Stop Growing Broke: How August Advisory Helps Entrepreneurs Master Cash Flow

Growth is exciting for any entrepreneur..more sales, more customers, more opportunities. But if your business is profitable on paper and still feels strapped for cash, there’s a good chance you’re “growing broke.”

Josh Tejkl, founder of August Advisory, LLC, is on a mission to change that. As a Fractional CFO and Cash Flow Coach, Josh works with entrepreneurs and owner-operators to transform how they manage money, measure success, and create lasting value within their companies.

A Strategic Partner for 12 Months and Beyond

Working with August Advisory means committing to a 12-month consulting engagement that digs deep into the financial engine of your business. Every engagement includes:

• Full Onboarding Session to get clear on your numbers and goals.

• Mission, Vision, and Values Development so decisions align with your purpose.

• Company KPI Design to measure what matters most.

• Cash Flow Modeling, Planning, and Forecasting to anticipate challenges before they happen.

• Consistent and Structured Reporting for total transparency.

• Monthly Financial Statement Reviews to keep performance on track.

• Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) Analysis to measure efficiency.

• Risk Management Planning to safeguard against the unexpected.

The August Advisory Difference

Unlike traditional accounting services that focus on the past, Josh helps leaders look forward to create proactive financial strategies that balance growth, profitability, and liquidity. The result is a business that runs efficiently, funds its own growth, and generates lasting shareholder value.

Stop growing broke. Start building a business that grows stronger with every sale.

📧 Email Josh at [email protected] or visit augustadvisory.co to get started.

Local Acquisition News | Ballas Family Extends Dealer Kingdom West to Swanton 🚘️ 

McNeill Chevrolet in Swanton just became Ballas Chevrolet—a low-profile deal that adds a second GM rooftop to the Ballas family’s footprint and underscores why dealer math still works in 2025. The deal took effect on August 4th, 2025.

What changed (and when)

• The Swanton store is now branded Ballas Chevrolet at 220 W. Airport Hwy, Swanton, OH 43558; the site, contact page, and marketplace listings already reflect the new name.

• Local coverage has been minimal; a short item from The Village Reporter acknowledged the acquisition and rebrand in early August. Social posts show signage going up and teams in place.

Who’s behind it: Marianne Ballas 

• Owner/Operator, Ballas Buick GMC (Toledo) a fixture on W. Central Ave. She purchased the dealership in 2004 and has been a visible leader (GM Women’s Retail Network, honors including a TIME Dealer of the Year nomination). With Swanton, the family now operates two GM rooftops locally (Buick/GMC in Toledo; Chevrolet in Swanton).

• Legacy context: After George Ballas’ passing, Marianne moved into the owner-operator role. The Blade covered that transition two decades ago.

• There are so many more achievements, we will route y’all to here to keep reading about Marianne and her INCREDIBLE accomplishments.

• To finish this section off… Marianne is a NATIONAL leader and holds many ‘firsts’ in a male dominated industry. Congratulations, Marianne and Ballas family, keep going.

Why the deal matters (follow the money)

Even as new-car grosses normalize from pandemic highs, the economics of a well-run store are still compelling:

• Profits remain elevated vs. pre-COVID: 2024 average pre-tax profit per dealership ≈ $4.0M, roughly double 2019 levels, per Haig Partners’ Q4 2024 report. Public groups are tracking near $1.0M pre-tax per store per quarter in recent quarters. haigpartners.com

• Scale and consolidation continue: The 2024 buy–sell market hit another record; 438 transactions, 697 franchises sold. With large groups growing revenue per rooftop above the NADA average. Translation: well-capitalized operators are still buying. kerriganadvisors.com

• The revenue base is huge: NADA pegs franchised dealership sales in the hundreds of billions annually with ~17k rooftops. That’s a big pie, and fixed ops (service/parts) plus F&I keep earnings resilient even when front-end margins cool.

Local implications (Northwest Ohio lens)

• More GM service capacity in the western arc (Swanton/Whitehouse/Wauseon) and a cleaner Chevy/Buick-GMC split across two rooftops for inventory and marketing. Watch for cross-store offers and unified back-office efficiencies.

• Jobs and vendor spend: Rebrands typically come with sign/lot refresh, digital spend, and reconditioning volume; quiet but real dollars flowing through local contractors and media. (We’ll chase county filings and headcount updates as they post.)

How dealers make money in 2025 (30-second sidebar)

• Front end: New/used vehicle gross is down from peak but still healthy for the best operators.

• F&I: Per-vehicle finance & insurance remains a major earnings pillar. (Haig’s quarterly reads show publics holding strong here.)

• Fixed ops: Service/parts is the ballast—stable, high-margin, and growing off a larger in-operation base. NADA mid-year data shows service/parts in the tens of billions.

What to watch next

1. Leadership moves between the two stores

2. Inventory mix/pricing changes (especially trucks/SUVs)

3. Local ad footprint Whether Ballas consolidates buys and retargets Metro Toledo + Fulton/Lucas/Wood shoppers

4. Community presence in Swanton (sponsorships are a tell).

Unsolicited Opinion | Streaming Services 🎟️

With the recent TKO Group deal with Paramount/CBS (aka the UFC deal), a lot of people are declaring that “Pay-Per-View is dead.” I think that’s a shortsighted take and honestly, it’s brilliant marketing by the streaming giants.

Let’s talk streaming for a second… Netflix keeps it clean. No “add-ons” (aside from nudging you to “add more people” for a fee), and at least they don’t charge you extra for a show inside Netflix after you’ve already paid for Netflix.

Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV? Whole different game. You pay monthly just to access a catalog… of stuff that costs even more money.

Here’s the thing—these companies know exactly what they’re doing. They didn’t kill Pay-Per-View, they just rebranded it. Now you “subscribe” to the service, and the add-ons sneak in later. It might feel cheaper, but you’re still paying and maybe sometimes more than before. These companies don’t make these switches if the dollars don’t make sense.

Either way, congrats to TKO Group and Dana White. Anytime you close a $7.7B sale, it’s a good day.

Money Confessional | Sheetz Employee Stacking Brick by Brick

Meet a 27-year-old Sheetz gas station attendant who’s turning steady paychecks and a strong work ethic into a slow-but-sure plan for the future. Thanks to the benefits at work, they’ve been able to enroll in technology courses at a local community college. An investment in skills they hope will pay off big down the road.

🚗 Living Situation: Renting a modest apartment, driving the same well-worn sedan everywhere.

“I keep things simple. Cheap rent, reliable wheels, and minimal extras. I’d rather save where I can and keep my debt low.”

💵 Household Income: $58K total.

It’s a base wage plus benefits that help offset healthcare costs, making it possible to save.

“I don’t take the benefits for granted. They’re a big part of why I can afford school and still put something away.”

🍽 Favorite Splurge: Dinner at La Fiesta in Maumee.

“It’s cheap, it’s filling, and it’s my treat-yourself spot after a long week.”

💡 Biggest Financial Worry:

“Not having much of a safety net. I’m trying to build one, but between bills and classes, there’s not a lot of extra to stash away.”

💼 Other Income:

Occasional odd jobs; Facebook Marketplace, garage sale flipping, and basic yard work. The cash goes straight into savings.

🗣 Toledo Tip:

“Find a good mentor. One of my regular customers has been encouraging me for years, and it’s made a huge difference in how I think about money and life.”

📊 Net Worth: Around -$6K.

That’s mostly a small student loan balance and a little credit card debt.

“It’s not great, but every deposit to my high-yield savings account makes me feel like I’m moving in the right direction.”

📖 Budget Style:

Very frugal, manual tracking in a notebook and strict limits on extras.

“If it’s not rent, gas, groceries, or school, it has to be a really good reason to spend.”

🌱 Inspiration:

“I want a family someday, and I want to be ready for that. Financially, emotionally, and career-wise. Right now it’s about laying the groundwork.”