CASE STUDY: How an Artist Went From Financial Chaos to Total Clarity in 90 Days With Proximity Outsourcing
“It felt like the other shoe was always about to drop.”
Background
Before working with Proximity Outsourcing, Cat Coquilette — a talented artist and creative entrepreneur — was building a thriving business… but behind the scenes, her financials were a ticking time bomb.
The year we started working with her, her financials weren’t updated. Income and expenses lived inside an old Excel sheet.
And although she had QuickBooks, the subscription level was wrong, meaning her books couldn’t track the details her growing business needed.
Cat was overwhelmed, frustrated, and had that nagging founder feeling that many creatives secretly deal with: “Something is slipping… and I don’t know what it is.”
She didn’t know her profit per offer. She dreaded tax time. And with messy data, making strategic decisions felt like guessing.
THE PROXIMITY INTERVENTION: The First 90 Days That Changed Everything
When our Proximity Bookkeeper came in, we followed a proven system:
STEP 1 — Diagnose the chaos.
We met with Cat to understand every gap: her tools, her income streams, her current tracking, and all missing pieces.
STEP 2 — Get the right infrastructure.
We upgraded her QuickBooks subscription to the correct plan so her financials could finally be tracked with accuracy and depth.
STEP 3 — Clean up the past.
The Fulfillment, Operations, and Inventory teams were each using separate spreadsheets and ad-hoc tracking files. This fragmentation made it hard to identify bottlenecks, detect discrepancies early, or gain a clear picture of what was in production, in transit, or on shelves.
STEP 4 — Rebuild her books with clarity and structure.
We organized every bank transaction, cleaned the categories, and aligned everything to the reality of Cat’s business.
Within weeks, things clicked.
THE TURNING POINT: Clear Books, Clear Mind
By Week 2, momentum skyrocketed.
Our bookkeeper had already built a complete understanding of Cat’s business model — and had reconciled several of her bank accounts.
She reorganized how income was recorded so Cat could finally understand:
- What’s actually profitable
- Which offers were performing best
- Where expenses were leaking
- What her upcoming cashflow really looked like
In short:
Cat saw her business for the first time with entrepreneur eyes, not just artist eyes.
THE 90-DAY TRANSFORMATION
Within just 90 days:
✅ All 2025 financials were fully updated and reconciled
From January to the present — everything was cleaned, organized, and accurate.
✅ A real financial foundation was built
We implemented proper categorization, a monthly reconciliation rhythm, and a reporting flow that helps her make confident financial decisions.
✅ She now has a clear, reliable view of her business projections
No more guessing games. No more fear around numbers.
✅ She gained full visibility into her profitability per offer
So she can price, plan, and grow strategically — not emotionally.
✅ Tax season is no longer a source of panic
Everything is clean. Everything is documented. Everything is ready.
✅ She finally feels in control of her business
Not like the business is controlling her.
Cat also shared that what surprised her most was how smooth and fast the process felt…she expected pain and overwhelm, but instead got peace, clarity, and proactive support.
Ready to hire a talented bookkeeper or Finance Officer for your agency or fast-growing online business? Book a quick chat with our team here.
Why Proximity Outsourcing?
This case study highlights how partnering with Proximity Outsourcing to provide an experienced outsourced Operations Manager can transform a growing business’s operations from fragmented to fully synchronized. If your company is facing:
- Rapid demand surges and inventory uncertainty
- Fragmented processes that slow down fulfillment
- Lack of consolidated data for accurate forecasting
- Supplier communication gaps that lead to delays
…then Proximity’s specialized managerial talent can help you build the processes, tools, and cultural alignment necessary to scale confidently.
Ready to achieve the Cat Coquilette level of operational excellence?
Contact Proximity Outsourcing today to learn how our outsourced managers can quickly diagnose pain points, implement robust systems, and deliver sustainable improvements—so your business can focus on growth, not grunt work.