Part-Time CFO Services In London

Strategic financial leadership for growth, funding and business value, without a full-time CFO

A part-time CFO gives a London business board-level strategic finance for an agreed number of days each month. They turn forecasts into plans, plans into funding and funding into growth, working alongside the owner and the leadership team. Secantor provides experienced CFOs to owner-managed businesses across London and the Home Counties. We visit you, understand where the business wants to get to, and match the CFO to your goals and your people.

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What Does A Part-Time CFO Do In A London Business?

Where a Finance Director keeps the business under control, a CFO helps it decide where to go next. Typically that means:

  • Strategy in numbers: a financial plan and scenario models that show what each choice costs and returns.
  • Funding: preparing the case for lenders and investors, and managing those relationships.
  • Pricing and margin: finding where pricing, product mix or costs are holding profit back.
  • Value and exit: building the business a buyer or investor will pay for, and getting it ready for that day.
  • Board leadership: bringing commercial challenge to the board and holding the plan to account.

Our Part-Time CFO page explains the role in general; this page covers how it works for London businesses. Most owner-managed businesses of this size do not need both a Finance Director and a CFO, so one advisor usually covers both roles. Our guide to what a Fractional CFO does in the first 90 days shows how the work unfolds.

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When Does A London Business Need A CFO?

A CFO becomes valuable when decisions get bigger than the owner's instinct can carry: a funding round or refinance, an acquisition, a planned sale, a step change in growth, or a bank that wants a credible plan before it lends.

London adds scale and speed. Funders move quickly, competitors are well resourced and the cost of a wrong decision rises with the cost base. Our guide to when an SME needs a CFO sets out the signs.

How Has A Secantor CFO Helped A London Business?

A London business turned around under its bank's close watch

A London business had grown quickly to £9m, but its structures had not kept up and it was losing £500,000 a year. Its bank's enhanced monitoring team had put it on notice.

Working one day a week, a Secantor CFO treated it as a strategic turnaround, not only a reporting exercise. The CFO built the forecast that showed the bank a credible route back, introduced pricing discipline where the business had been undercharging, and led a cost reduction programme to protect cash. A Secantor Non-Executive Director put in place the operating rhythm to deliver it: a clear turnaround plan, daily operational reporting, regular management meetings and defined roles and reporting lines.

Within two years the business was back in profit, making £750,000 on £12m of turnover, and had returned to normal management at its bank.

A part-time CFO in London discussing strategy with a business owner

How Does A Part-Time CFO Work With You?

We visit you at your premises, hear where the business is heading and then propose the CFO we think fits. Every Secantor advisor is personally accredited by our directors, and most have held CFO, Finance Director or Non-Executive Director roles themselves. You work with one experienced advisor, supported by a senior Secantor director.

What Does A Part-Time CFO Cost In London?

A CFO working with a London -based board

Our Finance Director, CFO and Non-Executive Director support is charged at £1,200 a day plus VAT and expenses, invoiced monthly for the days worked. Many businesses start with two to four days a month, with more during a funding round, a turnaround or a transaction, and the days are adjusted as the business changes. Our guide to how much a Fractional CFO costs in the UK sets out the figures in full.

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Which CFO Arrangement Fits Your Business?

  • Part-time CFO for ongoing strategic leadership, a few days each month.
  • Interim CFO when the post has fallen vacant or a funding event or transaction needs a senior lead. See our Interim CFO service.
  • Part-time Finance Director when control, reporting and cash are the first priority. See our Finance Director service.
  • Non-Executive Director when the board needs independent challenge. See our Non-Executive Director service.

Our guide to Fractional vs Part-Time vs Interim CFO explains how the models differ.

Can A CFO Help Us Raise Funding Or Prepare For A Sale?

Yes. Our CFOs prepare forecasts, lender presentations and due diligence information, and can introduce the lenders, law firms and accountants we work with in London and across the South East. For a sale, a CFO builds the financial track record and planning that buyers expect to see. See our Exit Planning and Build Value In Your Business pages.

A part-time CFO making financial plans with a business owner in London

What Happens At A Free Business Review?

We start with a conversation about where the business is heading, then visit your premises to hear the full story and see how you work. You receive an independent view of where strategic financial leadership would help most and our recommendation of the right advisor, with no obligation.

Our 5-Point Commitment to You

✅ Expert Advice You Can Rely On: You’ll work with a qualified, experienced professional who’s focused on results.

✅ A Trusted Working Relationship: We select someone who fits your culture, team, and goals.

✅ Tailored Support for Your Business: No templates — just relevant, practical, hands-on input.

✅ Dependable, Consistent Delivery: We meet deadlines, keep promises, and deliver lasting impact.

✅ Clear, Proactive Communication: No jargon. Just senior-level expertise, clearly delivered.

Smiling business owner shaking hands with an advisor

Next Steps

Book your Free Business Review, or book a discovery call with a Secantor Director.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Part-Time CFOs In London

What does a CFO do that a Finance Director does not?

A CFO works at a more strategic level: funding, growth, pricing, acquisitions and exit. A Finance Director concentrates on control, reporting and cash.

How is a part-time CFO different from an interim CFO?

A part-time CFO provides ongoing support for a few days a month. An interim CFO joins temporarily, usually for more days, to cover a gap or lead a defined project.

Can a CFO help us raise funding or prepare for a sale?

Yes. Our CFOs prepare forecasts, lender presentations and due diligence information, and can introduce lenders and advisors where that helps.

How many days a month does a part-time CFO work?

It depends on the task. Many businesses start with two to four days a month, with more during a funding round, a turnaround or a transaction.

What does a part-time CFO cost in London?

Our Finance Director, CFO and Non-Executive Director support is charged at £1,200 a day plus VAT and expenses.

Not quite found the answer you need?    Contact our team – we’ll get back to you personally.

Interested in how senior support could help in other areas too? Learn more about our Non-Executive Directors and Outsourced Operations Directors.

Want to dive deeper? Check out our blog on How Can a Fractional CFO Transform Your Bottom Line? — it’s full of useful insights.

Talk To Paul About Your Business Goals

Book a Free 30-Minute Business Review

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Paul Gibbins

Use the calendar to book a free 30-minute call with Paul and get clarity on your next steps

On the call, you’ll:

  • Identify what’s holding back your profit and growth
  • Gain clearer direction on your business priorities
  • Understand how to improve cashflow and performance
  • Explore practical steps to move your business forward

No obligation

30-minute call

Expert advice

Free Business Review

No two businesses are the same. This is why we offer a free business review. We can arrange an initial chat with one of our experts to get things started. Then a couple of our team members will visit you to listen to the story of your business. From this meeting, we’ll be able to provide you with some interesting insights into your business from our independent experience. This will allow you to see how we work and help us to select the right expert for your business. Contact us to book a free consultation.

Why not read one of our short case studies to learn about Secantor's impact.

“We will never forget your huge contribution to Montezuma’s and your constant support, encouragement and all the board room laughs. Thank you for everything!” - Helen Pattinson, MD & Co-founder of Montezuma’s Chocolates

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Want to Boost Your Business Profits?

Profitability is the heartbeat of any successful business. Ready to take your business to the next level? Download your free guide and discover 10 powerful strategies to increase your business profits today!

Inside this guide, you'll discover how to:

✓ Create a budget that works for you

✓ Identify profit hotspots (and tackle any losses)

✓ Maximise sales while keeping costs in check

✓ Master the difference between 'Mark-up' and 'Margin'

…and so much more!

Click the button below to get instant access to your free guide and start growing your profits now!

Ways Secantor Will Help You

4 Develop a Plan
Develop & Implement A Successful Plan
5 Optimise Finances
Optimise Your Finances
6 Develop a Team
Develop A Strong Accountable Team
7 Build Value in Your Business
Build Value In Your Business
8 Improve Operational Efficiency
Improve Operational Efficiency
9 Exit Your Business Successfully
Exit Your Business Successfully

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What Does It Take to Build a Successful SME?

This guide is designed for ambitious SME owners who want to:

  • Focus on what actually drives growth
  • Spot where profit is being lost
  • Improve margins with smarter decisions
  • Strengthen cash flow and financial control
  • Build a stronger foundation for sustainable growth
  • Take practical action that moves the business forward
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Our Services

We help you make strategic decisions

Secantor provides expert financial and management support to SME owners and directors. Our commercially experienced team covers the following roles.

1 Non-Executive Director

Non-Executive Director

Strategic support and experience to guide you as you make decisions and build value in your business. A NED acts as a sounding board for your ideas, improves business performance, holds you and your team to account and helps you achieve a successful exit.

Responsibilities

✓ Strategic business planning

✓ Support strategic decision-making

✓ Set business goals and objectives

✓ Rejuvenate struggling businesses

✓ Manage growth effectively

✓ Implement best practice

✓ Sounding board for your ideas

✓ Set and communicate vision

✓ Hold you & your team to account

✓ Build an effective management team

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2 Finance Director

Finance Director

Expert financial leadership from a commercially experienced, qualified accountant. An FD will create financial plans, report your monthly performance against budget and interpret the figures to help you make sound decisions & improve profitability.

Responsibilities

✓ Expert financial advice

✓ Interpret financial results a support decisions

✓ Develop & oversee your finance team

✓ Improve profitability & control costs

✓ Prepare management accounts

✓ Create 3-5 year financial plan

✓ Budget setting

✓ Source appropriate funding

✓ Cashflow forecasting & management

✓ Prepare reports & commentaries for your bank

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3 Operations Director

Operations Director

Strategic operational leadership to transform your people and business processes to improve efficiency and profitability. An Operations Director helps you build a strong management team, delegate operational actions and improve business performance.

Responsibilities

✓ Develop strength in your management team

✓ Establish key performance indicators (KPIs)

✓ Hold people accountable to achieve results

✓ Process and quality improvement

✓ Help you delegate effectively

✓ Create clear job descriptions

✓ Identify and recruit talent

✓ Implement robust operational systems

✓ Establish clear goals and expectations

✓ Enable your team to achieve excellence

Learn More

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