The art of finance
knowing when to go… how fast
knowing when to pause…how long
knowing when to stop…how soon
measuring risk…having the courage to embrace it
measuring success…knowing how to attain it
measuring today..planning for tomorrow
more than spreadsheets, ratios, cash, banking and taxes
finance is knowledge, experience and ingenuity
finance is innovation, focus and imagination
finance is credibility and trust
putting it all together is an art
carving out the right course
sorting extraordinary ideas from the ordinary
bringing the seemingly unattainable to life
That’s the art of finance
that’s what we do
sheehan financial group
Develop Your Path to Greatness
Started in 1987 in Battle Creek Michigan, Vega Resources, the predecessor to Sheehan Financial was founded advising small to mid sized companies and working with start-ups. Relocating to Toledo Ohio, the name was changed to Sheehan & Associates and the process known as Bankcheck was created. Bankcheck was the forerunner to the CFO System which is used today to guide enterprises in all matters financial from analysis to balance sheet structuring to banking and lending and ultimately succession management; full circle financial management. In 1993, Sheehan & Associates was renamed Sheehan Financial Advisors.
Along the way, with a recession or two or three, our skills in workouts and enterprise restructuring was founded and Salvus Harbor was added to the Sheehan Financial Group. What made us stand out in this field was being experienced on the other side of the workout, namely as bankers. Knowing how this was done gave us a keen sense of what the main creditor, the bank, needed and the timetables, all mainly dictated by bank regulators. Our relationship with workout managers at various lenders gave us the ability to buy a little more time since the banker now was confident there was someone on the team that knew what was at stake and what was needed.
While the fractional CFO field has become more intense, we have continued to enjoy the keys to our success, namely not only being controllers and CFO’s, but bankers and creditors as well. Specializing in balance sheet structure, finding trapped cash, working capital, finance, risk assessment and mitigation and notably succession planning has made Sheehan Financial stand out in this crowded field. This is what makes theCFOsystem so unique.
tom sheehan
our founder
The day I entered my profession in commercial banking, the prime rate hit 20 ¼%. I thought nothing could be worse until six months later it rose above 21%. I thought this was the worst of times, but they were not. I realized as a commercial loan officer how much I wanted to “advise” my clients. But alas, I could not as a secured creditor. But that urge overcame me and I moved to “the other side of the table” and have been advising and assisting businesses (mostly small to mid-sized entities, many family operated); and Sheehan Financial was born.
I became a fractional CFO before the phrase was even invented. I have not only been able to help numerous entrepreneurs achieve their dreams and goals, but have kept many from going out of business. My analytical training, good business sense and great mentors provided me with this framework of success.
I have had the good fortune of working with the largest of firms as well as the one person operation. I have assisted many startups, successfully brought companies through workouts, assisted in dozens of successions and even guided a firm through Chapter 11. I have reduced financial risk for many firms while improving bottom line results – always paying for my fees and even exceeding them with cost savings, improved margins and lower financial risk. I have also had great experiences working in so many industries including manufacturing, contracting, service, wholesale, non-profit, automotive, retail and commercial real estate.
I have had the pleasure of working with a number of associates who assisted me and hope like my mentors did, passed on some valuable tips. At this stage of my career, I think this is becoming the most important part of my work and I have spent more time not trying to control trade secrets, but sharing them.
That’s me in a nutshell. You may think that’s a lot of bragging, but I have been told the “about” page of your website is the only place this is permissible. So don’t find me talking about myself outside of this page since I am more interested in YOU.
What we do
everything business finance
Financial analysis – vertical, horizontal, trend, variance, breakeven, activity based, benchmarking
Balance sheet structuring
Forecasting and Risk assessment
Succession
Business valuation
Strategic planning and management systems development
Working capital
Cash flow and liquidity
Treasury management
Banking, credit and financing
Turnaround management
areas of expertise
Manufacturing and fabrication
Service industry/Professional Practices
Non profit
Construction and Contracting
Warehouse and distribution
Wholesale
Retail
what we do not do
Bookkeeping and accounting*
Payroll and human resources*
Taxes*
Investment advice*
Insurance*
Employee Retirement plans*
Personal financial planning*
*While we know a great deal about these issues and they are part of our review and recommendations, they are highly specialized relying on internal and external professionals to actually manage each.
Sheehan Financial Group Companies
cfo and succession management
turnaround specialists
capital and loan specialists