In this exclusive CanadianSME Small Business Magazine interview,Aman Tagore, Founder of Reach Accounting & Tax Professional, shares how she helps business owners move beyond traditional reporting to make more confident, strategic financial decisions. Drawing on over 20 years of experience in accounting and advisory services, she explains how a personalized and insight-driven approach enables entrepreneurs to gain clarity on financial performance, improve operational efficiency, and uncover opportunities for sustainable business growth.
You spent years in corporate finance before founding Reach—what was the pivotal moment that convinced you small and mid-sized business owners needed a different kind of accounting and advisory partner?
The turning point for me was noticing a pattern I couldn’t ignore. On paper, many businesses looked profitable but the owners didn’t feel successful. They were stressed, unsure about their decisions, and constantly worried about cash.
Coming from corporate finance, I was used to using numbers as a tool to plan ahead, reduce risk, and guide strategy. But in the small business world, I saw owners getting reports without real guidance. The numbers were accurate, but they weren’t helping them make better decisions.
That gap is what led me to start Reach.
I realized business owners don’t just need compliance—they need clarity. They need someone who can translate their financials into plain language, help them spot issues early, and give them confidence in their next move.
At the end of the day, when owners truly understand their numbers, everything changes. They stop reacting to problems and start running their business with intention. And that’s where real growth happens.
Reach positions itself as strategic financial guidance rather than traditional bookkeeping—how is your work different from standard compliance accounting, and what does that look like in a client’s day-to-day reality?
Traditional accounting tends to focus on the past—filing taxes, closing the books, and making sure everything is compliant. That’s important, but it doesn’t help much when you’re trying to make decisions today.
At Reach, we focus on what’s ahead.
Instead of only looking at year-end reports, we work with clients throughout the year. We sit down regularly to review their numbers, talk through what’s happening in the business, and plan for what’s coming next.
In real terms, that means helping a business owner understand questions like:
“Can I afford to hire?”
“Is this new investment going to put pressure on cash?”
“What happens if sales slow down next quarter?”
We also help identify inefficiencies and risks early—before they turn into bigger problems.
For our clients, this means their financials aren’t just something they look at once a year. They become a practical tool they use every month to make better, more confident decisions. And that’s where accounting starts to feel valuable, not just necessary.
Many owners see strong sales and “profit” on paper but still feel constant cash pressure—why do profitable businesses so often struggle with cash flow, and what are the first numbers you ask clients to look at differently?
This is one of the most common frustrations we hear: “We’re making money—so why does it feel so tight?”
The issue is that profit and cash are not the same thing.
You can show a profit on paper, but still struggle with cash because of timing. Maybe you’ve invoiced clients but haven’t been paid yet. Meanwhile, payroll, rent, inventory, and loan payments all need to be paid now.
Growth can also make things tighter. More sales often mean more upfront costs—and if that’s not planned for, it puts pressure on cash.
The first thing we shift is the focus from profit to cash flow.
We look at when money is actually coming in and going out. That includes receivables (who owes you), payables (what you owe), and how long cash will last.
We also dig into real margins—what’s left after all your operating costs.
Once owners can clearly see their cash position, things start to click. Instead of feeling like they’re always behind, they can plan ahead, make smarter decisions, and run the business with a lot more confidence.
You work closely with healthcare professionals and other owner-led businesses who are highly skilled in their field but often overwhelmed by financial decisions—what do you wish every business owner understood about clean, optimized financials before growth really takes off?
One thing I wish every business owner understood early is this: growth magnifies everything.
If your financials are messy or unclear now, they won’t fix themselves as you grow—they’ll just become bigger and harder to manage.
Clean, well-organized financials aren’t just about staying compliant. They’re what allow you to make smart decisions as your business expands.
That means knowing your margins, understanding what’s actually driving your costs, and keeping a clear separation between personal and business finances. Without that, it’s very hard to know if you’re truly profitable or ready to invest in growth.
We often work with highly skilled professionals—especially in healthcare—who are excellent at what they do, but haven’t been given the tools to understand their numbers.
When financials are set up properly early on, everything becomes easier. Hiring decisions are clearer, cash flow is more predictable, and even accessing financing becomes smoother.
It’s really about shifting the mindset—seeing your financials not as a task, but as a tool that supports every major decision you make.
You’ve helped clients move from audit stress, vendor pressure, and 80-hour weeks to stable cash flow and real breathing room—what practical steps can a business owner take this quarter to move from reacting to crises toward using their financials as a tool for clarity, confidence, and more sustainable growth?
The good news is, moving from reactive to proactive doesn’t require complicated changes—it starts with a few simple steps.
First, make sure your financials are clean and up to date. If the numbers aren’t accurate, it’s very hard to make good decisions.
Second, build a habit of reviewing your numbers monthly. This keeps you connected to what’s happening and prevents small issues from becoming bigger problems.
Third, create a simple cash flow forecast for the next 3–6 months. It doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to give you visibility into what’s coming in and going out.
From there, focus on a few practical areas:
- Follow up on receivables so cash comes in faster
- Understand which costs are fixed and which you can adjust
- Track a few key metrics that matter to your business
Most importantly, shift how you think about your financials. They shouldn’t just tell you what happened—they should help you decide what to do next.
When you start using your numbers this way, decisions get clearer, stress goes down, and your business becomes much more stable.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. Our platform is dedicated to fostering dialogue and sharing insights that inspire and empower small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.
