Most business owners do not need prettier dashboards. They need financial reporting that helps them make better decisions, faster.

In this episode of Leaders & Legacies, Craig talks with Salvatore Tirabassi about what founder-led and family-owned companies often miss in their finance function. Sal explains why useful reporting starts with a single source of truth, not another spreadsheet or visual layer on top of messy data.

The conversation centers on bringing private-equity-grade finance to businesses that are not ready to hire a full executive team. That means practical reporting, forecasting, calculators, and workflows that help owners see what is really happening in the business.

Sal also makes the case that reporting should not consume the month. When the process is built correctly, owners spend less time compiling numbers and more time analyzing what the numbers mean.

Craig and Sal get into the metrics owners should understand cold: minimum cash, revenue, EBITDA, customer acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, employee tenure, and turnover. These numbers are not just finance trivia. They shape hiring, growth, cash decisions, and the owner’s ability to see risk early.

They also discuss why a missed acquisition-cost target should not end with vague disappointment. The better question is where the funnel broke, what caused the miss, and what needs to change before more money gets poured into the same system.

Want to learn more about Salvatore Tirabassi's work? Check out his website at https://cfoproanalytics.com/.

Connect with Salvatore Tirabassi on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stirabassi/.

You can also reach Salvatore directly at [email protected].

Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://podcast.allies4me.com/podcast-guest/.