Launch and setup
Open on solid footing.
- Franchise vs. independent analysis
- Franchise due diligence (FDD review)
- Buying an existing business
- Entity and partner setup
- Licenses and filings
- Site, lease, and buildout
- Opening plan
Small business advisory + accounting
Start Smart. Scale Efficiently. Record Accurately. Profit Confidently.
New or established, we handle the plan, the numbers, and the day-to-day finances and operations.
Starting your business
Plan it, fund it, open it.
- Franchise vs. independent analysis
- Financial models and lender packages
- Licenses and filings
- Lease and opening plans
Running your business
Finances and operations, handled.
- Monthly books and statements
- Cash flow and budgets
- Payroll and sales tax
- Cleanup and catch-up
Optimizing your business
Better margins, smarter decisions.
- Business diagnostics
- Pricing, cost, and labor review
- KPI dashboards
- AI risk assessments
- Fractional CFO/COO
Small by design
A boutique firm. On purpose.
We keep our client list small so every owner gets real attention, not a ticket number. We measure our success by your success.
One-on-one, every time
You work directly with Greg, not a rotating team.
Always available
Email or book a call. We get back to you fast.
A limited client list
We'll never take on so many clients that we lose touch with you.
We know your business
Your numbers, your goals, and your people, not just your file.
Who we work with
Owners at every stage.
Established owners
Clean books and better margins.
Owners making a change
New location, service, or direction.
New owners
From idea to open door.
Buyers of existing businesses
Know the numbers before you sign.
Looking to start or make a change?
Services
Everything a small business needs. Nothing it doesn't.
Pick one service or several, at any stage. Every client works one-on-one with Greg.
Financial models and funding
Numbers lenders trust.
- 5- to 10-year financial models
- SBA and bank loan packages
- Lender matching and introductions
- Expansion and equipment models
- Investor materials
Accounting and compliance
Clean books, on time, every month.
- Monthly close and reconciliations
- Monthly financial statements
- Cleanup and catch-up
- Payroll and sales tax
- Compliance calendar
Performance and profit
More revenue, lower costs.
- Business diagnostic and action plan
- KPI dashboards and cash forecasts
- Pricing and margin review
- Vendor and contract audits
- Staffing and SOPs
- AI risk assessment: how AI could disrupt your business, and how to use it safely
- Fractional CFO/COO
How it works
Start wherever you are. Buy only what you need.
No required path. No long-term contract. Just a direct line to your advisor, any time you need it.
Any stage
Day one or year ten.
À la carte
Buy one service or many.
Project or retainer
Fixed project prices or one monthly retainer.
Trusted partners
Licensed CPAs and attorneys for tax and legal work.
Getting started
Three steps to begin.
- Step 1
Free consultation
Tell us where you are and where you want to go.
- Step 2
Written proposal
Clear scope, clear price.
- Step 3
Get to work
We start with what matters most.
Pricing
Clear prices, quoted up front.
Free consultation. Written quote. No surprises. We keep our client list small, so every fee buys real attention.
Projects from
$750
One-time projects
Fixed price, defined scope.
- Franchise vs. independent analysis
- License research and filings
- Business plans and financial models
- Lender packages
- Business diagnostics
- AI risk assessments
Monthly close from
$400 /month
Bookkeeping and close
Books closed, statements delivered.
- Reconciliations and journal entries
- Monthly financial statements
- Compliance calendar add-on
Advisory retainers from
$1,000 /month
Ongoing advisory
Ongoing advice, up to fractional CFO/COO.
- Monthly review meeting
- KPI dashboard and cash planning
- Project work in scope at no extra fee
Bundle and save 10% on monthly close plus a retainer.
About Dogtrot
Two rooms. One roof. A breeze running through.
Across the South, families once built a kind of home called a dogtrot house: two rooms under one roof, joined by an open breezeway down the middle. One side was for working and the other for living, and the breezeway between them kept the whole house cool, connected, and easy to move through. The family hound usually claimed it as his napping spot, which is how the house got its name.
We built our firm the same way.
One room is the books.
Monthly bookkeeping, reconciliations, cash flow, payroll and sales tax coordination, and compliance: the steady, careful work that keeps the lights on.
The other room is the advice.
Startup and acquisition planning, pricing, cost and labor analysis, KPI dashboards, and fractional CFO and COO support: the thinking that moves a business forward.
Most owners end up hiring these separately, and the two rarely talk to each other. The bookkeeper never hears the plan, the advisor never sees the real numbers, and the owner is left carrying information back and forth. At Dogtrot, both rooms share one roof, and you're standing in the breezeway with us.
Our founder
Greg Milam has worked every side of a business: the books, the operations, and the front counter.
After earning his accounting degree at Auburn, he started his professional career in public accounting, then moved into corporate finance. He spent the next 20 years leading multiple different operations at a large, privately held multinational, running large teams, building budgets at scale, launching overseas operations, and eventually owning a full P&L.
Then he became a small-business owner himself. Greg opened two franchises, one in pet care and one in personal services, handling the financial models, loans, leases, buildout, and hiring firsthand. He also co-founded an ed-tech software company, where he serves as CFO.
Along the way he learned lessons you can't get from a textbook. Some were wins worth repeating. Others were tough ones, like slow seasons, tight cash, and decisions that didn't pan out. Greg brings both to every client, so owners can skip the costly mistakes and build on what works.
He started Dogtrot Advisors + Accounting to be the experienced partner he wished he'd had: someone who knows the numbers and the day-to-day, speaks plain English, and picks up the phone.
B.S. in Accounting and MBA, Auburn University
Small on purpose
Close relationships, not a client roster.
Dogtrot is a boutique firm, and it will stay that way. We take on a limited number of clients so we can know each business well, answer the phone when you call, and sit down one-on-one whenever you need us. If growing ever meant losing that closeness, we'd rather not grow.
Who we walk alongside
Owners at every stage.
Owners just getting started
Whether you're weighing a franchise against going independent, doing due diligence, preparing an SBA loan package, or building five- to ten-year financial models, we help you start smart.
Established owners
You'll get clean monthly numbers, clear cash flow, and a dashboard you'll actually read, so you can run with confidence instead of guesswork.
Owners making a change
When margins are slipping, you're restructuring, or you're ready to grow, we find out where the money is going and help you redirect it.
Buyers of existing businesses
Before you sign, we check the numbers carefully so you know exactly what you're buying.
For tax filing and legal work, we partner with trusted CPAs and attorneys, so nothing slips between the boards.
Pull up a chair on the porch.
Your first conversation with us is about your business, not a sales pitch. Tell us where you are and where you want to go, and we'll show you how both rooms of the house can help you get there.
Get in touch
Let's talk about your business.
The first conversation is free, and it's with Greg, not a sales rep. We're a small firm, so you'll always have a direct line.
- greg@dogtrotadvisors.com
Ready to get started?
Complete our client intake form so we can prepare for your first meeting.
Start the intake form →
Client intake
Tell us about your business.
A few quick choices, then about five minutes of questions. Answer what you can and skip what you can't. Greg reviews every intake personally.
Which describes you?
What are you looking for help with?