FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: FROM IMPROVISATION TO STRATEGIC CONTROL.

survival and growth of micro and small companies, especially in their initial phases. This study seeks to understand how improvised practices, the absence of formal planning and the fragility in the structuring of processes impact the sustainability of small enterprises. Starting from the guiding question — how financial decision-making in the early years influences organizational development — the research has as its main objective to identify the main challenges faced by managers and entrepreneurs with regard to the organization of finances, proposing viable and accessible alternatives that favor the control, predictability and strategic maturity of the company. It is a qualitative research, of an applied nature and with a descriptive character, carried out through a case study in a small company in the service sector. The methodological procedures involved semi-structured interviews with managers, in addition to documentary analysis of internal financial records, enabling a critical reading of existing practices. The results show recurrent elements among similar enterprises, such as the absence of budget planning, lack of structured cash flow, absence of financial metrics and indicators, as well as the practice of confusing business finances with personal ones. On the other hand, positive embryonic initiatives are observed, such as the control of sales and the intention to formalize the pro-labore