Commercial CFO Services for UK SMEs

What Is A Commercial CFO?

A Secantor Commercial CFO is an experienced part-time Chief Financial Officer who works inside an owner-managed SME on its commercial performance: pricing, margin, cash, funding and the decisions that build profit and value. Most clients start with one to four days a month, at £1,200 a day plus VAT and expenses.

It is the same senior support as a Fractional CFO, with the emphasis on how the business makes and keeps its money. You gain commercial and financial leadership at board level without the cost of a full-time appointment. If you need cover for a defined period instead, such as a leadership gap or a transaction, see our Interim CFO service.

How Does A Commercial CFO Differ From Your Accountant?

A Secantor Commercial CFO works inside your business to improve its commercial performance, while your accountant works outside it on compliance, tax and statutory accounts. The two roles complement each other.

Your accountant produces the annual accounts and tax returns. Your Commercial CFO uses management accounts during the year to shape pricing, control margin, manage cash and plan ahead. Because we become part of your management team, we understand the commercial, operational and people issues behind the numbers, and our advice reflects them. Your Commercial CFO works alongside your accountant and makes sure their advice is acted on.

An owner-managed SME usually needs a Secantor Commercial CFO when growth makes its commercial decisions bigger, but the business cannot yet justify a full-time CFO. Common signs include:

Margins are under pressure and you cannot see where profit is made or lost
Prices are set by habit or by competitors, not by the numbers
Cash is tight even though the business is trading well
You are planning growth, funding, an acquisition or a sale
Your monthly figures arrive late or tell you little about what to do next

If you are weighing it up, our article on when an SME needs a CFO sets out the signs in more detail.

How Secantor Helped a £30m Recruitment Business at a Critical Time

“Secantor provided the senior business & financial support my fellow director & I needed at a very critical time for our company. I cannot recommend the incredible service we received highly enough”

CEO Of A £30m Turnover Recruitment Company

What Does A Commercial CFO Do?

A Secantor Commercial CFO takes charge of the commercial side of your finances for an owner-managed SME: working out where your profit comes from, setting the plans and forecasts that guide the business, and making sure your finance function gives you what you need to decide.

Our gross profit margin calculator is a quick way to test your own margins, and our Pricing For Profit case study shows how this works in practice.

Pricing And Margin

Reviewing how you price and where margin is made or lost, by customer, product, service or region, and acting on what the figures show.

Profit Improvement

Finding practical ways to lift gross and net profit, from pricing and cost control to the mix of work you take on.

Cashflow Management

Building cashflow forecasts and managing working capital, including customer and supplier positions, so cash supports the plan.

Cost Control

Reporting on spend, identifying where costs run ahead of sales and agreeing the actions to bring them back into line.

Management Information

Setting up the monthly management accounts and KPIs you need, and interpreting them so you can act on what they show.

Financial Forecasting

Producing three to five year models showing profit, balance sheet and cash under different scenarios, so you can test decisions before you take them.

Budgeting And Planning

Setting budgets and a business plan the whole management team can work to, and tracking results against them.

Funding And Banking

Identifying funding needs, preparing the forecasts and commentary lenders expect, and supporting conversations with your bank.

Investment And Acquisitions

Assessing investments, acquisitions and major commercial decisions, including their effect on cash, profit and risk.

Financial Governance

Putting sound financial controls and board reporting in place, so the business is well run and well informed.

Finance Team Leadership

Overseeing and developing your finance team and systems so the finance function supports the growth of the business.

Business Turnaround

Leading the financial recovery of a business under pressure, from tight cash control to restructuring plans.

Exit And Value Planning

Preparing the business for sale or investment by building the profit, reporting and value that a buyer looks for.

Interim Cover

Stepping in full time or near full time while a permanent CFO is absent or being recruited.

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How A Commercial CFO Strengthens Your Finance Function

A Secantor Commercial CFO strengthens your finance function by overseeing the team, systems and reporting that give an owner-managed SME reliable figures every month. We set up the management accounts and KPIs that matter to your business, interpret the results with you and produce the cashflow forecast, so there are fewer surprises. Our article on key performance indicators in business explains where we start.

A Secantor Commercial CFO helps owner-managed SMEs plan ahead by showing the profit, cash and balance sheet consequences of a decision before it is made.

We build budgets, cashflow forecasts and three to five year financial plans that turn your business plan into numbers, and we help you test different scenarios. Businesses that want to grow can also rely on us to identify funding and to prepare and present the financial case to a lender. Our guides to financial forecast modelling for SME businesses and controlling business costs as you grow go into more detail.

How Do I Appoint A Commercial CFO?

Appointing a Commercial CFO with Secantor starts with a conversation. Get in touch or book a Free Business Review, and we will learn about your business and recommend a Secantor Accredited CFO, or more than one if you would like to choose. We also provide Non-Executive Director, Operations Director and Management Accountant support where it helps.

What Do Clients Say About Secantor?

Many of our client relationships span several years, with our advisors becoming a trusted part of the management team. Read our case studies to see the difference that makes.

Frequently Asked Questions: Commercial CFOs

A Commercial CFO is an experienced part-time Chief Financial Officer who focuses on a business’s commercial performance: pricing, margin, cash, funding and the decisions that build profit and value. At Secantor, a Commercial CFO works inside your management team for an agreed number of days each month. It is the same senior role as a Fractional CFO, with the emphasis on commercial results.

A Commercial CFO reviews pricing and margin, builds budgets, forecasts and financial plans, manages cash and working capital, supports funding and investment decisions, and makes sure the board has timely, accurate financial insight.

A Commercial Finance Director concentrates on reporting, control and the running of the finance function, with a commercial emphasis on pricing and margin. A Commercial CFO works at a more strategic level, adding funding, investment, growth and exit planning. In most SMEs one experienced person covers both, and we agree the emphasis with you. Read more about our Commercial Finance Director service.

A Commercial CFO brings the same senior skills as a full-time CFO but works for an agreed number of days each month, so you pay only for the time you need. Most clients start with one to four days a month.

A Secantor Commercial CFO costs £1,200 a day plus VAT and expenses. A typical starting point is one to four days a month, which costs £1,200 to £4,800 plus VAT, adjusted as the needs of the business change. Our guide to how much a Fractional CFO costs in the UK explains what drives the price.

Most owner-managed businesses start with one to four days a month, adjusted as priorities change. Funding, acquisitions and exit preparation usually need more.

At Secantor, we typically support owner-managed businesses with turnover of £3m to £50m. A Commercial CFO suits an SME whose financial decisions have become more complex but that does not need a full-time CFO.

Yes. Your accountant handles compliance, tax and statutory accounts, while your Commercial CFO focuses on commercial performance, forecasting and strategy. The two roles complement each other.

Yes. A Commercial CFO prepares the forecasts and financial reporting that lenders and investors expect, supports banking relationships and helps present the financial case.

Yes. A Commercial CFO helps lift profit, strengthen reporting and prepare the financial information that buyers expect. Our guide on how to build business value that buyers truly pay for explains what they look for.

Yes. For a defined period, such as an absence, a recruitment search or a transaction, see our Interim CFO service.

We can often introduce an experienced Commercial CFO within a short timeframe, depending on your needs. We recommend an advisor on experience, availability and chemistry, and can put forward more than one if you would like to choose.

Our CFOs are personally accredited by Secantor Directors and chosen for their commercial judgement, technical expertise and ability to work closely with business owners as part of the leadership team.

No. Secantor provides senior board-level support above your accountants and finance team, and works alongside them. We do not provide bookkeeping or outsourced accounts services.

The easiest way is a Free Business Review, where we visit your business or meet you by video, listen to your story and give you our view on the key priorities. You can also speak to an expert.

Talk To Paul About Your Business Goals

Book a Free 30-Minute Business Review

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

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Commercial CFO Services For UK SMEs