Virtual CFO Services for Startups and Growing Businesses
Part-time senior finance leadership for budgeting, cash planning, MIS and investor-ready reporting.
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A virtual CFO is an experienced finance professional who works with your business on a retained, part-time basis to run its financial strategy, planning and reporting. Founders and owners of growing companies need one when bookkeeping is under control but decisions about pricing, hiring, borrowing, fundraising and cash are still made on instinct. Our team of Chartered Accountants builds your reporting framework, prepares monthly management information, reviews performance against budget and supports conversations with banks and investors. You get finance leadership without carrying the fixed cost of a full-time executive.
Who provides this service: our team of Chartered Accountants.
Who Needs Virtual CFO Services?
- Funded startups that must report to investors on a regular basis in a consistent format
- Owner-managed businesses that have outgrown basic bookkeeping and need planning, not just records
- Companies preparing for a bank loan, equity raise, restructuring or sale
- Founders who do not yet have a finance head but need someone to challenge pricing and spending decisions
- Subsidiaries of foreign groups that need local finance oversight and management reporting
Key Benefits
- A structured monthly MIS pack that turns accounting data into numbers a founder can act on
- Budgets, rolling forecasts and variance reviews that show where plans and actuals are drifting apart
- Cash-flow and working-capital planning so payments, collections and funding needs are seen in advance
- Preparation of lender and investor material, including projections, with assumptions written down clearly
- Oversight of the accounting and compliance function so books, filings and reporting stay consistent
- Flexible scope that can start with reporting and grow into planning, fundraising support and board packs
How It Works
Diagnose the current finance function
We study your business model, books, existing reports, team and tools, and talk to the founders about decisions they find hardest. This produces a short list of gaps ranked by how much they affect the business.
Agree scope and reporting calendar
We define what the engagement covers, who in your team supplies what, the monthly timetable for closing books and the format of reports, so expectations are written down before the work begins.
Build the reporting and KPI framework
We set up a chart of accounts and management reports suited to your model, select a small set of KPIs, and create a budget and forecast template that your team can keep updating.
Run monthly MIS and review meetings
Each month we review closed books, prepare the MIS pack, explain variances against budget and meet the founders to discuss cash position, margins, receivables and upcoming commitments.
Support funding, banking and board needs
When you plan a loan, equity round or board meeting, we prepare projections, data room financials and presentation numbers, and join discussions where a finance voice is needed.
Review and refine each quarter
Every quarter we revisit the plan, update forecasts, check that compliance deadlines are on track and adjust the scope of the engagement as your business changes.
Documents Required
- Financial statements for the last two or three years, if available
- Current management accounts, trial balance and ledgers
- Bank statements and details of existing loans or credit facilities
- Sales, receivables and payables ageing reports
- Cap table, shareholder agreement and term sheets, where funding has been raised
- Business plan, pitch deck or current budget, if one exists
- Statutory filing status for GST, TDS and income tax
- Details of the current finance and accounts team and the software they use
Timeline and Fees
Indicative timeline: This is an ongoing monthly engagement. The initial diagnosis and reporting framework usually take a few weeks to set up, depending on the quality of existing records and how quickly your team can share data.
Professional fee: The retainer depends on the scope of work, the size and complexity of your business, the volume of transactions, the number of review meetings and any fundraising support. Contact our team for a written proposal.
What Can Go Wrong if This Is Missed or Done Incorrectly
- Decisions taken on late or unreliable numbers can lead to overspending and cash shortfalls
- Weak projections or unclear financials can slow down or derail loan and investor discussions
- Inconsistent reporting to investors and lenders can harm trust and raise governance concerns
- Poor visibility of working capital often leads to avoidable borrowing costs or missed supplier payments
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a virtual CFO actually do each month?
A virtual CFO reviews the closed books, prepares a management report, compares results against budget, tracks cash and working capital, and meets the founders to discuss decisions. The work is advisory and planning-oriented, and it sits on top of the accounting and compliance work rather than replacing it.
How is a virtual CFO different from an accountant or a bookkeeper?
An accountant records and reports what has already happened. A virtual CFO uses that record to plan ahead, through budgets, forecasts, cash planning, fundraising preparation and performance reviews. Many businesses use both, with the CFO relying on accurate, timely books produced by the accounting team.
When is the right time to hire a virtual CFO?
Usually when decisions start to depend on numbers you cannot yet trust or see quickly: you are planning a fundraise, applying for a bank facility, growing the team fast or struggling with cash despite reported profits. Very early businesses often need only sound bookkeeping first, and we will say so if that is the case.
Can a virtual CFO help with fundraising?
Yes, in a supporting role. We prepare projections, a clean set of historical financials, the financial sections of the pitch material and answers to investor due diligence questions. We do not promise that funding will be raised, since that depends on the business, the market and the investors.
Will you also be our statutory auditor?
Not for the same entity where independence rules do not allow it. Company law restricts an auditor from providing certain management and financial services to the audited company. We discuss this at the start and keep the advisory engagement and any audit arrangement separate and compliant.
How do you work with our existing accounts team?
We treat them as the foundation. We agree a monthly closing calendar, review the quality of their output, suggest improvements to processes and reports, and avoid duplicating their work. Where there is no internal team, our accounting and bookkeeping professionals can supply the underlying books as a separate service.
Official Sources
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Last reviewed: . Laws, fees and procedures change; check the official portal before you act.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional legal, tax or compliance advice. Requirements vary by situation. Please consult a qualified CA or CS for advice specific to your needs. Government fees and timelines are subject to change; verify with the relevant authority before proceeding.