We Started Because Traditional Budgeting Wasn't Working
In early 2019, we noticed something odd. Companies were creating detailed budgets that looked perfect on paper but fell apart within weeks. The problem wasn't the numbers. It was the approach.
How This Actually Began
Cressida spent years watching factory managers scramble every quarter because their budgets assumed consistent production levels. But manufacturing doesn't work that way. Some months you're running three shifts, others you're doing maintenance.
She kept thinking there had to be a better method. Something that connected spending to what was actually happening on the floor. That's when she stumbled across activity-based budgeting at a conference in Bangkok.
The concept made sense immediately. Instead of guessing costs based on last year's numbers, you budget based on the activities your business actually performs. If you know it costs 0 to process an order, and you expect 500 orders next month, you can plan accurately.
What Guides Our Work
Reality Over Theory
We build budgets around what's actually happening in your business, not what textbooks say should happen. Every company operates differently.
Teaching, Not Just Telling
Our workshops focus on helping your team understand the reasoning behind activity-based methods so they can adapt them as your business changes.
Long-Term Improvement
Quick fixes don't last. We work with businesses to build financial planning systems that get better over time as you gather more accurate activity data.
The People Behind the Work
Cressida Velmonte
Lead Budget StrategistFifteen years working with manufacturing companies across Southeast Asia. Started as a floor supervisor and moved into financial planning after seeing how disconnected budgets were from actual operations. Now helps businesses identify their key activities and build realistic cost models.
Alaric Pemberton
Financial Education SpecialistFormer small business owner who struggled with traditional budgeting methods. Spent three years figuring out activity-based approaches for his own company before others started asking for help. Now runs workshops and provides one-on-one consulting for businesses making the transition.
How We Got Here
Started with Three Clients
Cressida left her corporate role to test activity-based budgeting with small manufacturers in Đắk Lắk. The first year was mostly learning what didn't work. Spent more time revising models than implementing them.
Alaric Joined After His Own Success
His logistics company cut planning time by 60% using activity-based methods. He reached out to compare notes and ended up partnering to help other businesses do the same thing.
Launched Formal Workshop Series
After helping two dozen companies individually, we realized the core concepts could be taught more efficiently. Started running quarterly workshops in Buôn Ma Thuột for business owners and finance teams.
Expanded to Industry-Specific Programs
We're now developing specialized training for retail, hospitality, and service businesses. Each sector has unique activities that drive costs, so we're building frameworks that reflect those differences.
How We Actually Work With Businesses
Most of our engagements start with a conversation about what's not working in your current budgeting process. We're not trying to sell you a system. We're trying to understand if activity-based methods would actually help.
If it seems like a good fit, we usually begin with a pilot project on one department or product line. This lets you see results without overhauling everything at once.
- Identify the key activities that drive costs in your business
- Gather historical data to establish baseline costs per activity
- Build a flexible model that connects activities to budget forecasts
- Train your team to maintain and refine the system
- Review results quarterly and adjust as your business changes
What Makes This Different From Traditional Budgeting
Traditional budgets often start with last year's numbers and add a percentage for growth or inflation. That works fine if your business operates exactly the same way year after year. But most businesses don't.
Activity-based budgeting flips the process. Instead of adjusting historical totals, you estimate how many times you'll perform each major activity and multiply by the cost per activity. If your business model changes, the budget adjusts naturally because it's tied to what you're actually doing.
It takes more setup work initially. You need to identify activities, measure costs, and build the connections. But once that foundation exists, planning becomes faster and more accurate.
Results We've Seen With Clients
Reduced Budget Variance by 40%
A furniture manufacturer was constantly over budget on materials. After mapping their production activities, they discovered their cost estimates assumed zero waste. Once they factored in realistic scrap rates per activity, their forecasts became much more reliable.
Cut Planning Time From Weeks to Days
A regional retail chain spent three weeks every quarter building budgets for 12 locations. We helped them standardize the key activities across all stores, which let them forecast new locations in hours instead of days.
Improved Seasonal Forecasting
A resort struggled to plan staffing and supplies because occupancy fluctuated wildly. By budgeting based on activities per guest rather than total revenue, they could scale spending up and down much more accurately.
Our Workshop and Training Options
We run public workshops three times a year in Buôn Ma Thuột, typically in February, June, and October. These two-day sessions cover the fundamentals of activity-based budgeting and walk through real examples from different industries.
For companies that want customized training, we also offer on-site workshops where we use your actual data to build a starter model. This approach tends to work better for teams that need to see the concepts applied to their specific business.
Our next public workshop is scheduled for October 2025. We cap attendance at 20 people to keep it interactive. You can find registration details on our education page.
Want to Talk About Your Budgeting Challenges?
We're happy to have a conversation about whether activity-based methods might help your business. No pressure, no sales pitch. Just a straightforward discussion about what you're dealing with.
Get In Touch