Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Downes.
Hi Jim, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story begins early on in my career when I was a CPA. At the time, I was doing what most accountants do: look at the past. But when my client came to me and asked, “What should we do differently next year?”, it opened my eyes to the opportunities accounting and finance professionals have to drive growth by using data-driven insights to drive strategic decision-making.
This realization set the stage for my future work with future-focused business leaders and entrepreneurs. Over my many years in business, I continued to revisit the idea that great accounting could serve as a roadmap for the future. Ultimately, this led to me founding Blueprint CFO, a future-focused fractional CFO and accounting firm headquartered in Newport Beach, in 2019. Since then, the company has grown to a team of seven CFOs (and counting!) and several A-level accountants, all focused on helping our client companies achieve their profitability goals. We serve clients both within California and nationally.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Entrepreneurship comes with obstacles and challenges that can only be truly understood through experience. When I first started out as a business owner, I believed clients would gravitate towards my firm based on my track record, and I underestimated the amount of intentional work that is needed to gain traction in the marketplace. I quickly understood that the phone would not ring without equal efforts on my part to make the call. Through my journey, I have come to understand the importance of patience and persistence. By being proactive and taking consistent, strategic actions in the direction of Blueprint’s goals, these initial challenges have transformed into insight and opportunity.
We’ve been impressed with Blueprint CFO, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Blueprint CFO is a future-focused fractional CFO and accounting services firm based in Orange County, California. Partnering with entrepreneurial companies to guide and support them on their road to success, Blueprint CFO equips clients with the Profitability Roadmap® they need to grow. Strengthening accounting departments across industries and offering entrepreneurial growth companies the data-driven insights they need to achieve their growth goals, Blueprint CFO serves as a profitability partner for businesses on a growth trajectory.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
My love for Los Angeles and Southern California began when I was hired to be a fractional CFO for a company based in Santa Monica, while I was living in Detroit, Michigan. In this role, I flew out to California every other week. I was amazed by the vibrancy of the California business environment, with such a large percentage of US products and services originating in California. I wanted to be a part of the action, so I made the move in 2009. When I relocated, I didn’t know many people or have much of a California-based business network, but this quickly changed. Fourteen years later, my Southern California network is way stronger than the network I had back in Michigan. What I like the least about Los Angeles is the amount of homelessness in the area. I wish that the city would do more to design adequate spaces for the homeless population to seek shelter and have their basic needs met.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BlueprintCFO.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blueprintcfo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueprintcfo
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blueprintcfo/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@blueprintcfo
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/6criticalfunctions/
Image Credits
Michelle Fairless Photography
