Outsourced CFO & Accounting Services in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Financial leadership for the Yachting Capital of the World. Expert outsourced finance for marine industry companies, tourism operators, international trade businesses, and construction firms navigating project-based revenue, multi-currency transactions, and Florida's unique insurance and tax landscape.
The Fort Lauderdale Business Landscape
Fort Lauderdale has earned its title as the Yachting Capital of the World, and the numbers behind that claim are extraordinary. Broward County's marine industry supports more than 50,000 jobs and generates over $12 billion in annual economic impact, making it the largest marine industry cluster in the United States. The city's extensive canal system—over 300 miles of navigable waterways—provides direct ocean access for thousands of vessels and supports an ecosystem of custom yacht builders, refit and repair yards, marine electronics companies, brokerage firms, charter operators, and marine supply distributors that has no equivalent anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.
But Fort Lauderdale's economy extends far beyond the waterfront. Port Everglades is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world and a significant cargo facility, driving tourism and international trade activity. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport serves as a major gateway for both domestic and Latin American travel. The healthcare sector is anchored by Broward Health, Holy Cross Health, and Cleveland Clinic Florida, with medical tourism adding an international dimension. Real estate development and construction remain perpetually active in a market where population growth, aging infrastructure, and hurricane remediation create constant demand. And Fort Lauderdale's role as a trade gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean means hundreds of import/export companies, freight forwarders, and international services firms call Broward County home.
For business owners managing $5M to $50M in revenue, Fort Lauderdale offers a business-friendly environment—no state income tax, a large and diverse labor pool, and access to international markets—but the industries that dominate here create financial management challenges that are genuinely unique. Project-based marine revenue, seasonal tourism cycles, multi-currency international transactions, and Florida's escalating property insurance costs all demand finance leadership that understands the specific dynamics of doing business in South Florida.
$12B+ Marine Industry
Economic Impact
Largest marine cluster in the U.S.
50,000+ Jobs
Marine Sector
Across Broward County
Port Everglades
Trade Gateway
Top cruise & cargo port
Marine Industry Finance: Project-Based Revenue and Long Production Cycles
The financial management of a marine industry company in Fort Lauderdale bears more resemblance to construction or aerospace manufacturing than it does to typical service businesses. Custom yacht builds can span 18 months to three years, with contract values ranging from $5M for a 60-foot sportfisher to $50M or more for a large motor yacht. Major refit projects at yards along the New River and in Dania Beach can last six months to a year, with scopes that evolve as work progresses and hidden issues are discovered. In both cases, the accounting method matters enormously: percentage-of-completion revenue recognition requires careful tracking of costs incurred against estimated total costs, and getting those estimates wrong can create dramatic swings in reported profitability that mislead owners and alarm lenders.
Cash flow management in marine project work is equally demanding. Progress billing milestones are typically tied to construction milestones—keel laying, hull completion, engine installation, sea trials—and the timing between these milestones can be uneven. Material procurement for marine projects often involves long lead times for specialized components like marine engines, navigation systems, and custom hardware, requiring deposits months before revenue is recognized. Subcontractor payments for specialized trades—marine electricians, painters, upholsterers, teak workers—create additional cash demands that must be carefully timed against progress billing receipts.
For a marine company managing $5M to $30M in annual revenue across multiple simultaneous projects, the finance function must provide project-level profitability analysis that gives the owner visibility into which jobs are on track and which are eroding margin. It must manage cash flow across projects with different billing cycles and payment terms. And it must produce financial statements that accurately reflect the company's true economic position—something that is surprisingly difficult when large portions of revenue are recognized under percentage-of-completion methods and work-in-progress balances can represent millions of dollars.
International Trade and Multi-Currency Complexity
Fort Lauderdale's geographic position makes it the natural business gateway between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean. Hundreds of companies in Broward County operate as importers, exporters, freight forwarders, or trade intermediaries, moving goods between the U.S. and markets in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, the Caribbean islands, and Central America. Port Everglades handles containerized cargo, petroleum products, and cruise operations that connect Fort Lauderdale to ports throughout the Western Hemisphere. For companies engaged in this trade, the accounting complexity goes well beyond basic bookkeeping.
Multi-currency transactions create foreign exchange exposure that must be tracked, hedged, or at minimum reported accurately. A marine parts distributor selling to yacht owners in Europe invoices in euros; a food exporter shipping to the Caribbean quotes prices in U.S. dollars but pays local suppliers in multiple currencies. Customs duties, import tariffs, and broker fees must be allocated to the correct inventory lots for accurate cost-of-goods-sold calculations. Letters of credit, trade finance facilities, and international wire transfers each carry fees and timing considerations that affect cash flow. And the documentation requirements—commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, customs entry forms—create an administrative burden that can overwhelm a small finance team.
For growing trade companies, the financial risks of getting this wrong are significant. Foreign exchange losses on unhedged positions can wipe out the margin on an entire shipment. Incorrect customs valuations can trigger audits and penalties. And the inability to accurately track the landed cost of imported goods means pricing decisions are based on incomplete information, leading to either underpriced sales that destroy margin or overpriced offerings that lose customers to better-informed competitors. Finance leadership that understands international trade accounting is not optional for companies in this market—it is foundational.
Tourism Seasonality and Hospitality Finance
Fort Lauderdale's tourism economy follows a pronounced seasonal pattern that creates cash flow management challenges for every business dependent on visitor spending. Peak season runs from November through April, when snowbirds, holiday travelers, and spring breakers fill hotels, restaurants, and attractions. The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October kicks off the high season, and the city's position as a primary embarkation point for Caribbean cruises out of Port Everglades sustains year-round tourism activity. But summer months bring a meaningful drop in occupancy rates, average daily rates, and restaurant covers—particularly August and September, which also coincide with the peak of hurricane season.
For hospitality companies managing $5M to $30M in revenue—whether hotel operators, restaurant groups, event companies, or charter boat operations—this seasonality creates a fundamental financial management challenge. Peak season revenue must cover not only peak season operating costs but also build sufficient cash reserves to carry the business through four to five months of reduced demand. Labor management is particularly difficult: Fort Lauderdale's tight hospitality labor market means laying off trained employees during the slow season risks losing them permanently, so many operators carry higher year-round labor costs to maintain their workforce.
Financial planning for seasonal businesses requires 13-week rolling cash flow forecasts that provide week-by-week visibility into liquidity positions. It requires seasonal credit facilities structured to provide working capital during low-revenue months and repay during high-revenue months. And it requires pricing strategy that maximizes revenue per available unit during peak season without alienating the local customer base that sustains the business year-round. A finance partner that understands South Florida's seasonal dynamics can build the forecasting and cash management infrastructure that prevents a profitable annual business from experiencing a liquidity crisis in September.
Florida's Property Insurance Crisis and Business Continuity Planning
Every business owner in South Florida has felt the impact of the state's property insurance crisis. Commercial property insurance premiums in Broward County have increased by 40% to 100% over the past three years, driven by a combination of increased hurricane exposure, litigation abuse in the claims process, and the exit of major carriers from the Florida market. For companies operating waterfront properties—marine service yards, restaurants, hotels, and retail businesses along the Intracoastal Waterway and the beach—insurance costs have become one of the largest line items in the operating budget, sometimes rivaling or exceeding rent.
The financial implications extend beyond the premium itself. Deductibles for named storms are typically 2% to 5% of the insured value, which means a business insuring a $10M property faces a $200,000 to $500,000 out-of-pocket exposure before insurance coverage kicks in. Business interruption coverage, which protects against revenue loss during hurricane-forced closures, has become more expensive and more limited in scope. And the process of filing and collecting on a hurricane damage claim can take months or even years, creating cash flow gaps that can threaten the survival of an otherwise healthy business.
Finance leadership for Fort Lauderdale businesses must incorporate insurance cost analysis into strategic planning. This means modeling the total cost of risk—premiums, deductibles, uninsured exposures, and business interruption scenarios—and building cash reserves or credit facilities sufficient to bridge the gap between a hurricane event and insurance recovery. It means evaluating whether self-insurance for certain risks is more cost-effective than purchasing increasingly expensive coverage. And it means ensuring that financial statements and projections accurately reflect insurance costs so that pricing, profitability, and growth planning are based on realistic assumptions rather than last year's lower premiums.
Real Estate Development and Construction
Fort Lauderdale's real estate market operates in a state of perpetual activity. Condominium development along the beach and Intracoastal, mixed-use projects in downtown Fort Lauderdale and Flagler Village, commercial construction in the Cypress Creek and Sawgrass corridors, and institutional projects for hospitals and schools create a diverse pipeline of construction work. The city's building code requirements—particularly wind resistance standards for structures in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone—add cost and complexity that contractors and developers in less exposed markets never encounter.
For construction companies managing $5M to $40M in revenue, the financial management demands are substantial. Construction draw management requires precise tracking of completed work against the approved draw schedule, with documentation sufficient to satisfy both lenders and general contractors. Project profitability analysis must account for the impact of material price escalation clauses, change orders, weather delays, and the cost of compliance with Florida's construction defect statute, which imposes potential liability for up to 10 years after project completion. Bonding capacity, which gates the size and volume of projects a contractor can pursue, is determined by financial statement quality and working capital position.
Developers face their own set of financial complexities. Pre-construction sales contracts for condominium projects create deposit escrow management obligations governed by Florida statute. Construction loan draws must be coordinated with actual progress, and cost overruns can trigger loan covenant violations that halt a project mid-construction. Pro forma modeling for development projects requires assumptions about construction costs, absorption rates, and capitalization rates that are particularly volatile in South Florida's cyclical real estate market. A finance team that understands these dynamics can help developers and contractors navigate the financial complexity without losing sight of profitability.
What Growing Fort Lauderdale Businesses Need from a Finance Partner
The thread connecting Fort Lauderdale's diverse industries is complexity. Marine companies deal with project-based revenue recognition and multi-year production cycles. International trade businesses manage multi-currency transactions and customs compliance. Hospitality operators navigate seasonal revenue swings that can create liquidity crises for poorly managed businesses. Construction companies juggle draw schedules, bonding requirements, and long-tail liability exposure. And every business in South Florida faces the reality of escalating insurance costs and hurricane risk. These are not problems that a basic bookkeeper or a generic accounting firm is equipped to handle.
A finance partner serving Fort Lauderdale businesses needs to bring industry-specific expertise to each engagement. That means understanding percentage-of-completion accounting for marine and construction companies, building cash flow models that incorporate seasonal tourism patterns, managing the foreign exchange and customs reporting requirements of international trade, and quantifying insurance and business continuity risks in financial projections. It also means understanding Florida's tax environment—no state income tax, but sales tax, tangible personal property tax, commercial rent tax, and documentary stamp taxes that collectively represent a meaningful cost burden that must be planned for.
Many Fort Lauderdale business owners operate multiple related entities. A marine services entrepreneur might own a boatyard, a marine electronics distribution company, and a charter operation under separate LLCs. A hospitality group might operate hotels, restaurants, and event venues with shared management services. These multi-entity structures are common in South Florida's entrepreneurial market, and they require consolidated financial reporting, intercompany transaction management, and strategic planning that evaluates the portfolio holistically rather than managing each entity in isolation.
Scale Your Fort Lauderdale Business with Confidence
Get finance leadership that understands marine industry accounting, international trade complexity, seasonal tourism cash flow, and South Florida's unique business environment. We work with Fort Lauderdale businesses from $5M to $50M in revenue.