires systems and data to support your instincts.

Avoiding your financials doesn’t just create risk. It caps your potential.

The Shift From Guesswork to Insight

One of Dorothy’s first moves when working with a new client is shifting from cash-based accounting to accrual-based accounting—matching revenue and expenses in the same period to reveal the true profitability of each dollar earned.

From there, her team builds reporting structures that show profitability by department or sales channel. Suddenly, you can see which products drive growth, which ones quietly drain cash, and where to focus your energy for maximum impact.

That’s not “doing the books.” That’s leadership.

Building Value Before You Exit

As a former business broker, I’ve seen firsthand how poor record-keeping can destroy a business’s value at sale. Dorothy echoed that truth: “Without clean financial statements, you’re already negotiating a lower price.”

Buyers look for clarity—because clarity builds confidence. If they can’t understand your financial story, they won’t believe in its future.

Three to five years of organized, accurate data can be the difference between an average exit and a life-changing one.

Finding the Right Financial Partner

Dorothy’s advice for anyone ready to take this step is simple:

“You should never walk away from a finance conversation feeling stupid.”

The right partner doesn’t mystify the numbers—they explain them in plain English. They empower you to make decisions, not depend on them to translate every line item.

My Takeaway

As I often say: Clarity creates confidence, and confidence ignites momentum.

When you understand your numbers, you stop reacting. You start leading.

And that’s where real growth begins.