A full order book, an empty account
The business was profitable on paper but chronically short of cash, drawing on an overdraft every month to cover payroll despite a full order book.
Business Advisory
Growth plans that survive contact with your bank statement.
We work alongside owners and finance teams to turn ambition into a funded, fundable plan — not a slide deck that gathers dust after the strategy session.
01
Why owners bring us in before a bank or investor
Advisory built to hold up under scrutiny
ARGUMENT 01
We read the numbers the way lenders do
Most advisory firms present growth strategy in isolation from financeability. We build every recommendation with the assumption it will eventually sit in front of a credit committee or investor, so it holds up when it matters.
ARGUMENT 02
We stay after the report is delivered
Strategy work is billed as an engagement, not a one-off document. We sit in on the first two quarters of execution, adjusting the plan as actual numbers come in rather than disappearing after the handover meeting.
ARGUMENT 03
We know the South African funding landscape
From IDC and NEF applications to bank asset finance and private equity terms common in the Western Cape market, we've prepared the underlying financials for all of them and know what each actually checks.
02
One client, one problem, real numbers
Paarl-based metal fabrication business, 34 staff
A full order book doesn't mean a healthy business. Here's the shape of the problem, the work we did, and what changed.
Rebuilding the costing model
We rebuilt the costing model per project, found that two client contracts were priced below true cost once material waste and rework were included, and restructured payment terms with the three largest debtors.
From overdraft to asset finance
Overdraft dependency eliminated within eight months. Gross margin improved from 11% to 19% on comparable work, and the business secured asset finance for a second CNC machine using the restated financials.
03
What clients say once the plan works
Direct feedback from the shop floor
Dastivo didn't tell us to work harder or cut costs generically — they showed us, line by line, which of our own contracts were quietly bleeding cash. That's a different kind of consulting.
RB
Rian Botha
Managing Director, Botha Fabrication
Next step
Ready to see your business the way a lender would?
Book a diagnostic session — we'll review your last six months of management accounts and flag where the plan and the cash flow disagree.