Agency CFO Case Studies
Real agencies, real numbers, told by the founders and leaders who lived them. Every quote on this page is word for word, and every video is unscripted.
If you want to know what working with an agency CFO actually looks like, start here.
The Case Studies
numero · New Zealand
Numbers, not gut feel
Benchmarks by service line, every hire tested in the forecast first, and one scorecard for the whole leadership team.
The ID Crowd · Digital agency
Sold to Deloitte
Cash runway went from 2–4 weeks to about four months, then a sale with the whole team coming across.
$3M creative agency · Melbourne*
Net profit up 26% in six months
Charge-out rate from $100 to $180 an hour, strategy work repriced, and over-serviced clients let go. Revenue stayed at $3M.
Tech & SaaS agency*
Net profit 13% to 41%
Revenue up 66%, cash flow under control, and a business that got more profitable as it grew.
*Real clients and real numbers. We’ve changed the names to protect their privacy.
Watch: Founders in Their Own Words
Short testimonials first, then the longer case study interviews.
Richard Gilbert
Founder, numero (NZ) · 3 min
Scott Maynard
Excite Media
Marcus Willis
Founder, Kill Boring Dead · 4 min
Will Kepreotes
Co-founder, Buttr Marketing
Ryan McMillan
Atlas Digital
Annie-Moon Arkell
Mo Creative Marketing
James Gilchrist
NorthSouth Advertising
Matt Malcolm
Gallantway
Lee Booy
COO, The ID Crowd · the full exit story, 25 min
Creative agency case study*
$100 to $180 an hour, net profit up 26%
Tech agency case study*
Revenue up 66%, net profit 13% to 41%
What Agency Founders Say
“The cost is small next to the cost of one bad hire, or a year of underpriced retainers. The ROI is definitely there to be had.. you should hire Trimline.”
Richard Gilbert
Founder, numero (NZ)
“Being able to see the numbers and understand what was working.. meant that I could make decisions really confidently. It also meant that I could go on maternity leave, which is a big thing as a small business owner.”
Annie-Moon Arkell
Mo Creative Marketing
“I was using bank balance or gut feeling to determine what to do next. Now I know exactly what’s going wrong or what’s going right.”
Marcus Willis
Founder, Kill Boring Dead
“Our decision-making has become more balanced and informed thanks to the perspective he brings from his years of experience in our industry.”
Scott Maynard
Excite Media
“We now feel much more confident when we’re making new hires or investing in any kind of activity that’s going to grow our business.”
Will Kepreotes
Co-founder, Buttr Marketing
“You want a real expert in your space that’s going to understand exactly how your business works. That’s what Trimline’s all about.”
Ryan McMillan
Atlas Digital
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google from 11 reviews
Want a Story Like These?
It starts with a free 15-minute call. Tell us where your agency is at and where you want to take it, and we’ll tell you straight whether we can help. If it’s a fit, the next step is a proper look at your numbers.
Want to see how it works first? Here’s how our fractional CFO service for agencies works, or see how your numbers compare on our agency benchmarks page.