Paris and James Williams, Next Level Financial, on Fractional CFO Services for Commercial Real Estate Firms (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 960)
In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Paris and James Williams, co-founders of Next Level Financial, a fractional CFO firm based in Suwanee that works specifically with commercial real estate service businesses. Paris and James are return guests, and they dig into the financial challenges that firms in this space face, particularly around unpredictable cash flows tied to the project-based nature of real estate development.
James walks through why cash management is so acute for these firms: payments come in through a draw process that is anything but consistent. Projects start, stop, and stall, and firm owners often manage fixed costs and payroll against a revenue stream they cannot predict. One client, coming off a strong run from 2022 through 2024, had never seen a cash flow forecast laid out for their business before Next Level Financial put one together. The owner’s reaction, James says, was that they had never seen anything like it.
Paris and James also describe what it means to tell the story behind the numbers. In a recent meeting with a bank, James used a month-over-month accounts receivable chart and a days-sales-outstanding metric to explain why a low accounts receivable balance was actually a sign of financial strength, not weakness. That framing helped the banker understand the firm’s business model well enough to take the case to his supervisor.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
- Commercial real estate service firms face a distinct cash flow problem: payments arrive through a draw process tied to project milestones, creating gaps that can threaten payroll and operations even when business is growing.
- Doing “bank account forecasting,” checking the balance and assuming things are fine, is a common pattern Next Level Financial sees when first engaging with new clients. A proper cash flow model replaces that guesswork with scenarios and projections.
- Telling the story behind financial data matters when approaching banks or investors. In one meeting, James used a days-sales-outstanding chart to reframe a low accounts receivable balance as evidence of faster collections, not weak revenue.
- Next Level Financial uses a five-level Financial Health Assessment to evaluate new clients, ranging from financial crisis to financial excellence, and to identify which foundational practices are missing.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:20 John Ray introduces Paris and James Williams and Next Level Financial
01:54 How Paris and James describe fractional CFO services to people unfamiliar with the term
03:00 James’s background and what drew him to commercial real estate finance
05:45 Why Next Level Financial focuses specifically on commercial real estate firms
07:45 The cash flow challenge unique to real estate service businesses
12:00 A client that had a strong 2022-2024 run and then hit a slowdown; their first cash flow forecast
14:20 The “bank account forecasting” pattern and what it costs business owners
16:00 Working with developers who have outside investors and banking partners
18:30 What “telling the story” behind financial data means
19:00 The bank meeting: using an accounts receivable trend chart and days-sales-outstanding to make the case
24:25 The Financial Health Assessment: five levels from financial crisis to financial excellence
27:00 Symptoms that tell a business owner it’s time to call Next Level Financial
28:50 A client wanting to buy assets and the cash flow analysis that redirected the decision
31:40 Paris shares how to get in touch with Next Level Financial
Paris Williams, CEO, Next Level Financial
Paris Williams is a former teacher and school principal who transitioned into the financial world. In 2022, she joined forces with her husband James to build Next Level Financial, a fractional CFO company focused on serving the commercial real estate industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree from UC Berkeley.
James Williams Jr., CFO, Next Level Financial
James Williams Jr. is co-founder and lead Chief Financial Officer of Next Level Financial. He has over two decades of experience in accounting and finance, beginning his career at a Big Four accounting firm before working across large global organizations, small businesses, and multiple industries. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. His in-house experience in commercial real estate development, investment, and asset management is what led Next Level Financial to focus specifically on that sector.
Next Level Financial
Next Level Financial is a fractional CFO firm based in Suwanee, Georgia, focused on advancing entrepreneurial companies in the commercial real estate space. The firm provides CFO services to commercial real estate service businesses, helping them move from reactive to proactive financial management through a proprietary CFO system designed for small and mid-sized businesses. Next Level Financial works primarily with CEOs and founders in the Atlanta Metro area with revenues in the $5 to $20 million range who want better data to understand and run their businesses.
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
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Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio
Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.
Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.
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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
Approaching 1,000 episodes and having featured over 1,400 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their respective markets, communities, and professions. There is no discrimination based on company size, and there is never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, which is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
You can find the entire archive of shows by following this link. The show is accessible on all major podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the author of the five-star-rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.
Host Cathy Hogan
