Do you know which parts
of your business actually
make money?
Most business owners know their total revenue and total costs. They don't know their margin by service line, their cost per acquisition, or which customer segment is actually profitable.
You're running the business. Nobody's interrogating the numbers.
You're busy. The numbers go into the accounting system, the tax gets paid, and life goes on. But nobody's asking the harder questions: which services are you underpricing? Which clients are actually costing you money? What would happen to your margins if you hired another person?
Most business owners have a rough sense of what's profitable and what isn't. But rough sense isn't the same as knowing. And the difference between the two is the difference between growing intentionally and growing by accident.
Business analysis isn't a luxury. It's not McKinsey-style strategy consulting. It's practical financial analysis that tells you where cash is leaking, which parts of your business are subsidising other parts, and what happens to your numbers when you make a change. It's how you stop guessing.
What business analysis looks like with S&J
Practical analysis. Real numbers. Recommendations you can act on this month, not a 100-page report that sits in a drawer.
Profitability analysis by service or product line
Find out which parts of your business are making money and which are being quietly subsidised by the rest. Most owners are surprised by the answer.
Pricing analysis and margin modelling
What happens to your margins if you increase prices by 10%? What about 5% with higher volume? We build the models so you can see the impact before you make the change.
Cost structure review
Fixed vs variable costs, where the waste is, and which overheads are growing faster than revenue. The kind of analysis that turns a vague sense of 'we're spending too much' into specific actions.
Break-even and scenario modelling
How much do you need to sell to cover a new hire? What if a major client leaves? What does the business look like at 120% of current revenue? We model the scenarios so you can plan with confidence.
Customer and client profitability analysis
Not all revenue is equal. Some clients generate strong margins with minimal hassle. Others consume disproportionate time and resources for thin returns. Knowing the difference changes how you allocate your energy.
Growth planning with real numbers
Not aspirational targets pulled from thin air. Modelled forecasts based on your actual data: what growth looks like, what it costs, and what needs to be true for the numbers to work.
The questions your numbers should be answering.
What is business analysis vs management accounts?
Management accounts show you what happened. Revenue was X, costs were Y, profit was Z. Business analysis asks what it means and what to do about it. Why did margin drop in Q3? Which service line drove it? Is the trend structural or a one-off? Management accounts are the raw material. Business analysis is the interpretation and the plan that follows.
The metrics that actually matter for SMEs
Forget vanity metrics. The numbers that drive decisions for owner-managed businesses are: gross margin per service line (so you know what's worth selling), customer acquisition cost (so you know what growth actually costs), lifetime value (so you know which clients to invest in), break-even point (so you know your floor), and cash conversion cycle (so you know the gap between doing the work and getting paid). If you don't track these, you're navigating without instruments.
How Financial IQ enables ongoing analysis
Business analysis shouldn't be a one-off project you commission every few years. Financial IQ gives you live dashboards, margin tracking by service line, and KPI visibility that updates daily. It turns analysis from an event into a habit. Our Insights and Foresight packages include this as standard, giving you continuous visibility into the numbers that matter, not a static report that's outdated by the time you read it.
When to commission a deep-dive analysis
Before a big decision. Hiring a senior team member, launching a new product or service, acquiring another business, restructuring your pricing, or preparing for a funding round. These are the moments where getting the numbers right matters most, and where gut instinct isn't good enough. A deep-dive takes 2-4 weeks and gives you a model you can use to test assumptions before committing real money.
What you'll actually get from us
Practical recommendations, not a 100-page consulting report. Financial models you can use, built in spreadsheets you understand, not proprietary software you'll never open again. Clear answers to specific questions: should you raise prices? Can you afford this hire? Which clients should you fire? Numbers you can act on, delivered by accountants who understand your business because they already do your books.
Ready to know your numbers?
Join 115+ companies who switched to accountants that actually show them their numbers. No hidden fees. No surprises. Just clarity.
ICAEW regulated · Fixed monthly fees · Clear annual agreement
Frequently asked questions
Is business analysis a separate service or part of your packages?
Both. Our Insights and Foresight packages include ongoing analysis as standard: margin tracking, KPI dashboards, and quarterly review meetings where we interrogate the numbers together. Deeper project-based analysis (pricing reviews, scenario modelling, acquisition due diligence) is available as an add-on when you need it.
How long does a deep-dive analysis take?
Typically 2-4 weeks depending on scope and data quality. We need clean financials to work from, which is straightforward if we already handle your accounts. If you're a new client, allow an extra week for us to get familiar with your data and chart of accounts.
What data do you need from us?
If we're already your accountants, we have everything we need. If not, we'll need 2-3 years of management accounts or statutory accounts, your chart of accounts, and access to your accounting software. We'll also want a conversation with you about how the business works; the numbers only tell half the story.
Is this only for businesses with problems?
No. In fact, the biggest gains often come from profitable businesses that haven't yet examined why they're profitable. Understanding your margins by service line, your client mix, and your cost structure helps you double down on what works and stop doing what doesn't. Analysis for healthy businesses is about growing smarter, not fixing something broken.
What's the difference between this and hiring a management consultant?
We're accountants, not consultants. We're not going to charge you day rates to tell you things you already know in a different font. We work from your actual financial data, build models you can use yourself, and give you practical recommendations, not frameworks. And because we typically handle your ongoing accounts, we already understand how your business works.
Can you help with a specific decision, or does it have to be a full review?
We can do either. If you need to know whether you can afford a new hire, whether your pricing is right, or what happens if you drop a service line, we can model that specific scenario without doing a full business review. Sometimes one focused question is more valuable than a comprehensive analysis.