Gordon P.Private profile: Upwork shows its earnings only to signed-in members, so we check it every few weeks, not daily. MRR here is a rough estimate (Upwork's six-month earnings ÷ months active). Last read Nov 5, 2026.

Are your sales growing while your bank balance tells a different story? Is your business making sales but still struggling to pay its bills? Are costs rising, margins slipping, or cash running out before the next customer payment arrives? Revenue, profit, and available cash are different measures. When customers pay slowly, suppliers expect immediate payment, or inventory builds up, even a growing business can struggle to meet its commitments. I help small-business owners understand these pressures, improve collections and working-capital management, and assess funding options that fit their operating cycle and repayment capacity. My background includes financial analysis, strategic planning, business consulting, and hands-on experience reversing negative cash flows and helping struggling businesses recover. I bring an owner’s perspective to the numbers: what needs attention, which options are realistic, and what management should do next. HOW I CAN HELP • Cash-flow diagnosis and planning: Identify where cash is being absorbed, assess upcoming commitments, and establish priorities. • Profitability improvement: Examine pricing, margins, overheads, and the financial contribution of products, services, or customers. • Business turnaround planning: Assess the causes of deteriorating performance and develop a focused recovery plan with clear actions and milestones. • Financial decision support: Evaluate expansion, hiring, cost reductions, financing needs, and other decisions before committing resources. • Ongoing owner support: Review results, challenge assumptions, and help keep agreed improvements on track. EXAMPLE: GROWING SALES, INCREASING CASH PRESSURE A business with about $5 million in annual revenue kept straining its $130,000 overdraft facility. Customers took an average of 45 days to pay, while suppliers required cash on delivery. Rising inventory and increasing returns added to the pressure. I helped the owner understand why revenue growth was consuming cash and what each additional $100,000 in sales meant for working-capital requirements. We introduced practical receivables controls that reduced the average collection period from 45 to 29 days. I also worked with the banks, supported by a structured cash-flow projection, to secure better funding terms and a larger facility. The approach addressed both the operational causes of the cash shortage and the financing needed to support the business. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT We begin with your immediate concern and the financial information available. I examine the underlying drivers, discuss the findings with you, and translate the analysis into a practical set of priorities. You receive clear explanations, commercially grounded recommendations, and a direct conversation about the choices facing your business. MY BACKGROUND I hold an MBA in Financial and Strategic Planning and a Bachelor of Commerce degree. My business career spans more than 40 years across Africa, Europe, and North America. I took my company, Columbia Consultants Ltd., onto the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 1986—an experience that informs my understanding of business ownership, financial discipline, and strategic decision-making. My established Upwork track record includes hundreds of five-star client reviews across writing, business communication, and consulting assignments, including projects involving financial input. These reviews reflect the qualities I bring to every engagement: understanding the client’s business, clear thinking, practical recommendations, and dependable delivery. A GOOD STARTING POINT If you are concerned about cash flow, declining profitability, or a difficult business decision, we can begin with a defined financial review. Please tell me what your business does, what has changed, and the problem you most need to resolve. I prefer to work on a fixed-fee basis for defined projects.