Willem Godschalk works as a Financial sparring partner for creative agencies with between 15 and 50 FTEs. He helps business owners improve their financial performance, without them needing to hire a full-time CFO. Willem says his strength lies in simplicity and overview: “I want my clients to quickly see where they stand, without having to click through a thousand tabs.” For a long time, he worked with self-built reporting in Excel. However, he noticed this wasn't a very scalable solution as his client base grew.
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The switch to Liquid

Through Toine, Head of Partnerships at Liquid, Willem came into contact with the reporting tool that gives business owners direct insight into their cash flow, forecasts, and KPIs. “I sat down with Toine and Thijs very quickly, and for me, it clicked immediately,” says Willem. “With them and with the tool. No cumbersome implementation, but a tool that works right away. What I especially like: my clients can get started with it themselves immediately. This makes the conversations we have more substantive, and the collaboration feels more equal.” He now includes Liquid as standard in his services.
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From nice-to-have to need-to-have

In the beginning, that sometimes took some getting used to for clients. Especially for business owners with multiple entities or partners at the table. “Some clients said: another new tool, is that really necessary? But after a few weeks, you saw the shift. They log in, view the cash flow, ask better questions. And I don't have to produce everything anymore, because a lot is already there. It brings peace of mind. And you can steer based on the most recent numbers, not retrospectively on last year's figures.” The result? Fewer meetings, fewer emails, and more grip on the numbers.

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Time savings in practice

Willem also notices the benefits in his own work. “Where I used to spend a lot of time updating Excel reports, I can now move much faster. Instead of waiting for the next report, we look at it together live. This way, we stay right on top of things. That fits much better with the speed and dynamics of creative agencies.” Willem actually can't imagine working without Liquid anymore.

Smart control starts with collaboration

What Willem values most about Liquid is the way he collaborates with the Liquid team. “I had a suggestion for a dashboard widget, and a few weeks later it was included. That is not a given. You notice that they build with users, not
just for them.” That is why he now implements Liquid by default for his clients. “Clients don’t want it? Then they don't. But I do show them the benefits. And usually, they quickly see that for themselves.”
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Advisory requires a different perspective

So, is Liquid a replacement for the accountant? “Certainly not,” says Willem. “The accountant remains the guardian of the numbers. The CFO’s role is shifting more towards strategy, towards looking ahead. And Liquid helps tremendously with that.” Willem continues: “I use it to discuss scenarios, build forecasts, and support decisions. That is the advisory work business owners need. Not an Excel report that lands in their inbox two weeks later.”
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Not just another tool

Finally: what makes Liquid truly different? According to Willem, it is not necessarily the technology: “There are other tools that can do a lot. But the combination of ease of use, direct lines to the team, and the desire to improve the product together: that is where Liquid makes the difference for me. And my clients notice that too.”