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PILLAR 03

Business and finance for marketing: P&L, budget and operations

The work that holds marketing up: what it costs, who does it, and whether it actually makes money. P&L, budget, team structure and the administration almost nobody wants to own.

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When this pillar makes sense

  • You don't know for certain which business line or project makes a profit and which one consumes it.
  • The marketing budget is set once a year and nobody controls it afterwards.
  • The team grew without structure: it is unclear who reports to whom or what each role does.
  • Vendors and contracts live in email threads and nobody has the full picture.
  • Launches slip because nobody owns the timeline end to end.

What's included

  1. P&L by business line or project

    Building and controlling the income statement split by line or project, to see where the real profit is and not just the total.

  2. Financial planning and budget control

    An operating budget tracked monthly against plan, with alerts when a line drifts before it is too late.

  3. Org and team structure

    Designing roles, headcount and reporting lines, so each person knows what they decide and who they answer to.

  4. General administration

    Processes, vendors and contracts documented and controlled in one place, not scattered across emails and loose spreadsheets.

  5. Project management

    Timelines, deliverables and quality control for campaigns and launches, with one person accountable for the full calendar.

How we run this pillar

  1. 15-minute diagnostic

    We learn how reporting works today, what numbers exist and which business question cannot be answered.

  2. Scope and number in 48 hours

    A project with a delivery date to build the P&L and structure, or a retainer for continuous control.

  3. Map first

    Business lines, cost centres and owners. Without that map, any report is a sum that explains nothing.

  4. Monthly control

    Monthly close against budget, variances explained and decisions documented.

Key deliverables

  • P&L by line
  • Annual budget
  • Monthly control
  • Org chart and headcount
  • Contract register

Who runs it

  • Tania Díaz

    Tania Díaz

    Operations, automation and business management

    Project management, automation and P&L

    Project manager and automation specialist. Also holds the business management side: P&L, resource control and corporate matters.

    LinkedIn

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Questions about this pillar

What is a P&L by business line and why do I need one?

It is the income statement — revenue, costs and profit — split by each business line or project instead of one for the whole company. You need it because the total can look healthy while one line subsidises another, and without splitting it there is no way to know where to invest more and where to cut.

Does this pillar replace my accountant?

No. The accountant handles bookkeeping and tax obligations. This pillar handles management: the P&L for decision-making, the operating budget and monthly control. They work together; neither replaces the other.

Can you run project management for a single launch?

Yes. Project management for campaigns and launches can be hired per project: timelines, deliverables and quality control with one person accountable for the full calendar.

Who runs this pillar?

Tania Díaz runs business management — P&L, resource control and corporate matters — and project management, supported by Erwin Farret on marketing strategy and budget.

Related pillars

Start with 15 minutes

Tell us which number you can't answer today. You leave with a concrete next step, whether you hire us or not.

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