Corporate Solutions
Finance Transformation & Virtual CFO
CFO-level oversight, planning and decision support for owners and boards, without the cost of a full-time CFO.
Overview
Many growing businesses reach a point where the founder still takes every financial decision, the accountant keeps the books, and no one sits between the two to interpret the numbers, plan ahead and test major decisions before they are made. A full-time CFO is often not yet affordable, and decisions wait or are made on instinct.
Our Virtual CFO service fills that gap. We study your business from a financial standpoint, turn monthly numbers into insight, set budgets and targets, and work through major decisions with you using financial models. We also help build the reporting, processes and team that let the finance function keep pace with the business, and stay involved as it grows.
Where this helps
Common situations
Visibility
- 01The owner sees sales and the bank balance, but not margins, working capital or how long the cash will last.
- 02MIS arrives weeks after month-end as a set of numbers that no one explains.
- 03Each department measures performance its own way, so reviews end in arguments about the data.
Planning and performance
- 04There is no annual budget, so performance has nothing to be measured against.
- 05Growth targets are set without checking whether cash, capacity and funding can support them.
- 06Sales are rising, but profit and cash are not.
Profitability
- 07No one knows which products, customers, outlets or regions actually make money.
- 08Prices are set on instinct, and rising costs are absorbed without anyone noticing.
Major decisions
- 09A new plant, location, product line or market is being considered without a financial model.
- 10Debt or equity, lease or buy, expand or consolidate: choices are made without the numbers.
- 11The business is preparing to meet investors or lenders and needs a business plan, projections and organised information.
The finance function
- 12The business has outgrown its accountant, but a full-time CFO is not yet affordable.
- 13The finance team records transactions but does not analyse them or advise management.
- 14Reports for the board, lenders and investors are prepared separately each time, with different numbers.
- 15A family business is moving to professional management and needs financial discipline and governance.
How we help
What we do and how we work
Virtual CFO
We take on the role of a CFO for an agreed number of days each month. We study the business from a financial standpoint, review results with management every month, oversee cash flow and working capital, and attend meetings with lenders, investors and the board alongside management.
Includes
- monthly review meetings
- financial health assessment
- cash and working-capital oversight
- support in lender, investor and board meetings
- finance team guidance
MIS & Management Reporting
We design MIS that management actually uses. Monthly reports cover working capital, cash flow, top line, bottom line, KPIs, KRAs and key ratios, with commentary that explains what changed and why. A consistent board pack serves the board, lenders and investors from one set of numbers.
Includes
- MIS design
- monthly MIS with commentary
- KPI and KRA framework
- ratio analysis
- board and lender reporting packs
- KPI dashboard
Budgeting, Forecasting & Performance Management
We prepare the annual budget with management, covering revenue, expenses and capital expenditure, and break it down by department, product or location. Rolling forecasts and variance reviews show each month whether the business is on track and what needs to change.
Includes
- annual budget
- department and location targets
- capex budget
- rolling forecasts
- monthly variance analysis
- performance reviews
Cost & Profitability Management
We measure profitability by product, customer, outlet and region, so that management can see where money is made and lost. We identify cost-reduction opportunities and provide cost data for pricing decisions.
Includes
- product, customer and location profitability
- contribution analysis
- cost-reduction review
- pricing inputs
Strategic Decision Support & Financial Modelling
We build financial models for major decisions and test them under different scenarios before a commitment is made. This covers market positioning, capital structure, new products, new plants or locations, and similar choices.
Includes
- financial models and scenarios
- capital structure analysis
- expansion and new-product evaluation
- lease-or-buy and make-or-buy analysis
- decision notes for the board
Investor & Lender Readiness
We prepare the information investors and lenders expect: a business plan, financial projections, a financial model and an organised data room. After funding, we set up regular investor reporting. We prepare the information; we do not arrange loans or investment.
Includes
- business plan and projections
- financial model
- data room preparation
- due-diligence readiness
- investor reporting
Finance Function Transformation
We redesign the finance function for the next stage of growth: roles and responsibilities, the close and reporting calendar, finance policies and the information systems it needs.
Includes
- finance organisation and roles
- close and reporting calendar
- finance policy manual
- system requirements
- transition plan
Ways to engage
How we can work with you
Ongoing Virtual CFO
Monthly involvement, with a set number of days and review meetings each month
Project-based
A budget, a financial model for one decision, investor readiness or a finance function redesign
Alongside Managed Finance
We run the finance function under Solution 01 and provide CFO oversight on top of it
Who this is for
Founder-led and family businesses that have outgrown a basic accounts function; MSMEs planning expansion; start-ups and growth companies preparing to meet investors; subsidiaries that need local financial oversight; and companies between CFOs.
Frequently asked questions
Questions people ask
What does a virtual CFO do?
A virtual CFO provides the planning, analysis, reporting and decision support of a CFO for an agreed number of days each month, instead of as a full-time employee.
How is this different from your Managed Finance service?
Managed Finance runs the finance function month to month: controllership, cash, working capital and compliance. A Virtual CFO interprets the results and guides planning and major decisions. Many clients use both together.
How often will we meet?
Usually once a month for a results review, with more frequent contact during budgeting, fund-raising or major decisions.
Do you raise funds for us?
No. We prepare the business plan, projections, financial model and information that investors and lenders need. We do not arrange loans or investment.
How is our information kept confidential?
Access is limited to the engagement team, and confidentiality obligations are set out in the engagement letter.
Can you also be our statutory auditor?
For companies, the law restricts the statutory auditor from providing management services to the same company. We will advise which services we can provide in your case.
Services are offered subject to applicable independence requirements.