Anian Clothing Ltd. – Outsourcing Accounting and Finance with Carter Consulting
Case Study
Anian Clothing Inc., a Victoria, BC-based sustainable apparel brand, specializes in eco-friendly, high-quality outdoor clothing. Founded in 2014, Anian has grown rapidly in the tech-driven e-commerce space, leveraging direct-to-consumer sales and a strong online presence to scale. By 2024, the company faced increasing financial complexity, including cash flow management, tax compliance, and investor reporting, which strained their small in-house team. Seeking a scalable solution, Anian partnered with Carter Consulting - Big League Finance to outsource their entire accounting and finance function through the Prosper Package.
Challenge
Anian’s rapid growth brought challenges that their lean team couldn’t efficiently handle:
Complex Bookkeeping
Managing high-volume e-commerce transactions, inventory costs, and multi-currency sales required meticulous bookkeeping.
Cash Flow Strain
Seasonal sales cycles and heavy inventory investments led to unpredictable cash flow, especially during peak production months.
Compliance and Reporting
GST/HST filings, payroll taxes, and investor-ready financials demanded expertise to avoid penalties and maintain transparency.
Leadership needed data-driven insights to optimize pricing, forecast growth, and prepare for a Series A funding round in 2025.
Strategic Planning
Leadership needed data-driven insights to optimize pricing, forecast growth, and prepare for a Series A funding round in 2025.
Staffing Overload
Solution: Carter Consulting’s Prosper Package
Anian engaged Carter Consulting’s Prosper Package, a comprehensive outsourcing solution tailored for tech and e-commerce startups. Inspired by the offerings at HealthCrunchCPA.ca, the Prosper Package provided end-to-end financial management, allowing Anian to focus on innovation and growth. Key components included:
Daily transaction categorization, bank reconciliations, and inventory cost tracking using cloud-based QuickBooks Online.
Full-Suite Bookkeeping
Automated payroll for 25 employees, GST/HST filings, and T4/T5 preparation, ensuring CRA compliance.
Payroll and Compliance
Monthly financial statements, including profit and loss, balance sheets, and cash flow forecasts, tailored for board and investor presentations.
Financial Reporting
Strategic guidance on pricing, budgeting, and fundraising, with quarterly cash flow projections and KPI dashboards.
Fractional CFO Services
Implementation of Plooto for streamlined accounts payable/receivable and Reach Reporting for real-time analytics.
Technology Integration
Dedicated controller to oversee audits, manage budgets, and ensure GAAP-compliant financials.
Controller Oversight
Implementation
Carter Consulting onboarded Anian in March 2024 with a structured transition:
Assessment
Analyzed Anian’s existing financial processes, identifying inefficiencies in manual bookkeeping and gaps in tax compliance.
Tech Setup
Migrated Anian to QuickBooks Online, integrated Plooto for payments, and deployed Reach Reporting for dynamic dashboards.
Process Overhaul
Automated payroll via ADP and streamlined AP/AR workflows, reducing processing time by 60%.
Developed a 2024-2025 cash flow forecast, pinpointing April 2025 as a high cash flow month due to spring inventory purchases, and advised on GIC withdrawal timing.
Strategic Planning
Assigned a dedicated bookkeeper and fractional CFO, with weekly check-ins and monthly financial reviews.
Ongoing Support
Value-Added Support
The Prosper Package delivered transformative benefits, aligning with Anian’s tech-driven, growth-focused ethos:
Automation and outsourcing cut financial management time by 75%, freeing leadership to focus on product design and marketing campaigns.
Time Savings
Eliminated the need for a $120,000/year in-house CFO and $80,000/year accounting staff, saving Anian over $200,000 annually.
Cost Efficiency
GAAP-compliant financials and polished investor decks impressed Basecamp Fund, accelerating due diligence for a $2M seed round.
Investor Confidence
Quarterly KPI dashboards and pricing analysis increased gross margins by 8% through optimized product pricing.
Scalable Insights
Timely GST/HST filings and payroll tax submissions avoided $15,000 in potential CRA penalties.
Compliance Assurance
Fractional CFO guidance optimized cash reserves, deferring a planned GIC withdrawal from April to June 2025 to align with cash flow peaks.
Proactive Strategy
Carter’s controller trained Anian’s operations manager on financial literacy, enhancing internal decision-making.
Team Empowerment
Results
By April 2025, Anian Clothing Inc. saw measurable outcomes from outsourcing to Carter Consulting:
Operational Efficiency
Reduced payroll processing time from 12 to 4 hours biweekly, a 67% improvement.
Financial Clarity
Monthly reports and real-time dashboards provided 100% visibility into cash flow and profitability.
Growth Readiness
Secured $5M in working capital funding in Q1 2025, with stakeholders citing Carter’s financial reporting as a key factor. This primes Anian for an international expansion into the US and Europe.
Cut paper-based processes by 90%, aligning with Anian’s eco-friendly mission through cloud-based workflows.
Sustainability
Deferred GIC withdrawal saved $10,000 in opportunity costs, with forecasts projecting 15% revenue growth in 2025-2026.
Strategic Agility
Client Testimonial
“Carter Consulting’s Prosper Package was a game-changer for Anian. Their team not only handled our books but became our strategic partner, giving us the confidence to scale and impress investors. We couldn’t have closed our seed round so quickly without their expertise.”
–Sarah Thompson, CEO, Anian Clothing Inc.
Why Carter Consulting?
Carter Consulting - Big League Finance delivers tech-savvy, flexible financial solutions for innovators like Anian. The Prosper Package combines elite bookkeeping, compliance, and CFO-level strategy, all powered by cloud technology and tailored to the e-commerce and tech sector. Ready to streamline your finances and fuel growth? Contact us HERE to explore the Prosper Package today.