Real-world perspectives on building models that actually work in Australian business environments. We share what we've learned from working with diverse companies across Perth and beyond.
March 2025
I worked with a Perth hospitality group last month whose projections looked pristine on paper. But they'd missed seasonal variations specific to WA tourism patterns. Sometimes the gap between theory and practice teaches you more than any textbook.
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February 2025
Most startups build financial models for where they are now. Then growth happens and the model breaks. We've seen this pattern enough times to know it's worth planning for complexity you don't have yet.
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January 2025
A mining services company came to us after commodity prices shifted. Their single-path forecast couldn't adapt. Building multiple scenarios isn't about predicting the future – it's about preparing for different versions of it.
Read moreOver the past year, we've noticed companies moving away from rigid annual budgets toward more flexible quarterly reviews. Economic uncertainty has pushed finance teams to build models that can adjust quickly when conditions change.
This shift affects how we approach modeling – what worked in stable 2019 doesn't quite fit the variable environment businesses face now. Models need to accommodate pivot points without requiring complete rebuilds.
These aren't theoretical frameworks – they're methods we've refined through actual client projects across different sectors in Western Australia.
Service companies have different cash patterns than product businesses. We've developed approaches that account for project-based revenue cycles and variable operating costs that characterize consulting and professional services.
Many Australian businesses deal with USD transactions but report in AUD. Exchange rate fluctuations can significantly impact projections. Our models incorporate currency hedging scenarios and exposure analysis.
Companies transitioning from startup to scale-up phase need models that reflect changing unit economics and operational leverage. We focus on metrics that matter at each growth stage rather than one-size-fits-all approaches.
Running sensitivity analysis on every variable creates noise. We help identify the three or four factors that genuinely drive your business outcomes and model those relationships with appropriate detail.
Rowena Caldwell
Modeling Specialist
What We're Seeing in 2025
The finance teams reaching out to us this year are asking different questions than they did eighteen months ago. Less focus on aggressive growth projections, more interest in understanding their burn rate at various revenue levels.
I think this reflects broader market conditions – businesses want models that help them navigate uncertainty rather than just forecast a single outcome. And honestly, that's probably a healthier approach regardless of economic climate.
We're also seeing more interest in integrated models that connect financial projections with operational metrics. Companies realize that understanding the relationship between customer acquisition costs and lifetime value matters more than hitting arbitrary revenue targets.