Beyond Banking Advice: How We Engineer $4.10 in Returns for Every $1.00 You Invest

"Your Bank Works For You — Not the Other Way Around"

Every engagement starts from the position that the bank is a vendor, not an authority. We rebalance the power dynamic between business clients and their financial institutions, introduce competitive pressure through structured lender RFP processes, and ensure every basis point is earned. When a commercial account manager tells you "this is the best we can do," we know exactly how to test that claim — because three of our team members used to sit on the other side of that desk.

"Transparent Arithmetic"

Every recommendation comes with the numbers laid bare. If a banking relationship change saves you $47,000 annually, we show the math — line by line, basis point by basis point. We document every dollar in our 25–40 page Banking Relationship Scorecard, and our average client sees $4.10 in quantifiable returns for every $1.00 in advisory fees. That's not a marketing number — it's calculated from 18 years of engagement data across 120+ firms, and we'll show you the methodology during your preliminary assessment.

"Alberta-Built Pragmatism"

Rooted in Edmonton's boom-and-bust economic reality, we prize strategies that survive downturns, not just perform in expansions. Every recommendation is stress-tested against a contraction scenario — we model a 20–30% revenue decline, rising interest rates, and tightening credit conditions. Every credit structure is built for the cycle, not the moment. We learned this in 2008, we proved it again in 2015 when oil prices collapsed, and our clients weathered 2020 with zero covenant breaches because every facility had been engineered with exactly this kind of resilience in mind.

Banking Relationship Audit

Our signature engagement: a 25–40 page forensic scorecard covering 14+ banking products — from operating line pricing and merchant processing fees to foreign exchange markups and payroll service costs. We benchmark every product against current market data from Big Five banks, credit unions, and alternative lenders.

Timeline: 4–6 weeks. Typical findings: $15,000–$200,000+ in annual savings.

Credit Facility Structuring

End-to-end credit advisory — from initial financial packaging through term sheet negotiation to closing. We prepare applications the way adjudicators want to see them: clean financial summaries, covenant sensitivity analysis, sector risk context, and management narrative. The result is a 94% approval rate, compared to roughly 65% for business-prepared applications.

We speak adjudication — because three of our team came from commercial banking.

Treasury & Cash Management

Operating account architecture, automated sweep structures between operating and high-interest accounts, 13-week cash flow forecasting models, and disbursement timing optimization. We redesign how cash moves through your firm — reducing idle balances, eliminating redundant accounts, and capturing interest income most professional firms leave on the table.

Typical annual value: $20,000–$80,000 for professional firms with $5M+ in revenue.

Lender Selection & RFP

We maintain current pricing intelligence across Big Five banks (RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC), ATB Financial, Servus Credit Union, Connect First, and 12+ alternative lenders. When it's time to move — or when you need leverage to stay — we run a structured RFP process with side-by-side term sheet comparisons, hidden fee analysis, and relationship continuity assessment.

Average savings on a lender switch: 35–70 basis points on primary facilities.

Covenant Compliance Monitoring

Quarterly dashboards tracking debt service coverage, current ratio, tangible net worth, and every other covenant in your facility agreement. We provide early-warning alerts 60–90 days before a potential breach, pre-negotiate amendments with your lender when needed, and document a remediation plan so you're never caught off guard by a demand letter.

Result: Zero covenant-triggered facility calls among monitored clients since 2012.

Growth-Stage Banking Architecture

Forward-looking 3–5 year banking design for firms in acquisition mode, adding partners, or expanding geographically. We architect staged credit facilities that scale with revenue milestones, payroll infrastructure that handles multi-province compliance, multi-entity account structures, and digital banking platform selection tailored to your operational workflows.

Ideal for: Firms between $3M–$50M in revenue planning material growth.

Marc-Étienne Bouchard

Former Deloitte Financial Advisory Services. 18 years negotiating credit facilities for professional firms. Personally led engagements representing over $1.6 billion in renegotiated facilities across Western Canada.

"Ask me about: Why your bank's 'competitive' rate probably isn't"

Danielle Fréchette

Former commercial credit analyst at RBC and ATB Financial. Designed the firm's 14-point Banking Relationship Scorecard methodology — the deliverable clients consistently say is worth the retainer alone.

"Ask me about: The 14-page scorecard clients say is worth the retainer alone"

James Okafor

Specializes in multi-lender strategies and coordinated renegotiations. Led a single engagement where 22 professional firms collectively saved $1.3M by pooling leverage and negotiating as a cohort — a first in Alberta's advisory landscape.

"Ask me about: How 22 firms saved $1.3M in one coordinated renegotiation"

Priya Venkatesh

Leads all treasury optimization and cash management engagements. Deep expertise in cross-border banking structures for Canadian professional firms with U.S. operations — including dual-currency accounts, hedging strategies, and IRS reporting compliance.

"Ask me about: Cross-border banking for Canadian firms with U.S. operations"

A 28-partner law firm in Calgary was paying 65 basis points above market on a $12M revolving facility. Our Banking Relationship Audit identified the gap, and a structured renegotiation closed it within 8 weeks.

Across all credit applications we've prepared since 2007, 94% have been approved as submitted — versus approximately 65% for applications prepared by businesses without advisory support. The difference is in the packaging.

22 professional firms across Edmonton and Calgary pooled leverage in a coordinated renegotiation led by James Okafor — the largest single advisory engagement in our firm's history.

We listen. A 30-minute call where you describe your current banking relationships, frustrations, and goals. No pitch. No pressure. We're assessing fit — for both sides.

We identify. Based on what you share, we determine whether we can help — and if so, which of our 10 advisory services are most relevant to your situation.

We show you the math. Within 5 business days, you receive a written preliminary assessment outlining potential savings, recommended engagement scope, and a clear fee estimate. If the numbers don't justify the engagement, we'll tell you — and we'll explain why.