Our Story
Built for the people who build things.
North Arrow Financial exists because small business owners deserve a financial partner who actually shows up — not just at tax time, but every single month. It's run by a CPA, CMA, and MBA who spent twenty years in corporate finance before building a practice for businesses your size.
Why We Exist
You shouldn't have to guess.
Most owners we meet aren't struggling because the books are a mess — though sometimes they are. They're struggling because they're making real decisions with no number they trust. Hire or hold. Buy the equipment or wait. Take the distribution or leave it in. North Arrow exists so those decisions get made with a plan behind them, and so the books that feed the plan are handled without you thinking about it.
The northwoods has always been a place of clarity — where the noise of everyday life fades and you can see what actually matters. That's what we try to bring to your finances. Clear direction. Steady ground. A partner who knows the terrain.
The Person Behind the Work
Dave Biel, CPA, CMA, MBA
Dave is a licensed CPA and Certified Management Accountant with an MBA in finance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He started his career as an analyst at Kraft Foods, then spent the better part of two decades in FP&A, treasury, and controller roles at private-equity-backed manufacturers — the kind of places where the forecast had to be right because someone was going to make a real decision with it.
He has seen finance at every scale, from a $1.4B cost-of-goods operation down to a sole proprietor's first set of books. That range is the point: he knows what a real finance function looks like, and what it costs a growing business when it's missing.
He built North Arrow for businesses between $500K and $2M in revenue that have outgrown "just bookkeeping" and need someone who can close the books, build the plan, and sit at the table when the big decisions get made. He is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor and a certified Fathom advisor, and builds models in Upmetrics, Reach Reporting, PlanGuru, and Excel.
He also serves as a Major and squadron commander in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, a role he has held since 1999 and one that shaped how he thinks about accountability, preparation, and showing up when it counts.
Background
Kraft Foods · Nelson Global · Richelieu Foods
Specialization
Fractional CFO / Controller
Industries
Hospitality · E-Commerce · CPG · Manufacturing
Also serves
U.S. Air Force Reserve, Major — Veteran-owned firm
What We Stand For
The values that guide everything we do.
Clarity Over Complexity
Financial information should be understandable. We translate the numbers into plain language — no jargon, no confusion. You should always know exactly where your business stands.
Reliability You Can Count On
Your books are done on time, every month. Your meeting happens every month. You don't have to chase us down or wonder if things are getting done.
Personal Service
You're not a file number. We know your business, your goals, and your situation. The monthly meeting isn't a formality — it's the whole point.
Honest Guidance
We tell you what your numbers actually mean, even when it's not what you want to hear. Good financial partners don't sugarcoat — they help you make better decisions.
How We Work
A real partnership, not just a service.
We work with a focused group of clients. That's intentional. It means we have the time to actually know your business — not just your chart of accounts, but your goals, your challenges, and what success looks like for you.
Every month, we handle your back-office accounting and then sit down with you to walk through the results. We come prepared. We know your numbers before we walk in the door. The meeting is a conversation, not a presentation.
Between meetings, we're available. Questions come up. Decisions need to be made. We're the kind of partner you can call when something doesn't look right or you're not sure what a number means.
Every month, you get a one-page view of where you stand, a twelve-month plan for where you're headed, and a conversation about what to do next. That's the whole model.
Work With Us
Let's find out if we're the right fit.
We start every new relationship with a free conversation. No pressure, no pitch — just an honest talk about your business and whether we can help.