Norman Professional Services

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Simple Machines, a hubspot technical consulting and training company. We help companies on board and implement hubspot technologies, optimizing and extending their use.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Simple Machines Marketing, a HubSpot technical consulting and training company. We help companies onboard and implement HubSpot and optimize and extend their platform use.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Norman Professional Services provides us with daily bookkeeping activities, financial forecasting and reporting, cash flow analysis, account reconciliation, and accounts payable and accounts receivable management. The team’s tasks include QuickBooks cloud migration from the desktop version cash flow and financial reporting about cash on hand and days on cash. Moreover, Norman Professional Services’ team has given us suggestions on how to make operational improvements to enable faster payments.

What was the team composition? 

We mainly work with three members of Norman Professional Services’ team, including Jayson (Director of Client Service), Liz (Bookkeeper), and Walter (Founder & Owner).

How did you come to work with Norman Professional Services?

Someone within our leadership team referred them to us.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve invested $170,000–$200,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

With our previous provider, we already had many good financial habits. However, now that we’ve started using Norman Professional Services, they’ve been great at coming in and assisting with operations that have been running successfully while also offering improvement tips. The team’s work has been very seamless with the cloud migration; they’ve managed to accomplish that very gracefully and with no downtime at all.

Results-wise, Norman Professional Services’ reporting and analysis have increased our days of cash on hand by 20% and have helped us implement processes to increase the speed of payment by 15%. Overall, their work quality is great.

How did Norman Professional Services perform from a project management standpoint?

Norman Professional Services’ team is transparent, strives for accuracy, and sets the right project expectations. In addition, they deliver on time, within budget, and communicate well with us via Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Norman Professional Services’ biggest strength is how they help us manage and improve cash flow. Their whole team is very professional, responsive, and collaborative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of their strategy and planning services. Norman Professional Services is a great team for bookkeeping services, but their service offerings for strategic lenses align with their daily services.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of SpeakerFlow

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Zoho One/software implementation for thought-leadership businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Norman Professional Services to accomplish?

• Identify key financial numbers/reports
• Have a strategic brain at the table to help us make decisions

SOLUTION

How did you find Norman Professional Services?

Referral

Why did you select Norman Professional Services over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Norman Professional Services were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

NPS manages our QBO file. They categorize transactions, manage our COA, and provide advisory on our overall finance process and structure.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

My business partner and I feel like we understand our finances for the first time in our company history. We're young entrepreneurs and are experiencing unexpected growth with our business. Without the NPS team it'd be much harder to be confident we're making good decisions and are clear about what the numbers are telling us.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Our onboarding included a very detailed and thorough checklist. It felt like they were clear about our numbers before they got into the nitty gritty. They were always timely, especially in communications. We've had really positive experiences with their team with this item.

What was your primary form of communication with Norman Professional Services?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Walter and his team are real straight-shooters, but without being robots. We love that NPS has personality, and that we also can rely on getting a quick solution when we need one. This is a tough balance, and in our experience at least, even more so with this industry.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Norman Professional Services could have done differently?

Would love to see more content come out of NPS! Walter and the rest of the team have a wealth of knowledge, so I'd love to see more general information distributed via a newsletter, blog, podcast, YouTube channel, or other medium!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Director of Illinois Green Alliance

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Illinois Green Alliance is a nonprofit, membership based organization that supports green building and sustainability professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Norman Professional Services to accomplish?

• Save staff time on administrative functions
• Improve the quality of our bookkeeping system

SOLUTION

How did you find Norman Professional Services?

Referral

Why did you select Norman Professional Services over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Norman Professional Services were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The firm helped close out our previous year's books to prepare for our audit and upgraded our bookkeeping systems to better track income and expenses. This has allowed us to better track our performance and report to our board of directors. The firm now manages our bookkeeping monthly to ensure accurate records.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The firm has improve the quality of our bookkeeping, creating more confidence in our ability to track our financial performance. There are better systems in place that have helped to save staff time.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

All project deadlines have been met and no issues have arisen.

What was your primary form of communication with Norman Professional Services?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I appreciate the quick response I receive any time I reach out with questions.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Norman Professional Services could have done differently?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Medical Captive Underwriters

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Insurance program management with an intense focus on lowering employer medical spend regarding health insurance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Norman Professional Services to accomplish?

• create financial statements
• create bookkeeping platform
• allow for ease of use in reporting and tracking monthly revenue and expenses

SOLUTION

How did you find Norman Professional Services?

Referral

Why did you select Norman Professional Services over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Norman Professional Services were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Coordinate the vendor invoices and recurring revenue from 2022 forward. Reconciled the books and records ensuring that matching with expenses and income reported to 3rd parties aligned.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Monthly financial statement reporting occurs timely. Reconciliation of accounts occurs regularly.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Weekly check-ins occur. Initially, the lift was heavy due to my desire and need to capture 24 months of income and expenses. The weekly check-ins are much easier to prepare for now.

What was your primary form of communication with Norman Professional Services?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The Norman Professional Services culture is built on accountability and integrity. Their words and actions match.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Norman Professional Services could have done differently?

N/A