CEO BRIEF · ONE PAGE
Northcraft Studio
April 2026 · Agency
Composed from the reviewed close. Same facts as the management report — one page.
What happened
- Billable utilization slipped to 68% from 72% — the Calderon project wrapped before the next retainer staffed and two designers sat on bench for ~90 hours. At the effective rate that is ~$15K of unbilled capacity for the month.
- Retainer share rose to 54% of revenue from 49% — two project clients converted to monthly retainers, smoothing the lumpy project cycle. The worker booked the full annualized lift; the supervisor wanted to discount early-stage retainer churn risk, so the call routed to your inbox.
- DSO stretched to 52 days from 49 — a project client disputed a change-order line and held the final invoice, leaving $22K past 90 days. The retainer base still collects on time; the lumpiness is concentrated in the project book.
The numbers
Cash status
Cash-positive
Revenue
$560,000
+$14,000 · +2.6% vs plan
Monthly outflow
$498,000
+$10,000 · +2.1% vs plan
Gross margin
56.0%
DSO / DPO (days)
52 / 26
What to expect
Cash $286,000 today → $367,143 in week 13; the lowest point is $238,275 in week 4. No cash-floor breach inside the horizon.
What needs your decision
· Billable utilization slipped to 68% from 72% — the Calderon project wrapped before the next retainer staffed and two designers sat on bench for ~90 hours. At the effective rate that is ~$15K of unbilled capacity for the month. — You · 05 Jun