Get ready for the bank, the buyer, or what's next.
Fixed-fee financial leadership for owner-led companies, especially commercial and service contractors. From a former commercial credit underwriter who knows what the credit committee will ask.
WHO WE HELP
Privately held, owner-led businesses that have outgrown their bookkeeper but don't need a full-time CFO.
We work with commercial mechanical and electrical subcontractors; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing and electrical service firms; and other owner-led companies across Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
Most clients are facing one of these moments:
Selling or passing on the business in the next one to five years
A bank request: a new loan, a renewal, a refinance or a tight covenant
A bonding limit that is holding back bigger jobs
Growth that is straining cash
WHAT WE DO
Practical financial leadership
Bankability and Value Diagnostic
In two to three weeks, a lender's-eye review of your last three years: what your earnings really are, whether a bank or buyer would back them, and a 90-day fix list.
Readiness Projects
We fix what the bank, surety or buyer will find: earnings recast, cleanup with your bookkeeper and CPA, a 13-week cash flow forecast, and a credit package written the way a credit officer reads it.
Fractional CFO
A monthly finance rhythm: cash forecasting, budgets, covenant tracking, lender and CPA coordination, and a roadmap to a stronger exit.
Justin Breitenstein, CFA
Rickhouse Advisory was founded by Justin Breitenstein, CFA, to give owner-led businesses the financial leadership that bankers and buyers expect.
With more than 15 years of experience in commercial credit underwriting, business banking and institutional asset management, Justin understands what lenders look for, what gets questioned and how to prepare businesses for important financial decisions. His approach is straightforward: fixed fees, independent advice and practical financial leadership that works alongside your existing CPA, attorney and banker — not in place of them.
Justin is a CFA Charterholder, a designation earned by passing three rigorous exams covering investment analysis, financial reporting, and ethics. He also holds an MBA from the University of Louisville and a bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance from the University of Kentucky.
The name Rickhouse reflects a simple philosophy: lasting value is built over time, through discipline and thoughtful decisions.
Justin Breitenstein, CFA
Founder · Rickhouse Advisory
Why Rickhouse Advisory
Years on the credit side of the table. We know what gets approved and what gets questioned.
You know the cost upfront. No hourly meter, no success fees.
Independent
Works with your team
We never take commissions from lenders, brokers or buyers.
We support your CPA, attorney and banker; we don't replace them.
The lender's view
Fixed fees
WHY NOW
New SBA rules took effect October 1, 2026
Buyers using an SBA loan can now borrow based on your last full year of actual, documented earnings, checked against bank statements and tax records. A clean last year is now one of the most valuable things a seller can own.