Case Study

Twelve|One

TwelveOne operates an All-Inclusive Package event services model, contracting vendors, collecting gross funds from couples, disbursing payments, and retaining a margin. Every event has its own financial lifecycle. Nothing about this fits standard accounting infrastructure.

CLIENT

Twelve|One

SERVICE

YEAR

2022-Present

Role

Financial architect & director

01 The Problem

The AIP model creates financial complexity that most accounting firms won't touch. Client funds had to be held separately from operating revenue. Deferred revenue and prepaid expenses don't align in timing. Every event, from booking to post-event reconciliation, was its own financial entity with its own lifecycle. There was no system. No chart of accounts had been built for this model. No way to separate what was owed to vendors from what was actually earned. Before the first events were live, TwelveOne needed a finance system built from the ground up.

Complexity factors

  • Large set of funds being held, with deliverables tied to each dollar

  • Complex vendor relationships and timing of payments

  • Minimal internal systems to track income & expense by project

  • Zero visibility into profitability until after event day

  • Cash flow was tight due to the seasonality of the industry

Complexity factors

Complexity factors

  • Large set of funds being held, with deliverables tied to each dollar

  • Complex vendor relationships and timing of payments

  • Minimal internal systems to track income & expense by project

  • Zero visibility into profitability until after event day

  • Cash flow was tight due to the seasonality of the industry

02 What We Built

We designed and built TwelveOne's entire financial architecture before they served their first client. Chart of accounts structured around the AIP model, with a heavy balance sheet focus. Policies governing how client funds move, when revenue is recognized, and how vendor payments are authorized and tracked. Operational tools were built to match the event lifecycle, from the moment a couple of books are received through final true-up. Every operational guardrail was in place before the first event went live.

Systems Built

  • Automations connected by project names between CRM, spreadsheets, and QuickBooks

  • Custom project-based audit log, tracking every payment, by vendor, with time stamps.

  • Stripe integration with QuickBooks Online to track deferred revenue by project

  • Vendor payment automation triggered from the audit log, into Ramp for payment

  • A revenue recognition policy that reflected their contracts to free up cash flow monthly, rather than after events.

Systems Built

  • Automations connected by project names between CRM, spreadsheets, and QuickBooks

  • Custom project-based audit log, tracking every payment, by vendor, with time stamps.

  • Stripe integration with QuickBooks Online to track deferred revenue by project

  • Vendor payment automation triggered from the audit log, into Ramp for payment

  • A revenue recognition policy that reflected their contracts to free up cash flow monthly, rather than after events.

03 What it did

From Day 1

TwelveOne launched with a solid financial foundation no retroactive cleanup, no catch-up work.

Operational Clarity

Every event's financial position is visible in real time, what's collected, what's owed, what's earned.

Built to Scale

The system handles volume. Whether running 10 events or 100, the infrastructure doesn't change.