Fractional CFO
for ambitious London businesses

A fractional CFO is a part-time, outsourced finance chief who provides strategic financial leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. They work with your leadership team on high-level activities: financial strategy, fundraising, board reporting, cash flow forecasting, and exit planning. They're not doing bookkeeping – they're focused on growth, profitability, and investor relations.

Common triggers include: preparing for a fundraising round, needing board-ready financial packs for investors, facing cash flow challenges, planning an exit or acquisition, or simply outgrowing your current financial systems. If your finance function is keeping you up at night, or you need strategic insight your accountant doesn't provide, it's time.

Costs vary based on experience, scope, and time commitment. Typical models: monthly retainers (£1,500–£5,000+) for ongoing support (2-5 days per month), project fees (£5,000–£20,000+) for specific initiatives (fundraising, M&A), or hourly rates (£150–£400+). We offer transparent fixed-fee retainers – no surprises.

A Financial Controller focuses on day-to-day finance operations – managing the bookkeeping team, preparing management accounts, ensuring compliance, and producing reports. A Fractional CFO is strategic: they use those reports to guide decision-making, raise funds, plan exits, and drive growth. Many businesses need both – the controller keeps the engine running, the CFO decides where to drive.

Yes, the terms are often used interchangeably. Both provide board-level strategic finance leadership on a part-time or interim basis. "Fractional CFO" is more common in the startup and scale-up world, while "part-time FD" is often used by established SMEs. The role is identical – a senior finance expert who sits on your leadership team.

Absolutely – this is one of their core functions. A fractional CFO will: build investor-grade financial models, prepare pitch decks and data rooms, introduce you to their network of investors, manage due diligence, and negotiate term sheets. They bring credibility and expertise that investors look for. We've helped clients raise over £45M in equity and debt.

It's flexible – typically 2–5 days per month, depending on your needs and stage. Startups might begin with 2 days/month for strategy and board packs. During fundraising or M&A, that might increase to 10+ days/month. We tailor the commitment to your current priorities and scale up or down as needed.

You'll receive board-ready packs including: management accounts (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow), KPI dashboards tailored to your business, variance analysis against budget, and rolling cash flow forecasts. For fundraising, we build detailed financial models with scenario planning. All reports are designed for investors and board meetings.

Yes – they serve different roles. Your accountant handles compliance (tax returns, year-end accounts). A fractional CFO focuses on strategy and growth – fundraising, board packs, commercial decision-making. They work alongside your accountant, often improving the quality of information your accountant receives. Many clients use both.

Both. We're London-based and happy to meet in person for board meetings or key sessions. Day-to-day, we work remotely using secure cloud systems – you have 24/7 access to reports and dashboards. We adapt to your preferred working style.

Signs you're ready: you're preparing for a funding round, investors are asking for better financials, you're unsure if you have enough cash runway, you're planning an exit, or you feel you lack strategic financial insight. If any of these resonate, a fractional CFO could add significant value.

Yes – if the relationship grows and you need a full-time finance chief, we can discuss a permanent transition. Many businesses start fractional to test the fit, then move to full-time when they're ready. Alternatively, we can help you recruit a permanent FD while providing interim cover.