Interview with a Dealmaking Accountant — Revenue is Vanity, Cashflow is King
Revenue is Vanity. Cashflow is King. This interview with a dealmaking accountant who has built an accountancy group through acquisition is a masterclass in what actually matters after you buy a business.
He's not just any accountant — he's walked the walk, building his own group through acquisition. Now he advises other business buyers on turning their acquisitions into profitable additions to their business empires. He understands the numbers from both the operational and dealmaking perspectives.
This conversation cuts through the noise. You'll learn why top-line revenue gets all the attention while cashflow determines whether you survive and thrive — and how the smartest dealmakers focus relentlessly on the latter.
Revenue looks impressive on slide decks and at networking events. But cashflow is what pays your bills, services your debt, funds your next acquisition, and ultimately determines whether your business empire stands or falls. The dealmaking accountant doesn't just say this — he's proven it by building his own group through acquisition.
The dealmaking accountant's framework for understanding which numbers drive real business value
The headline number. Looks great on stage. Tells you nothing about whether the business is actually healthy.
The real metric. Pays your bills, services debt, and funds your next acquisition. This is what keeps you alive.
Before you buy, ask one question: Does this business generate enough cashflow to pay for itself? If the answer is yes, you have a deal worth pursuing. If not, no amount of revenue will save you. The best acquisitions are self-funding — the business pays for its own purchase price over time through strong, predictable cashflow.
