Finance director thinking, without the full-time cost

It's a part-time finance director. Instead of employing a senior finance person full time, you get the same kind of support for a set number of hours or meetings each month. That typically means management accounts, cash flow forecasts, budgets and a regular review of how the business is performing. It suits growing businesses that need strategic financial input but aren't ready for a full-time hire.

Management accounts are regular reports, usually monthly or quarterly, that show how your business is performing. Unlike year-end accounts, they aren't a legal requirement and can be shaped around what you need to know: profit by product, cash position, debtor days or progress against budget. Because they're current, you can act on them while there's still time to make a difference.

There's no set size. It tends to make sense when decisions start to carry real financial weight, such as taking on staff, raising finance, opening a new site or changing prices. If you find yourself making those calls without clear numbers, it's probably worth a conversation. We can start light, perhaps with quarterly management accounts, and build up as the business grows.

Annual accounts and tax returns look back and keep you compliant. CFO support looks forward and helps you run the business. It uses the same accurate records, but turns them into forecasts, budgets and insight you can act on during the year. Many clients have both, so compliance and planning are handled by one team who already understand the business.

Yes. Lenders and investors want to see a credible plan, backed by realistic forecasts and up-to-date figures. We can prepare cash flow and profit forecasts, pull together historic results and help you present them clearly. We'll also stress-test the numbers with you beforehand, so you're comfortable answering questions about them.