282 Phil McGilvray - Money Boss: How Entrepreneurs Can Take Control of Their Finances

Are you running a fast-growing SaaS company but feel like your finances are a mystery? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, financial literacy coach Phil McGilvray breaks down the five (sometimes six) essential numbers every founder needs to track monthly to simplify cash flow, reduce stress, and finally build a financially sound business.

Phil shares how to set up a clean bank account structure, what most financial advisors miss, and why your business's financial system should function like a cascade—where money flows with intention, not chaos.

Key Takeaways

00:00 – The 5-6 numbers every entrepreneur must track

02:00 – Why most founders fail financially (and don’t know it)

06:00 – Why financial advisors rarely teach true financial literacy

09:00 – The real-world cash flow numbers you must track

12:00 – Why P&Ls are misleading and what to use instead

15:00 – The simple monthly process to take control of your finances

18:00 – How over hiring and scaling too fast kills profit

21:00 – The “cascade” method of managing business money

25:00 – Upfront vs monthly payments: pros and cons

28:00 – Why most SaaS founders overcomplicate their finances

32:00 – Building a business that can scale and survive

36:00 – Mindset shifts for building a sellable SaaS company

44:00 – What every founder should understand about money

Tweetable Quotes

“If you don’t pay yourself, you’re building someone else’s dream on your own dime.” — Phil McGilvray

“Your P&L says you made a profit, but your bank account tells the truth.” — Phil McGilvray

“Treat your business finances like a cascade: overflow comes only when the first pool is full.” — Phil McGilvray

“Financial literacy isn’t about complexity. It’s about consistency and clarity.” — Phil McGilvray

“The right bank account structure is worth more than a finance degree.” — Phil McGilvray

“SaaS founders don’t fail because of bad products. They fail because of bad financial planning.” — Jeff Mains

SaaS Leadership Lessons

Track the Right Numbers Monthly – Revenue, expenses, taxes, salary, cost of goods sold, and what’s left are the only numbers that matter for clarity.

Pay Yourself First – If you’re not paying yourself monthly, you don’t have a real business—you have an expensive hobby.

Your P&L Doesn’t Tell the Full Story – Big purchases, taxes, and salaries are often missing from P&L reports, so use bank statements for reality.

Set Up a Clean Cascade System – Think of your finances like cascading pools: operating → reserves → growth/investment.

Simplicity Wins – You don’t need complex tools or endless accounts—just one operating, one reserve, and one tax account will do.

Growth Without Guardrails Is Risky – Scaling without building cash reserves makes your business fragile in downturns.

Guest Resources

Email - phil@grandmasjars.com

Website - http://philmcgilvray.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/phil.mcgilvray.9

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-mcgilvray-profit-and-cash-flow-strategist-58734a25/

The Cash Flow Fix - https://mybook.to/thecashflowfix

Free Training - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mf4fP_YMZDheK729mmCoP2GD5ypGB7qz0OeObWUBkRM/edit?usp=sharing

Entrepreneur community - https://www.skool.com/thrive-with-purpose-5477/about

FB page - https://www.facebook.com/phil.mcgilvray.9/

Episode Sponsor

Small Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel’

Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/

SaaS Fuel Resources

Website - https://championleadership.com/

Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmains

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/

Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains