People Who Build Financial Clarity
We're a small group based in St Thomas who actually care about making event budgets less stressful.
Started in 2018 when three of us realized there had to be a better way than spreadsheets and crossed fingers. Now we help event organizers across Ontario plan budgets that don't fall apart halfway through.
How We Work
We Think Budget Planning Should Make Sense
Most budget tools are either too simple or way too complicated. We're trying to find the middle ground. Something you can actually use without a finance degree, but sophisticated enough to handle real events with moving parts.
Our approach comes from working with community festivals, corporate retreats, and fundraisers. We've seen what goes wrong when budgets don't account for the unexpected – and there's always something unexpected.
We don't promise perfect predictions. But we can help you build budgets with enough flexibility that a last-minute venue change or weather backup plan doesn't sink everything.
What Matters to Us
Honest Numbers
We won't tell you your budget is fine when it isn't. Sometimes the hard conversation early saves a disaster later. Our job is clarity, not cheerleading.
Real-World Testing
Every feature we add gets tested with actual events. If it doesn't work in practice, it doesn't make it into the platform. Theory is great, but execution matters more.
Teaching as We Go
We'd rather spend time explaining why something works than just doing it for you. You'll learn more, and your next event will be easier because of it.
Local Focus
We know Ontario vendors, seasonal pricing quirks, and permit costs. That local knowledge makes a difference when you're estimating realistic expenses.
Flexible Systems
Events change. Budgets should keep up without requiring a complete rebuild. We design for adaptability because rigid plans break under pressure.
No Hidden Complexity
If you need to understand how a calculation works, you should be able to see it. No mysterious algorithms or black-box formulas. Just transparent math.
Why Most Event Budgets Fail (And How to Prevent It)
After helping plan over 200 events between 2020 and 2025, we've noticed patterns. The budgets that work share certain characteristics. The ones that don't? They make predictable mistakes.
The Optimism Problem
First-time event organizers almost always underestimate costs by 15-25%. Not because they're careless, but because they don't know what they don't know. Permit fees, insurance riders, delivery charges, overtime rates – these add up fast.
We started building contingency recommendations into our platform after watching too many great events struggle in the final weeks. A good rule: add 20% for unexpected expenses, then try to prove you don't need it.
Real Example from 2024
A client planned a 150-person corporate retreat. Original budget: ,000. They didn't account for audio equipment delivery, last-minute dietary accommodations, or the fact that the venue charged extra for weekend setup. Final cost: ,400. Their 15% contingency covered most of it, but just barely.
Fixed vs. Variable Costs
Venue rental is fixed. Catering costs scale with attendance. Sounds obvious, but we've seen organizers treat everything as fixed and then panic when attendance exceeds expectations.
Build your budget with two scenarios: minimum viable attendance and realistic maximum. If the numbers only work at maximum attendance, you're taking a big risk.
The Payment Timeline Issue
Cash flow matters as much as total budget. You might have enough money overall, but if three major invoices hit the same week and ticket sales come later, you've got a problem.
We map out payment schedules for every client. When deposits are due, when vendor invoices arrive, when you can expect revenue. It prevents ugly surprises and helps with planning credit terms or temporary funding needs.
What We Learned
One community festival in 2023 had a solid budget but terrible timing. They paid deposits in January, major expenses in March, but most ticket revenue didn't arrive until May. They needed a short-term loan they hadn't planned for. Now we flag those timing gaps in advance.
Lead Budget Strategist
Torsten Viklund
Torsten joined us in 2019 after spending six years managing budgets for music festivals across Ontario. He's the person who figures out where your budget might break before it actually does.
He's particularly good at spotting hidden costs – those little expenses that don't seem important until you realize you've spent ,000 on things you forgot to budget for. His background in festival production means he understands the chaos of live events, not just the spreadsheet theory.
Between October 2025 and March 2026, Torsten is developing our new scenario planning feature, which lets you model different attendance levels and see how they affect your bottom line. Should be available to clients by spring 2026.
- Festival and large-event budgeting
- Vendor negotiation strategies
- Revenue forecasting models
- Risk assessment and contingency planning
- Multi-currency event budgets
- Sponsor package development