“Without hesitation, I would strongly recommend FocusCFO to any organization considering the addition of senior financial leadership. Their support has been truly transformational for us as a company.”
– Justin Henry, President, Synergy Direct Marketing Solutions
Synergy Direct Marketing Solutions is a direct marketing agency that provides phone-based marketing solutions primarily to nonprofit organizations, helping them cultivate stronger connections with their donors.
“Nonprofit organizations are making the world a better place, so our work is focused on how we can give those organizations a better return on their investment,” said Justin Henry, president of Synergy.
Henry joined the company nearly 20 years ago, after working with the founder and CEO at a call center. He was moved by the founder’s vision to better serve clients and by the opportunity to help build something from the ground up.
The organization has grown considerably over the past two decades. Then, several years ago, the company began implementing EOS, the Entrepreneurial Operating System, which is a set of tools designed to help entrepreneurs better run their businesses. As part of that process, the company’s leaders began to realize they needed a greater focus on the organization’s finances.
“We’d never had a CFO within the organization, and with so much growth, we needed someone to come in and provide that guidance and thought leadership and help us see if we were doing the right things and making the right investments,” Henry said.
At first, Synergy considered creating a full-time, senior-level accounting/finance role within the business. Then, Synergy’s leaders heard about FocusCFO and realized they could bring someone in with a much higher level of experience at half the time and cost of a full-time hire. They did their research and met with John Busshaus, a fractional CFO serving the Greater Pittsburgh region.
It was a perfect fit, right from the start.
“Frankly, I think John’s an amazing human being, outside of what he’s doing for us as an organization,” Henry said. “With the things he’s helped us with – alongside having him on board as we implemented EOS – it’s been transformational for us as an organization.”
Busshaus’s work for Synergy over the past four years has been both tactical and strategic, he worked to:
“We had never formally established a comprehensive budget, which, admittedly, may seem surprising," Henry said. "John has been instrumental in creating and refining that process, and now it’s a solid, reliable framework.”
In addition, Busshaus has served as a trusted advisor on multiple topics, including personnel, processes (whether operational or financial), and strategic direction and decisions. “It’s been awesome to see how John’s work has made us focus more on ensuring that we’re focusing on the proper things in terms of driving sales and watching our costs,” Henry said. “It's brought a lot more clarity and visibility into everything we do.”
While Synergy has achieved financial success and admirable longevity, the organization had never taken the time to build a leadership team. The addition of Busshaus to the team inspired Synergy to begin that process, which allowed the company to take thoughtful and strategic action regarding which individuals to place in which roles.
In addition, the company has started to analyze its internal pricing models across the entire organization and conduct market analysis to determine whether Synergy’s offerings are priced right for the current marketplace. “John has taken a proactive lead in driving this process forward, engaging our business unit leaders and guiding both the market and internal cost/revenue analysis," Henry said. "He’s providing critical insights into how potential pricing changes could impact the business, helping us make more informed, strategic decisions.”
Busshaus is also working on a cash flow analysis for the organization to help Synergy’s leaders understand when is the right time to make future investments. “The growth we’re seeing as an organization has made it that much easier for us to try to invest ahead of the curve,” Henry said.
Justin has felt the impact of Busshaus’s work personally, as well.
“John has provided invaluable thought leadership and guidance to me both personally and professionally," he said. "Without hesitation, I would strongly recommend FocusCFO to any organization considering the addition of senior financial leadership. Their support has been truly transformational for us as a company.”