Accessing FD level thinking

In previous posts I have talked about the challenges of running an SME without clear visibility on cashflow. The good news is that you don’t need to hire a full-time FD to help, you just need access to FD-level thinking.

Most SMEs don’t have a lack of finance staff; they have a lack of finance thinking. The day-to-day book-keeping and finance processing is usually fine, but there isn’t someone to help make those big financial challenges such as:

• Can we afford that new team member?

• What is the impact of agreeing to 90-day payment terms for our new large client?

• Is this new contract profitable?

• How do I provide detailed performance information and projections to the board and investors?

Hiring a direct employee has costs beyond just the salary. It can take months to hire, and recruitment fees aren’t cheap, the personality and fit may not turn out to be right and there is the risk of creating a single point of failure if they leave.

A fractional FD can start straight away and provides senior-level experience at a fraction of the cost. You get someone who's solved problems such as cashflow gaps, growth pains and reporting challenges across multiple businesses. And they are a flexible resource that can scale up around board meetings, funding rounds or year-end, and then reduce their hours when it’s quieter.

Many businesses start fractional and bring in a full-time FD later, once the business genuinely needs daily finance capacity. I help build that transition, not block it.