A Virtual Finance Director for owner-managed businesses.
Monthly numbers you'll actually read, a rolling cash-flow forecast you can trust, and a quarterly strategy session — without paying £80k for a full-time FD.
What Virtual FD actually means
A finance director's brain, without a finance director's salary.
A Virtual FD (sometimes called a fractional CFO) is a senior finance partner who sits alongside the owner — reading the numbers, flagging issues before they hit, and helping you make the bigger decisions with evidence rather than gut feel.
You get monthly management accounts, a rolling cash-flow forecast, quarterly strategy meetings and a direct line for ad-hoc questions — for a fraction of the £80k+ cost of a full-time FD. It's the right fit for owner-managed businesses that have outgrown a basic compliance accountant but aren't ready for a permanent finance hire.
Who it's for
Owner-managed businesses that have outgrown a basic accountant.
Typically £500k to £10m turnover, no in-house finance director, owner stretched thin. You don't need another set of compliance accounts — you need someone helping you make better decisions with the numbers.
Problems it solves
If any of these sound familiar, this is what fixes them.
- No real visibility on cash runway beyond the next month
- Big decisions — hiring, pricing, new site, kit purchase — made on gut feel
- Tax bills arriving as a surprise instead of a plan
- Margin per job, client or product is a guess
- Funding or investor conversations without the numbers to back them
- Director profit extraction taken when cash allows, not when it's optimal
What you get
A real finance function, on a fixed monthly fee.
Monthly management pack
P&L, balance sheet, KPIs and a plain-English written commentary. Short enough to actually read.
13-week rolling cash flow
See VAT, payroll, tax and quiet trading periods coming. Plan hires, refits and investments around real cash.
Quarterly strategy meeting
Sit down (in person or Teams) and work through pricing, hiring, profit, tax and the next move.
KPI dashboard
The 5 to 8 numbers your business actually runs on — tracked monthly, not buried in a spreadsheet.
Direct adviser line
Email or phone us when something comes up. No timer running, no hourly bill arriving next month.
Tax planning before year-end
Salary, dividends, pension, capital allowances and reliefs planned in advance — not patched up after.
How it differs
Compliance keeps you legal. Advisory grows the business.
Compliance only
- Annual accounts filed
- Corporation tax return
- Quarterly VAT returns
- Payroll processing
- Self assessment for directors
- Companies House filings
Compliance + Virtual FD
- Everything in compliance, plus:
- Monthly management accounts with commentary
- 13-week rolling cash flow
- Quarterly strategy meeting with an FD
- KPI dashboard tailored to your business
- Profit extraction & tax planning in advance
- Direct adviser line, no hourly billing
- Support on funding, hiring, pricing and growth
Pricing
Fixed monthly fee. Scoped to your business.
Every business is different — turnover, headcount, complexity, sites, sectors. We scope the engagement on a 20-minute call and quote a single monthly fee.
No hourly billing. No surprise invoices. No timer running when you call.
Tech & AI stack guidance
We help you pick the right tools — not the trendiest ones.
Growing businesses often end up with overlapping subscriptions, half-implemented automations and AI tools that don't talk to each other. As part of Virtual FD we review your finance and operations stack and recommend a setup that's actually fit for the business — proven software, sensible automation, and AI used where it genuinely saves time, not because it's fashionable.
Bookkeeping & finance
Xero or FreeAgent set up properly, bank feeds, Dext/Hubdoc for receipts, payroll integrated.
Reporting & cash flow
Float or Fathom for rolling cash flow and management reporting — connected, not exported to spreadsheets.
Workflow & AI
AP automation, sensible AI document handling and approvals — only where it removes real admin.
We're software-agnostic — no kickbacks, no upselling. The right stack is whichever one works for your business.
Common Questions
What's the difference between an accountant and a Virtual FD?
An accountant keeps you compliant — accounts filed, tax returns done, VAT correct. A Virtual FD uses those numbers to help you make better decisions — cash flow, pricing, hiring, profit extraction, funding. We do both, in one engagement.
What size business is this for?
Typically turnover £500k to £10m, owner-managed, no in-house FD. If you've outgrown a basic accountant but a full-time FD is overkill (and £80k+), this is what fits.
How often do we meet?
Monthly numbers delivered with a short written commentary, plus a quarterly strategy meeting (in person or on Teams). Plus a direct line for ad-hoc questions — we don't bill by the hour.
Is this a fixed fee?
Yes. A single monthly fee scoped to your business size, complexity and what you actually need. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices, no awkward conversations before you pick up the phone.
Do you handle our compliance too — accounts, tax, payroll, VAT?
Yes. Virtual FD sits on top of full compliance. You get one team handling everything, not a compliance accountant in one place and an adviser somewhere else trying to share files.
What if I just want compliance for now?
That's fine. Most clients start on compliance and move into Virtual FD when the business gets to the point where bigger decisions need real numbers behind them.
Stop running the business on last year's numbers.
Free 20-minute cash-flow and tax review. Plain English, fixed monthly fee, no pressure.