Bob Wells, CFO

Consulting CFO & Financial Advisor

Your financials are telling you something.
Most owners never find out what—until it’s too late.

You still have time to find out.

Most business owners are handed reports that show what happened. I look at what’s underneath—the structure that explains it—and tell you what’s coming before it becomes a problem.

Revenue is up. Cash is still tight. You can’t figure it out.

You’ve built something real—but your business runs because you show up. That’s not an asset. That’s a job.

The owners who sell well started preparing years before they were ready to leave. Every year you wait, that exit gets harder to pull off.

Only if you want to talk. Ask me a question

A conversation costs nothing. Clarity might be worth everything.

40+ Years in Finance
MBA University of Chicago
$5M–$75M Client Revenue Range
“Every business has a structure underneath the numbers that explains why things are the way they are. Most owners never see it—they just see reports. I dig beneath the surface so I can show you your hidden structure, and once you see it, everything changes.”

— Bob Wells

Got a question you haven’t asked anyone yet?

Most owners have one. Ask it here—every question is read personally, and the best ones become new articles.

What owners carry

The questions that don’t go away

You’re running a real business—but the numbers feel like a foreign language. You’re not sure if you’re actually profitable, whether you can afford that hire, or what your business is worth if you ever want to sell. These aren’t small questions. They’re the ones that keep you up at night.

Cash confusion

Profitable on paper, but watching the bank account with anxiety. You need a 13-week cash picture, not a monthly report.

Invisible revenue erosion

Something is eating your margins—but the reports don’t show you where. The structure underneath is hiding it.

The business that won’t sell

80% of businesses never sell. The structural problems that kill deals are all preventable—if you start early enough.

You built something real. The numbers should tell you where it’s going next—not keep you guessing.

The guide

40 years asking one question

Bob Wells, CFO and financial advisor

What’s the structure underneath?

That question has guided 40 years of work—international banking at UBS, a full-time CFO role (growing one company from $7M to $67M), and consulting engagements across industries ever since.

The question matters more than the credential. If something in your numbers doesn’t make sense, that’s exactly what’s worth working through together.

This site exists to share those lessons freely. If it raises a question about your own situation, the conversation is always open.

What working together looks like

It usually starts with a single conversation—no prep, no commitment, just your questions and my honest read on what your numbers are telling you. If there’s a fit, we typically meet several times a month. You bring the decisions you’re wrestling with; I bring the financial structure behind them. No long-term commitment. Most clients say the first thing that changes isn’t the numbers—it’s the confidence. My clients don’t pay me to get my attention—they pay me to stick around. You stop guessing and start knowing.

How it works

Three steps. No complexity.

Working with a CFO shouldn’t feel like a procurement process. Here’s exactly what it looks like.

1

A conversation

We talk about your business—where you are, what you’re trying to do, what’s getting in the way. No prep needed. No agenda except your questions.

2

Clarity on the structure

I show you what the numbers are actually telling you—the patterns underneath the reports, and where the real opportunities or risks are hiding.

3

Move forward with confidence

You make the big decisions—hiring, pricing, capital, exit—with a clear financial picture instead of a gut feeling.

Once you see the structure underneath your numbers, you stop reacting and start deciding.

What’s at stake

Two paths from here

Without clarity

— Flying blind on cash flow

— Margins eroding unnoticed

— Decisions made on instinct, not data

— A business that can’t be sold

With a clear picture

+ 13-week cash visibility

+ Revenue structure understood

+ Confidence in every major decision

+ Exit-ready from day one

Start here

What the numbers are actually telling you

40 years of financial patterns, shared freely. The best ones become the foundation for everything else.

What a CFO Actually Does

Not a bookkeeper. Not an accountant. A CFO sees the financial structure of the whole business—and what needs to change.

Read →

Budgeting and Forecasting

The difference between flying blind and seeing the road ahead. How a 13-week cash forecast changes everything.

Read →

Why 80% of Businesses Never Sell

Three structural problems that kill deals—and why they’re all preventable if you start early enough.

Read →

All articles

Cash Basis vs. Accrual Accounting

Two ways of looking at the same money. One shows you reality. The other can hide it.

Read →

Choosing Your Business Structure

LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp—the real differences, the tax implications, and the one question most owners skip.

Read →

S-Corp Owner Salaries

The IRS has a specific idea of what “reasonable” means. Getting this wrong can cost six figures.

Read →

Understanding Your Tax Obligations

Payroll, sales, income, franchise—what you owe, when you owe it, and the traps that catch people.

Read →

The One Thing That Doubles Your Valuation

It’s not revenue growth. It’s making yourself replaceable. The paradox that unlocks real enterprise value.

Read →

The Capital Stack

Six layers of acquisition financing. What each one costs you—in money, control, and flexibility.

Read →

Capital Stack for Buyers

How you pay for an acquisition determines whether you thrive or become a zombie. A buyer’s guide to structuring the deal.

Read →

Understanding SBA 7(a) Lending

The primary tool for acquisition financing—eligibility, viability criteria, and structural advantages.

Read →

AI for Business Owners

Skip the hype. A practical framework for where AI actually moves the needle—and the governance problem you already have.

Read →

What I Learned at ACQUICON 2026

Two days, 17 sessions, and a few ideas that stuck. Exit readiness, capital structure, AI governance, and the value of being in the right room.

Read →

What Clients & Colleagues Say

Real stories from business owners and professionals I’ve worked with.

“Client testimonial coming soon.”

— Name

Title, Company

“Client testimonial coming soon.”

— Name

Title, Company

“Client testimonial coming soon.”

— Name

Title, Company

Know Bob’s work? Share your experience →

Redstone Business Consulting Group

Hands-on financial leadership for your business—cash flow, growth, financing, and exit planning. If you need a CFO-level partner embedded in your operations, Redstone is where that work happens.

Visit Redstone BCG →
Landing Big Whales

A Houston-based B2B network built around strategic relationship-building for business owners and professionals. If you’re looking for your next referral partner, this is the room to be in. Learn about the Spiderweb Effect®.

Visit Landing Big Whales →

About Bob

My career started in international banking with UBS, managing Fortune 500 lending relationships from Chicago and New York. I’ve since worked as a full-time CFO—growing one company from $7 million to $67 million in revenue—and as a consulting CFO advising businesses across a range of industries.

I was born and raised in South America and am fluent in English and Spanish. I hold an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago and a BS in Finance from Brigham Young University.

Today I’m a Partner at Redstone Business Consulting Group, where I advise entrepreneurs on cash flow, growth, financing, and exit planning. My sweet spot is working with businesses in the $5M to $75M revenue range.

Career Arc

  • International Banking — UBS Fortune 500 lending in Chicago & New York, built from analyst to Director
  • CFO — QRI Group, Houston Oil & gas reservoir management. Grew revenue from $7M to $67M.
  • Consulting CFO & Advisor Advising businesses across multiple industries on growth, cash flow, and strategy
  • Partner — Redstone Business Consulting Group Current: helping owners manage cash, grow, finance, and plan exits

Education

MBA in Finance — University of Chicago
BS in Finance — Brigham Young University

Professional Affiliations

Redstone Business Consulting Group — Partner
CFO Leadership Council — Houston Chapter
The FENG — Financial Executives Networking Group
Vistage — Peer Advisory Group

Ready to see what your numbers are actually telling you?

A conversation costs nothing.

Clarity might be worth everything.

Only if you want to talk.