The One Clear Path is a six-step system designed to help you help your business do two things:

One: Be successful

Two: Generate consistent positive cash flow.

Here is the One Clear Path:

The first step happens at the beginning of an engagement with a new client and annually thereafter.

It's in this first step where we will work with you to come up with a target number for the year for cash flow and other important profit drivers that, if accomplished, will help your business be on track towards generating consistent cash flow.

The targets we will be setting will accomplish two things:

One: It will ensure that, if the targets are hit, it will help your business be on-track towards turning your business into the success story it’s meant to be!!

Two: it should ensure that, if the targets are met, it will help your business be on-track towards generating consistent positive cash flow.

The second through six steps of the One Clear Path happen every single month.  The goal of the monthly steps (Steps 2 through 6) is to help our clients hit the targets that were set in Step 1.

Here’s what happens in each of the monthly steps – Steps 2 through 6.

In Step 2, we will update our clients’ actual numbers, in our CFO System, for the year-to-date and find out how on or off-track they are to hitting their target that was set in Step 1.  That is, we will compare the actual monthly financial results to the targeted amounts we set in Step 1.

In Step 3, we will  forecast, based off of the differences between the actual results and targeted figures, where we think our client will actually end up at the end of the year.  The goal is to illustrate where we think the financial results will be based off of the actual results that have been happening.

In Step 4, we are going to compare the targets that were set in Step 1 against the forecast of where you think your client will end up by the end of the year in Step 3 and come up with a color-coded score. This color-coded score is set up to quickly and easily show our clients what is and isn't working in their business.  Red means that the forecast is showing the client is off-track. Yellow means that client is very close to being on-track. And green means that client is on-track towards hitting the targets.

Based on the actuals in Step 2, forecast in Step 3 and color-coded score in Step 4, we will provide guidance and direction to our client on how to get – and stay – on track in Steps 5 and 6.

It is in these steps where we’ll come up with, what we call, an Action Plan. The Action Plan has two major parts: Objectives and Next Steps.

The Objectives are what we want your client to focus on in the near future – usually the next 30 days – that will help them stay on track to hit their targets.

The Next Steps are the specific steps the client should take to accomplish the Objectives.  

The Objectives answer the question of “What does the client need to do to stay on track to hit their targets?” and the Next Steps answer the question of "What are the specific steps the client needs to take to accomplish the Objectives?”.

Objectives are created in  Step 5 and the Next Steps happen in Step 6.

Again, the entire point of the monthly steps is to help you our clients stay on track to hit their targets that were set in Step 1.

By following the One Clear Path system, we provide you with the structure, guidance, and actionable steps needed to not only achieve your financial targets but to build a thriving, cash-flow-positive business that sets you up for long-term success.