Rebuild your finance function in 90 days, without replacing your team.
An ICAEW-led financial transformation consultant for UK SMEs and PE-backed businesses turning over £2m to £50m. We reset management reporting, KPIs, board packs, budgeting and finance systems so the numbers run the business, not the other way around.
If you have searched for a "financial transformation consultant" expecting a Big Four engagement and a six-figure quote, this is the alternative built specifically for businesses below £50m: partner-led, fixed scope, fixed price.
Your finance function is the bottleneck, not the business.
If three or more of these sound familiar, a structured financial transformation will typically pay for itself inside six months.
Month-end takes 15+ working days, and the numbers still get challenged
By the time the board sees the P&L, it is already historic. Decisions get made on gut feel because finance cannot keep up. You need a controlled close, not more spreadsheets.
Board packs no one reads
40 pages, 12 tabs, zero insight.
Cash is a mystery
No rolling 13-week forecast. Surprise overdraft calls.
KPIs exist on paper but not in the business
Every team measures different numbers. ARR, gross margin and CAC each have three definitions. No one trusts the dashboard.
PE or lender reporting is a panic every quarter
The covenant pack, the budget reforecast, the investor update, all built from scratch every cycle by the FD late on a Sunday.
You have outgrown Xero workflows but you are wary of NetSuite
Excel sprawl is suffocating the team. You know you need better systems, but every quote runs to six figures and every implementation story sounds worse than the last. You need an independent guide, not a software reseller.
What a financial transformation engagement actually rebuilds.
Each workstream runs in parallel during the 90-day core programme. Scope all six, or start with the two that hurt most today.
Management Reporting Overhaul
A single source of truth. One number, one definition, one place. Close in five days, not fifteen.
- Chart of accounts redesign
- Standardised revenue & cost allocation
- 5-day month-end close calendar
- Variance commentary template
KPI Framework & Board Pack Design
The KPI tree that connects strategy to the P&L. A one-page CEO dashboard and a 12-slide board pack reviewable in 45 minutes.
- Defined KPI hierarchy, north star to ops
- CEO one-pager & full board pack
- Owner accountability map
- Quarterly QBR template
Budgeting & Rolling Reforecasting
Driver-based budgets the business actually buys into, with a rolling reforecast cadence instead of an annual exercise nobody revisits.
- Three-way driver-based model
- Annual budget plus quarterly reforecast
- Scenario planning: base, upside, stress
- Department-owned templates
Cash Flow & Working Capital
A rolling 13-week direct cash flow forecast with under 5% variance, and a working capital release programme to fund growth without raising debt.
- 13-week direct cash forecast
- DSO/DPO & inventory optimisation
- Cash-conscious culture rollout
- Covenant tracking & lender pack
Finance Systems & Automation
Independent system selection. We do not resell software, so the recommendation is what is right for you, not what pays the largest commission.
- System fit assessment: Xero, Intacct, NetSuite, D365
- Integration & automation roadmap
- Spreadsheet retirement plan
- Implementation oversight
Team Restructure & Capability
Roles restructured around the new operating model. We coach existing talent and recruit only where there is a genuine gap.
- Target operating model design
- Role redesign & RACI
- Hands-on coaching & shadowing
- FC / FP&A Manager recruitment support
Diagnose. Build the foundation. Execute. Embed.
A four-phase methodology with fixed milestones, designed so the first visible improvement lands by week six.
Diagnostic
Interviews with the CEO, FD and board. A review of reporting, systems, team and chart of accounts. Output: a gap analysis and costed plan.
Foundation
We rebuild the chart of accounts, KPI tree and reporting calendar, replacing spreadsheet chaos with a controlled, single source of truth.
Execution
We launch the new board pack, KPI dashboard and 13-week cash flow, implement the budgeting cadence, and coach the team into the new roles.
Embed
Handover to a permanent FD or CFO, or run on as a fractional CFO. Quarterly health-checks keep the new process from drifting.
Measurable outcomes by month four.
Retainer plus success fee. Aligned to your outcome.
A transparent two-part fee structure. No hourly billing, no scope creep, no surprise invoices.
Fixed monthly fee for diagnostic and execution
Covers the 90-day diagnostic, foundation and execution phases. Fixed scope, fixed price, no overruns. Pricing scales with revenue band and complexity, including whether a single entity or multiple entities are involved. The exact figure is confirmed after the free scoping call.
Outcome-based, only paid on result
Tied to a measurable outcome you choose: close days reduced, working capital released, a successful funding round, or a completed sale at the target multiple. We only win when you do.
Tell us where finance is hurting. We will tell you honestly if transformation is the answer.
No sales pitch, no slide deck. A working conversation with an ICAEW Chartered Accountant, Big Four trained, with years of experience rebuilding finance functions for UK SMEs and PE portfolio companies.
- You leave with a clear view of your biggest three finance risks
- An indicative timeline and budget for your situation
- Whether transformation, a fractional CFO, or a smaller fix is the right answer
- Zero obligation. Most calls do not lead to an engagement, and that is fine
Confidential · No obligation · Usually a response within 48 hours