Virtual CFO and finance outsourcing
A virtual CFO is a senior finance professional who runs your reporting, planning and cash management on a retainer, without a full-time hire. It suits companies that have outgrown bookkeeping but do not yet need a full-time finance chief.
When you need this
- You get accounts late, or the numbers change when someone asks a second question.
- You are preparing for a bank limit, a term loan or an equity round and need investor-grade financials.
- You run a group and need consolidated reports and inter-company reconciliation.
- You want a budget and someone to hold the business to it.
What we do
Monthly MIS
P&L by business unit or product, cost analysis, working-capital and liquidity reports, designed around how your business earns money.
Budgeting and forecasting
Annual budget, rolling forecasts, variance analysis and scenarios.
Cash flow
A 13-week cash forecast, receivables ageing and creditor-payment planning.
Margin and cost work
Margin by product or service line, vendor renegotiation support and leakage reviews.
Fundraising support
Financial model, unit economics, data room and answers to diligence questions.
Banking
CMA data for working-capital limits, term loan applications and covenant tracking.
Controls
Written procedures for payables, receivables, payroll, procurement and expenses, with approval limits.
Outsourced accounting
Bookkeeping, month-end close and statutory reporting in Tally or Zoho Books.
How an engagement runs
- In the first month we review how the books close, what reports exist and where cash stands, and agree the five or six numbers you want every month.
- In months two and three we build the reports and the budget and set the monthly review call.
- After that: a monthly review with the owner, a quarterly planning session and a call whenever a decision needs numbers.
What we need from you
- Access to the accounting system and bank statements, the last two years' financials, and an hour each month with the owner or finance head.
Questions people ask
- How is a virtual CFO different from an accountant?
- An accountant records and reports what has happened. A virtual CFO uses those records to plan: what cash you will have in 13 weeks, which product earns margin, and what a lender or investor will ask.
- Can you work with our existing accountant?
- Yes. Most engagements run that way, with your team doing the bookkeeping and us owning the reports, budget and cash forecast.
- Will you also audit us?
- Not if we are your statutory auditor. Section 144 of the Companies Act prevents it. We tell you which role we hold before the engagement is accepted.
- What does a virtual CFO cost?
- Fees depend on scope: the number of entities, the reporting needed and the time the owner wants. We agree them in writing after the first conversation.
Related practices
Engagement terms and fees are agreed after the first conversation, based on scope and complexity.
Contact the Office