How Entreflow helped high-growth businesses to thrive using Fathom's three-way forecasting tools

We spoke with Helina Patience, CEO of Entreflow Consulting Group, about the unique challenges high-growth businesses face when it comes to financial forecasting and reporting.

Entreflow provides bookkeeping, controllership, and fractional CFO services to companies across Canada. They found themselves grappling with the limitations of manual tools such as Excel; as their clients grew, so did the complexity of their financial needs, especially in aligning their profit & loss, balance sheet, and cash flow forecasting.

In search of a solution, Helina and her team turned to Fathom's three-way forecasting tools. In this case study, Helina shares how Fathom helped Entreflow simplify its processes, eliminate costly errors, and provide clients with the clarity they need to make smarter, more confident financial decisions.

The Company

Entreflow is a CPA firm that empowers fast-growing companies globally to achieve their financial milestones. Serving primarily tech and manufacturing clients in stages from Seed to Series B—and mature businesses exploring new growth—Entreflow leverages deep accounting and finance expertise to create solid foundations for scaling. Led by CEO Helina Patience, their focus is helping companies navigate the "fun pains" of growth, providing tailored accounting services, structured processes, and effective systems, helping clients streamline financial operations and confidently navigate the challenges of growth and expansion.

• Website: entreflow.com
• Employees: 23
• Industry: Financial Services
• Headquarters: Vancouver BC, Canada

The Challenge

Before adopting Fathom, Entreflow faced several client challenges, especially in forecasting, budgeting, and financial reporting. Like many firms, they struggled with the limitations of manual tools—particularly spreadsheets—which took up valuable time and were prone to errors.

They faced a significant gap in three-way forecasting— particularly making sure there was alignment across P&L statements, balance sheets, and cash flow forecasting. Their high-growth clients often experienced profitability on paper but lacked the cash flow to support that growth, leaving businesses vulnerable, as they couldn't accurately predict the impact of their operations on future cash flow or capital requirements.

"If you can't see how your forecast affects the balance sheet and cash flow, I don't trust it," Helina says. "When people tell me they do budgeting and forecasting excel. I'm thinking OK. There's probably a lot of errors in there. You're not rolling it forward monthly and you're not doing a three-way forecast or budget or you're completely not paying yourself enough. Like all the none of those things are good. So, I think it's just a given nowadays that people really need to have a system if they're going to be doing the budgeting and forecasting.”

Building three-way forecasts in Excel proved nearly impossible for her team. The complexity of rolling actuals forward each month, tracking profitability, and forecasting cash flow was a "hot mess" that frequently had too much room for error. This pain point was costing Entreflow time and making it harder to deliver accurate insights to their clients.

The Solution

With the help of Fathom's powerful three-way forecasting tools, Entreflow got everything it needed to gain a holistic view of each client's financial health and turn client forecasts from chaos into clarity.

1. Three-way forecasting made simple: "I'm a stickler. A forecast means nothing to me unless it's a three-way [forecast]" Helina shares. "I can't trust a forecast if it doesn't show you the impact on cash flow and the balance sheet." Fathom's ability to integrate and align all three statements in a forecast enabled the high-growth companies to plan accurately and see how operational changes would affect their cash flow in real time.
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2. Fewer errors: By automating the roll-forward process and integrating data from accounting software, Fathom eliminated the risks of broken formulas and manual errors that plague a typical sheet-based approach. "There's no way our clients have the budget to pay us to manage these processes manually in Excel."
   
   Helina explains, "When people tell me they do budgeting and forecasting in Excel, I'm thinking there are possibly a lot of errors in there. You're not rolling it forward monthly, you're not doing a three-way forecast or budget, or you're completely not paying yourself enough. All those things are problematic. So, I think it's just a given nowadays that people really need to have a system if they're going to be doing budgeting and forecasting."
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1. Scenario planning done right: Fathom's scenario planning tools became essential in aiding Entreflow's clients' understanding; by showing how decisions—like increasing prices or hiring new staff—would affect not just profitability but also cash flow and capital reserves, clients gained the confidence to make strategic decisions. "If you increase your pricing by 1%, here's how this might impact the business… in minutes, we can provide a visual that makes a huge impact," says Helina.
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2. Engaging clients with visuals: Fathom's visually driven reports made it easy to see how different financial levers affected their overall performance. "Most business owners have 'Excelitis'—they open an Excel document, and they're overwhelmed. Fathom's visuals are a game-changer," says Helina. By providing their clients with better visuals suited to the needs of the individual, an increased engagement led to better financial decision-making and more proactive cash flow management

The Results

By implementing Fathom, Entreflow not only saved hours of manual work but also delivered real-time, three-way forecasts that clients could easily understand and act upon. This holistic view of financials allowed high-growth companies to anticipate cash crunches, simplify operations, and make more informed strategic decisions.

One major success story involved a client going through an acquisition. The detailed three-way forecasting provided by Entreflow helped increase their valuation. "The detailed work we did on the forecasting increased their valuation and ultimate payout by millions," Helina shares. "We were able to prove that their business wasn't going to decline as much as expected, which helped secure a better deal."

Beyond acquisitions, Fathom's forecasting tools allowed Entreflow to work closely with clients on long-term cash flow planning. A detailed overview of cash flow prevented clients from running into unexpected cash shortages, helped them better manage capital expenditures, and allowed them to take strategic action earlier.

Customer Testimonial

"For the people who are at the reporting and KPI level, Fathom is an absolute no-brainer. The price per client, the value you get from it, and what it can do to help you have more meaningful conversations with your clients are huge."
– Helina Patience, CEO, Entreflow

Are you still struggling to make sense of complex forecasts in Excel?

Entreflow found a better way, and you can too. With Fathom’s three-way forecasting, you can give your clients the financial clarity they need to grow confidently. Ditch the headaches, simplify your process, and deliver insights that make a difference.

Start your free 14-day trial of Fathom today and see the difference for yourself.