Most teams treat annual planning like a spreadsheet exercise.

Finance builds the numbers. Everyone else nods along. Then the plan gets filed away until next year.

But real planning isn’t about producing a static budget – it’s about creating a rhythm that connects finance, operations, and delivery all year round.

In this episode of The Handbook: The Ops Podcast, Harv sits down with Adam Cooper, founder of ACC Finance Solutions and host of The Fractional CFO Show, to unpack how finance can become your business’s operating rhythm – one that brings clarity, accountability, and foresight to every decision.

Here’s what we cover:

• How to use finance as your sat nav, not your rear-view mirror
• Building a monthly rhythm that links financials, KPIs, and team accountability
• Creating a planning cycle that goes beyond budgets – with scenarios, reforecasts, and 3 - 5 year goals
• Managing cash flow and runway with discipline (and less stress)
• Why financial storytelling matters – and how it helps the whole business make smarter choices

If your annual planning still feels like a finance ritual, this episode will help you reframe it as an operating plan for the year ahead – one that helps your team navigate, adapt, and grow with confidence.

Additional Resources:

👉🏽 Follow Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfcooper/ 

💰 Check out ACC Finance Solutions: https://www.accfinancesolutions.com/ 

🎧 Listen to The Fractional CFO Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2275917/episodes 

👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/ 

📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity 

📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook 

➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you.