The Situation
Five years ago, Scott Peters, Founder and Chief Client Officer of Assemble, found himself with a problem: his agency was expanding fast — doubling in size each year. As his company grew, the cracks in their financial management began to show.
“We just aren’t an average U.S. company,” Scott explained. “We have operations in both the U.S. and Costa Rica, and financially, that makes things a lot more complicated.”
Assemble’s existing financial management strategy wasn’t providing the structure or visibility Scott needed. It lacked overarching financial planning objectives and real-time insights into the agency’s current and future cash positions. With the agency growing rapidly, Scott needed financial understanding, and fast, so he could make informed, data-driven business decisions.
Scott was looking for a partner:
- able to organize Assemble’s financials quickly.
- willing to take the time to make sure Scott understood finances inside and out.
- who understood the intricacies of the creative agency industry.
- who was a cultural fit, showing the same intention and compassion for his team that his agency was dedicated to.
Since the size of his business didn’t require a full-time CFO (and the cost of a highly experienced, well-connected, technology-forward in-house hire would have exceeded his budget), he interviewed several fractional and virtual CFO firms, until he found Anders:
“Anders hit all four of our key markers. They could get us organized, they understood agencies, they could teach me, and they were great people. They talked to me like a human, not a spreadsheet.”
The Challenges
Rapid growth, as Scott described, isn’t all glory.
“People think it’s great to grow really fast — and it is — but it also has pain points. Everything grows at once. You have to keep up on all fronts at the same time.”
Many agency owners struggle to align sales, operations, and service departments, especially when growing at a fast pace. But aligning each of the business areas is non-negotiable.
Without solid financial infrastructure, each decision made within departments feels like guesswork. Should you hire? Can you make that purchase? How much cash do you have available truly?
“As an owner, you start flying by intuition, and that’s the worst place to be. You want to do right by your team, but without a financial roadmap, you’re just guessing.”
The company’s project-based work added another layer of complexity.
“In our industry, forecasting far into the future is almost impossible. You could make $10 one week and $700,000 the next. How do you plan around that?”
Assemble needed clarity, structure, and a partner who could help them manage both the numbers and the uncertainty that came with creative growth.
The Solution
Anders began with a rapid onboarding process that Scott called “organized, educational, and fast.”
“We were a bit of a mess, and we had to get organized quickly. The onboarding team helped us clean up invoicing, cash flow, all of it, and the dashboards gave us visibility we’d never had before.”
Once the immediate chaos was under control, the relationship deepened. Assemble’s Virtual CFO didn’t just manage the books, but they helped Scott understand them.
“Our Virtual CFO became part educator, part moral support,” Scott says. “He taught me how to read a P&L, how to talk finances, how to make sound decisions. And he was there for the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
With Anders’ financial dashboards, cash flow forecasts, and monthly reviews, the team could now make every decision — hiring, marketing, project selection — grounded in real data.
“We didn’t make a lot of decisions without running them by Anders. Everything went back to the dashboard.”
Scenario planning became a key practice, allowing the agency to map out best-, middle-, and worst-case outcomes for each major decision. “Instead of having one or two levers to pull, we had fifty,” Scott says. “We could see what would happen if we hired, if we grew, if we slowed down. That was huge.”
The Results
Today, the agency is stable, confident, and financially sound: “They gave us a guide and a map to being a fiscally sound organization. However, the impact goes beyond the balance sheet.
“We came in like a wounded animal,” Scott said. “Anders helped nurse us back to health. We’re not the same company we were five years ago.”
The partnership with Anders Virtual CFO transformed both the agency and its leadership. Assemble now has financial organization and confidence, operating with clear dashboards, disciplined cash flow management, and real-time forecasting data.
After feeling like every decision was made based on gut-feelings, Assemble’s leaders can make smarter, data-driven growth decisions. Guesswork has become a thing of the past.
“For me,” Scott says, “it was a lifesaver.”
Scott’s financial acumen has grown dramatically. “My Virtual CFO educated me. I can now talk finance, read a P&L, and understand the story behind the numbers.” In the process, Assemble gained a trusted partner, one that stands with them no matter what the circumstances.
“They were with us through the highs and lows. The days when you want to stop and the days when you keep going. The friendship and connection run deep.”