The Challenge: High Passion, Low Visibility

Jess and Peter built Nicol Squash out of genuine love for the sport and a desire to grow squash in their New York City community, not for digging through accounting chaos. But as demand grew, so did the financial complexity.

The business was operating with:

• Unreliable and inconsistent accounting
• No visibility into true cash availability
  
• Difficulty interpreting financial statements
  
• No forecasting or budgeting structure to plan additional locations

For a facility-based business dealing with payroll swings, rent, loans, and seasonality, unclear financials meant unclear decision-making.

“I didn’t know how much of the cash in the bank was actually available. I lacked visibility into major upcoming expenses, and I couldn’t pull reliable financials or interpret them deeply.” – Jess Winstanley

They knew they wanted to grow but not at the risk of overextending. To open a second location (and eventually more), they needed clean data, clear reporting, and a strategic financial partner.

The Cast Solution: Building a Finance Function That Scales 

1. Accounting Cleanup → Reliable, Decision-Ready Financials

First, we addressed the root problem: inconsistent systems and visibility. The goal was to create dependable financials that are trusted and timely.

We rebuilt the accounting foundations to create accurate, timely, trusted financials.
Jess now has complete visibility into her P&L, balance sheet, and cash position.

“Today, I can pull organized reports instantly and know exactly what I’m looking at. I operate with full financial clarity.” – Jess Winstanley

2. Monthly Reporting + KPI System

Once the accounting foundation was solid, Cast implemented a reporting framework tailored to facility operations across all locations (revenue, utilization, retention, margins, and other KPIs).

It’s now used across locations and by the entire team.

“Our KPI system, which Cast helped build from the ground up, has become a reliable, high-quality reporting framework. I know the data is accurate, timely, and well organized.” Jess Winstanley

3. Forecasting & Budgeting to Support Expansion

When visibility was established, the focus shifted from understanding the past (“what happened?”) to actively planning the future-facing strategy (“what’s next?”).

• Forecasting
• Budgeting
• Location modeling
• Scenario planning

This gave the owners confidence to expand without overcommitting cash or taking on unnecessary risk.

“Cast has guided us through every stage of growth—from developing forecasts and budgets for our second location to now planning for the third. We’re also beginning valuation work and building investor materials, which will support our next phase of expansion. Cast’s insight has been foundational in helping us grow responsibly and strategically.” – Jess Winstanley

4. Ongoing CFO Advisory

As Nicol Squash grew, Cast expanded support from accounting to full CFO-level partnership delivering the financial discipline and strategic oversight of an in-house finance team.

They needed answers to questions that many business owners ask:

• What cash is truly available? What cash is already committed but hasn’t gone out the door yet?
• What does the business actually earn after fixed expenses?
• How do we forecast and budget for another location and ensure we’re not overextending?
• How do we build investor-ready reporting without building a full in-house finance team?

“Adding CFO support fundamentally changed my ability to plan for the future. I now have meaningful forecasts, budgeting discipline, and strategic oversight that extend far beyond basic accounting. The deeper relationship and the team’s strong understanding of my business allow them to provide thoughtful, high-level guidance that shapes my long-term decision-making.” – Jess Winstanley

The Impact

With Cast, Nicol Squash gained:

• Clean and reliable accounting with clear monthly reporting and KPIs
• Cash management and visibility
• Forecasts and budgets to confidently open new locations
• Strategic CFO partnership with risk management 

“With Cast’s support, I’ve been able to better anticipate cash-flow constraints, prepare for large upcoming expenses, and avoid overextending during growth phases. Their reporting and forecasting tools help me identify financial risks early and make decisions with confidence rather than guesswork.” – Jess Winstanley

The Proof is in the Results:

• Second location opened Dec 2024
• Third location planned for 2026
• Stronger financial clarity, discipline, and investor readiness

“Cast has provided the accounting, bookkeeping, and CFO-level support that I would never have been able to staff in-house as a small business, giving me the financial clarity of a full-scale finance department at a fraction of the cost. Their partnership has been essential to my ability to plan, grow, and make informed decisions with confidence.” – Jess Winstanley