Courtesy of Capital CFO+
By Christine Graf
After two decades of working in the non-profit sector, Schenectady native Sabrina Houser established Capital CFO+ in 2017. The Saratoga Springs-based company provides business management solutions to companies and non-profits of all sizes.
“We focus on five key areas–accounting, marketing, administrative services, business management services, and non-profit management services,” said Houser. “Our services include human resources, payroll, recruitment, grant writing, and leadership training.”
Prior to opening her own company, Houser was the CEO and CFO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region. It was while working there that she came up with the idea of opening her own business.
During the past seven years, Capital CFO+ has experienced rapid growth. Houser now has 40 employees, all of whom work remotely as well as on-site with clients. Her staff includes five directors, each director responsible for one of the five services the company offers.
According to Houser, Capital CFO+ has a diverse client base, one that is split equally between companies and non-profits.
“Our clients include doctors, lawyers, construction companies, and property management companies. On the non-profit side, we have youth organizations, historic organizations, and foundations. We also have a couple of universities that partner with us for their foundations.”
Each one of the company’s clients has unique needs, enlisting Capital CFO+ for as many or as few hours as necessary.
“I used to say somebody that didn’t need anybody over 20 hours a week would be a good potential client for us, but during COVID, people would hire us to cover several people in a department,” said Houser. “Some people might use us for sixty-five hours a week, and other clients that are very small might use us for five hours a month.”
According to Houser, the company schedules intake meetings with all prospective clients.
“During the intake, we learn about their company and what their needs are–what they want to outsource and what they want to keep internally. From there, we build a customized statement of work for them.”
For those clients that need multiple services, the company bundles their packages, making them more affordable.
“Clients sign on with us in two different ways,” said Houser. “They can pay a flat monthly rate or buy a bank of hours from us. Clients are able to add and take away from their statement of work at any time, so it’s a living document between us.”
By enlisting services from her company, Houser said clients can save money, improve efficiency, and have access to specialized services they are unable to provide in-house.
“Our clients can have a marketing team, they can have an HR team, they can have an accounting team, they can have an admin team,” said Houser. “They get to have a professional that’s working on their business or nonprofit which is a huge advantage to them.”
As Houser continues to grow her business, the labor market has made hiring qualified employees difficult.
“We are always in a growth phase, and I would like to see us grow a little bit more nationally while still keeping our roots in the Capital Region. We aim to hire two people a month, but hiring has been a struggle,” she said.
For more information, visit www.capitalcfollc.com