Business advice, finance & systems
An experienced adviser alongside the owner. Practical support with business decisions, cashflow and a more effective finance function.
Explore this service ↗Business advice · Finance · Tax · Insights
Practical advice.
For business owners.
We work alongside owners to resolve business challenges, manage finance and tax, and understand what drives performance. Experienced advice, clear insights and hands-on support to help you move forward.
Explore our services ↓Support where it matters.
Commercial thinking. Practical action.
Data, reporting & business insights
Connect financial and operational data to understand costs, margins and performance. Automated reporting, dashboards and practical apps built around your business.
Explore this service ↗Tax advice & practical support
Help with ongoing obligations, unexpected tax bills and audits. We take ownership of the response and deal directly with the ATO.
Explore this service ↗Capital & transaction advisory
Experienced leadership through capital raisings, acquisitions and business sales, with specialists and execution capacity brought in when needed.
Explore this service ↗Vietnam outsourcing & resourcing
Additional capacity through our Vietnamese office. Practical resourcing options to support your accounting, finance, data and reporting needs.
Explore this service ↗An adviser alongside you
Focused on privately
owned businesses.
We work with privately owned and owner-managed businesses across industries, typically with annual turnover of $10 million to $100 million. We stay close to the owner, understand the detail and help turn complex issues into practical next steps.
Led by Andrew Smith, a Chartered Accountant and registered tax agent, Casal focuses on the needs of privately owned businesses and the people behind them. We combine broad finance, tax and commercial experience with a hands-on approach to the decisions and challenges owners face.
Our team brings together finance, tax, data management and analytics capabilities. Where a matter needs specialist expertise or additional capacity, we bring in the right people and remain closely involved.
The people behind Casal
Our team.
Practical support for privately owned businesses, with a focus on understanding the owner, the numbers and the way the business works.
Andrew Smith
PrincipalAndrew is a Chartered Accountant and registered tax agent who works closely with private business owners on finance, tax and commercial decisions. His background includes corporate finance at Ernst & Young, senior audit experience, capital raising and transaction leadership. He brings practical judgement and takes ownership of issues, involving specialist advisers where needed.
Linh Nguyen
Senior AdvisorLinh is an ICAEW-qualified Chartered Accountant (ACA) and studied at Foreign Trade University in Vietnam. Her focus combines accounting, data and analytics with a CFO perspective—connecting financial reporting and business performance to the decisions owners need to make. She brings analytical thinking and practical judgement to understanding the numbers and what they mean for the business.
Jay De Lee
Senior AdvisorJay De (JD) is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland, majoring in Accounting and Business Information Systems. His work focuses on data, accounting and analytics. Drawing on a background in corporate accounting and audit, he brings financial and operational information together to help clients understand performance and its underlying drivers.
Scott Morrison
Senior AdvisorScott is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA and a Master of Finance from Bond University. His focus is accounting, tax and compliance, helping clients maintain reliable financial information, meet their obligations and work through tax and accounting matters. Since joining Casal in 2018, he has supported clients across a range of industries.
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01 / Business advice, finance & systems
Stay close to the numbers. Move the business forward.
We work alongside owners as a trusted adviser, helping resolve the commercial and operational challenges that come with running a business. We get to know your priorities, stay close to the detail and help you find practical ways forward.
How we help
Ongoing owner support
A sounding board for decisions, cashflow pressures and broader business issues. We help you understand your options and coordinate the expertise needed to act.
Finance processes and systems
Automating recurring month-end entries and reconciliations, simplifying reporting and reducing manual work. We identify improvements and help implement them with your team.
Controls, risk and compliance
Clear responsibilities and practical controls that fit the business. We integrate risk and compliance into the way the finance function operates.
Interim finance support
Additional capacity and experience when needed, while identifying opportunities to make the finance function more efficient and reliable.
A clear view of what needs attention
Your monthly finance view.
Illustrative example · fictional figures and statusCash outlook · next 4 weeks$240kOpening cash
Expected receipts+$180k
Planned payments−$260k
Forecast closing cash$160k
Visibility of upcoming commitments helps the owner plan ahead.
Month-end progress
- ✓Recurring entriesAutomated and reviewed
- ✓Bank reconciliationsCompleted and checked
- !ExceptionsTwo items awaiting clarification
For the owner
Three matters to discuss
- Timing of a major customer receipt.
- Approval of upcoming equipment spend.
- Responsibility for outstanding month-end items.
Before
Repeated manual work
Recurring journals, spreadsheet handling and follow-up scattered across the team.
Improved process
Automation with review
Repeatable entries, reconciliations and a clear exception list, with named responsibilities and human oversight.
We shape the processes with your team. Adoption and consistent use turn the improvement into everyday practice.
In practice
Making month-end work better
Automating recurring accounting entries helps a finance team handle month-end more consistently. We work with the team on practical implementation, recognising that adoption and day-to-day use determine whether a solution delivers lasting value.
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02 / Data, reporting & business insights
See what is really driving performance.
We bring accounting records and operational information together to reveal what standard financial reports can leave hidden. Automated reporting and dashboards give owners a clearer view of their business, backed by reconciliation, validation and experienced commercial judgement.
How we help
Connected and reliable data
We connect data from MYOB, Xero, NetSuite and other platforms, combining financial records with labour, materials, production and resource-usage information. We warehouse data in Azure and align, reconcile and validate it to create a reliable foundation for reporting and analysis.
Reporting that answers business questions
We build automated reporting and dashboards in Excel, Power BI and Google Sheets, choosing the tools that suit your business. Owners can examine job profitability, cost rates, overhead recovery, team performance and results across locations.
AI-assisted analysis, human judgement
AI helps us explore trends and relationships. Our team validates the combined data, reviews the findings and tests their meaning with the people running the business.
Insights put to work
We discuss what the results mean with owners and their teams, connecting analysis to pricing, resource allocation and practical operational decisions.
Apps built around your business
We develop practical apps with clients to support their workflows, capture information and make reporting and insights easier to use. We work with your team to shape the solution around day-to-day needs and support adoption.
See the questions behind the numbers
A clearer view of performance.
An example of how we can bring financial and operational measures together. These are fictional figures, not client results or a live Power BI report.
Revenue$2.40mReporting period
Gross margin32%After direct costs
Labour / revenue28%Across all locations
Overhead / unit$18.40Allocated overhead cost
Which locations are converting sales into margin?
Gross margin by location · actual versus target
Where to look next
East is below the margin target. Review its sales mix, direct costs and labour usage to understand why.
Does the selling price cover the full cost?
Illustrative aggregate sale · cost per unit
| Materials and direct costs | $42.00 |
|---|---|
| Labour | $21.60 |
| Allocated overhead | $18.40 |
| Full cost per unit | $82.00 |
| Selling price per unit | $100.00 |
| Margin after allocated costs | $18.00 / 18% |
A practical pricing conversation
Understanding the full cost provides a basis for reviewing quotes, overhead recovery and the effect of changing volumes.
01 / Connect
Accounting, payroll, production and usage data.
02 / Validate
Reconcile records and check assumptions with your team.
03 / Interpret
Explore the drivers using analysis and commercial judgement.
04 / Act
Agree practical next steps with the owner and operational team.
In practice
Contracting: knowing the cost of sales
For a contracting business, we brought job profitability, labour efficiency and overhead rates into view through automated reporting. A clearer understanding of cost rates helped the owner confidently assess whether aggregate sales were making money.
Professional services: seeing underlying performance
Bringing together work in progress, billing and team information gave the owner detailed visibility of business performance that was difficult to see in standard reporting, supporting more informed decisions.
Multiple locations: understanding margin pressures
Power BI reporting connects revenue, payroll and site contribution, with forecast and prior-year comparisons. Management can see where performance is changing and focus its investigation.
Manufacturing: connecting costs with operations
We combine NetSuite general ledger data with materials, production, labour and usage information. Reconciliation and discussions with operational teams help validate the analysis and translate findings into practical insights.
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03 / Tax advice & practical support
A clear way through tax issues.
Tax matters can create uncertainty and take an owner’s attention away from the business. We help you understand the position, work through the options and put a practical response in place.
How we help
Ongoing tax and accounting support
Practical assistance with tax obligations, compliance and the tax implications of business decisions, alongside the accounting and financial information needed to understand your position.
Unexpected bills, audits and unresolved issues
We investigate what has happened, identify the information needed and help develop a response. You receive clear explanations and practical next steps.
One adviser taking ownership
We act as the main point of contact, deal directly with the ATO and coordinate other advisers involved. We keep you informed while taking the pressure out of managing the process.
Specialist expertise where needed
For complex technical matters, we bring in appropriate specialists and remain involved to connect their advice with your business and circumstances.
A clear point of contact
Taking ownership of the response.
From an unexpected tax bill to an audit or an unresolved issue, we help you understand the position and manage the next steps.
- 01
Understand the issue
Review the facts, records and correspondence. Explain what needs attention.
- 02
Work through options
Assess practical responses and bring in specialist advice where needed.
- 03
Manage the response
Deal directly with the ATO, coordinate advisers and keep the owner informed.
- 04
Resolve and follow through
Work towards resolution, explain the outcome and follow up on agreed actions.
One adviser coordinating the work.Clear explanations. Practical next steps. Less administration for the owner.
In practice
Taking an unexpected tax issue off the owner’s desk
When an unfamiliar tax issue or audit arises, we investigate the position, manage communication with the ATO and coordinate any specialist advice required. The owner has a clear point of contact and understands the next steps.
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04 / Capital & transaction advisory
Experienced advice at pivotal moments.
Raising capital or undertaking a transaction involves significant commercial decisions and intensive execution. We lead the advisory process, stay close to the owner and assemble the specialist expertise and resources needed to deliver the work.
How we help
Capital and commercial options
We help owners assess funding and transaction options, understand valuation and prepare the financial information needed to support informed decisions.
The detail that affects value
Working capital analysis, purchase-price adjustments and key contractual and commercial terms all influence the outcome. We help owners understand their implications.
Leadership and coordination
We represent the owner’s interests and coordinate M&A specialists, legal advisers and other experts, bringing in additional capacity for the intensive execution work.
Experience across the transaction
Andrew brings corporate finance experience at Ernst & Young and experience across capital raisings and transactions of varying scale. He applies that experience to the priorities of private business owners, helping them understand the options and the implications for their business.
Understand the detail behind the headline value
From business value to proceeds.
Illustrative share sale · fictional figuresA headline valuation is the starting point. Debt, cash and agreed working-capital adjustments can change the amount payable to shareholders.
$10.0mBusiness valueEnterprise value
−$2.0mDebtDeducted
+$0.5mCashAdded
−$0.3mWorking capitalShortfall to agreed target
$8.2mEquity proceedsBefore fees and tax
The commercial terms matter.We help owners understand valuation, working-capital targets and purchase-price adjustments, coordinating specialists through the transaction.
Simplified example only. Actual treatment depends on the transaction structure and agreed terms, including cash and debt definitions, working-capital mechanisms, retained amounts and other adjustments.
In practice
An experienced adviser alongside the owner
For a business sale or capital raising, we help assess options, prepare the business and review the financial and commercial terms. We lead the advice and coordinate the specialists carrying out the transaction, remaining closely involved through key decisions.
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05 / Vietnam outsourcing & resourcing
More capacity.
Support that fits your business.
Through our Vietnamese office, we can provide additional resources to support your team. We work with you to understand the tasks, skills and level of support required, then shape a practical arrangement around your business.
Where we can help
Accounting and finance support
Resourcing for bookkeeping, reconciliations, transaction processing and month-end preparation, helping your team manage recurring work and additional workload.
Data and reporting support
Additional capacity for data preparation, reporting and analytics, including work that supports your spreadsheets, dashboards and financial information.
Ongoing or project needs
Discuss support for recurring tasks, a defined project or a period of increased workload. We agree the scope and required capabilities with you before work begins.
Clear responsibilities
We work with you to define workflows, communication, review responsibilities and access to your systems. The arrangement should fit the way your team operates and make responsibilities clear.
Built around your needs
From workload to practical support.
- 01
Understand the work
Identify the tasks, required skills and capacity your business needs.
- 02
Agree the arrangement
Define the scope, responsibilities, review process and commercial terms.
- 03
Connect the teams
Set up agreed system access, workflows and communication.
- 04
Review and refine
Check how the support is working and adapt the approach as needs change.
Additional resources, with a clear purpose.Start with the work your team needs help with. We can discuss how our Vietnamese office could support it.
An example of how support could work
More capacity for recurring finance work
A business needs additional support with bookkeeping and reconciliations. Resources from our Vietnamese office can assist with agreed tasks, while review and escalation responsibilities are clearly defined with the client’s finance team.