Over the past decade, the automotive dealership landscape has undergone significant consolidation, reshaping the industry and intensifying competition. As more consolidations are expected in the near future, dealership owners face challenges as well as growth opportunities.
In this evolving market, the role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has transformed significantly. What once was a position focused primarily on financial oversight now demands a blend of strategic advisory skills and a deep understanding of complex financial matters. As such, you’ll need to recalibrate your perception of financial leadership for your auto dealership and embrace a new approach that aligns with an era defined by rapid change and disruption.
In this article, we explore the role fractional CFO advisory services play in the growth journey of your dealership, focusing on the stage of growth vs. the challenges and demands you’ll need to address with the right fractional CFO solution.
The importance of robust finance function
Ensuring the scalability of your finance function as your business expands is fundamental. For instance, managing finances in your early stages may have been relatively straightforward, often handled by a controller or a small team. Yet, as you expand to multiple locations, the demands on your finance function will accordingly increase. This growth necessitates more than just adding staff; it requires the implementation of robust systems and processes capable of handling the transition, the higher volumes, and increased complexity.
One of the main issues dealership owners may overlook is the limited investment in advanced finance skills beyond the bookkeeper or controller level. This often results in a finance function that remains transaction-focused and struggles to effectively support and drive growth amid an increased compliance landscape. Addressing this challenge by investing in fractional CFO advisory services with the right expertise ensures that your finance function evolves in tandem with your business, providing the strategic support needed to navigate complex growth stages and drive long-term success.
Dealership evolution: Stages of growth
The growth of your auto dealership requires you to not only reassess your business needs but also rethink your overall approach to financial leadership.
Each growth stage necessitates understanding the business needs and the type of fractional CFO services that go hand-in-hand with your growing finance function.
With market pressures on margins and volume, it’s essential that you seek a fractional CFO to not only help you manage your business’s financial health but also swiftly identify concerns and offer strategic recommendations to optimize operations and boost profitability. In other words, your fractional CFO should act as your trusted, future-focused business advisor. By closely monitoring and evaluating financial performance with a focus on profitability, an experienced fractional CFO enables more informed, data-driven decision-making, ensuring you’re headed in the right growth direction.
To successfully navigate your growth journey, you’ll need to have the right financial expertise in place. Consider the following strategies based on the stage of your business growth.
At this stage, the demand for experienced outsourced fractional CFO solutions becomes critical. Specialized fractional CFO advisory services offer the expertise needed to scale your financial operations without the overhead of a full-time executive. A fractional CFO brings a wealth of experience in implementing systems and processes that not only ensure financial stability but also actively support and drive growth. By outsourcing these services, you gain access to high-calibre financial leadership tailored to your evolving needs, allowing you to focus on expanding your dealership while maintaining a solid financial foundation.
Your CFO must also ensure that the finance function is scalable and capable of handling the increased volume of transactions and the higher demands for financial analysis. This requires not only advanced financial skills but also the ability to leverage technology and automation to maintain efficiency and accuracy. At this stage, a strategic full-time CFO who can act as a business partner, providing insights that drive profitability and growth, is crucial for the dealership's continued success. In this case, BDO’s CFO services can provide staff lending of highly skilled digital finance talent to ensure your full-time CFO has the team of talent they need to help them deliver.
The benefits of fractional CFO services
Opting for fractional CFO services equips your dealership with the expertise needed to handle growth and operational complexity without incurring unnecessary costs. It’s good to know that the fractional CFO model not only enhances your finance function but also drives strategic improvements across your business including:
How BDO can help
BDO's Fractional CFO Advisory services are designed to support your dealership at every stage of growth. Whether you're a small dealership or a larger operation in need of strategic CFO services, BDO offers flexible CFO solutions tailored to your business needs.
Our seasoned professionals bring a wealth of experience in areas such as M&A, financing, and strategic planning, helping dealerships navigate the complexities of growth and transition. By providing experienced financial leadership on an as-needed basis, BDO supports your dealership with the right financial expertise.