What is an Outsourced CFO?

An Outsourced CFO is a senior financial expert who works with your business on a flexible basis, providing high-level financial strategy, oversight and board-level input. They offer the benefits of a full-time CFO without the permanent cost.

What does an Outsourced CFO do for a business?

They lead financial strategy, produce and interpret management accounts, build financial models, manage risk, guide funding decisions, support acquisitions or exits, and ensure your board has timely, accurate financial insight.

How does an Outsourced CFO differ from a Full-Time CFO?

Outsourced CFOs offer all the skills and strategic input of a full-time CFO but work with your business on a fractional basis — typically a few days per month. You get the benefit of experienced financial oversight, planning, and reporting without the overhead of a permanent hire.

Why would an SME need an Outsourced CFO?

Many SMEs reach a stage where financial decisions become more complex — but aren’t yet ready for a full-time CFO. An Outsourced CFO gives you the expertise to make informed decisions, plan ahead, secure funding, improve profitability, and avoid surprises. It's a cost-effective way to build a stronger, more resilient business. To dive deeper, why not read our blog Why every SME business should have a CFO.

What does an Outsourced CFO do day-to-day?

Typical responsibilities include: producing and interpreting management accounts, building financial forecasts, managing cash flow, budgeting, advising on funding, supporting board meetings, training your finance team, and helping you make financially sound business decisions.

Can an Outsourced CFO also act as a Non-Executive Director?

Yes. At Secantor, many of our CFOs also act as Non-Executive Directors (NEDs). Our CFOs are commercially experienced, strategically minded, and have strong corporate governance expertise — making them well placed to contribute at board level.

What size of business uses an Outsourced CFO?

Outsourced CFOs are ideal for SMEs with growing complexity but without the need for a full-time finance leader. At Secantor, we typically support businesses with £3m–£50m turnover, though some clients are smaller and others larger.

How is a CFO different from a Finance Director?

The roles often overlap, and the title is often used interchangeably. In very large organisations, a Finance Director typically focuses on internal financial control and reporting, while a CFO adds a layer of strategic foresight, often acting as a key advisor to the CEO or owner and supporting investor relationships. However, in most SMEs, one individual covers all aspects of strategic financial leadership, so the role is in effect the same.

How much does an Outsourced CFO cost?

Fees vary depending on the time commitment and complexity. Our Outsourced CFOs typically cost from £1,200 +VAT per month. We tailor each engagement to match your business stage, budget and goals. Contact us for a personalised proposal.

Do I still need an accountant if I hire an Outsourced CFO?

Yes — because their roles are different. An accountant operates outside your business and focuses on compliance, tax, and reporting. A CFO works inside your business to provide strategic financial leadership. The two roles complement each other. Your CFO will often manage the relationship with your external accountant and ensure their advice is implemented effectively.

Is an Outsourced CFO suitable for my business size?

We typically work with UK SMEs with £3m–£50m turnover and 30–250 employees — but we also support ambitious smaller businesses preparing for growth or investment, and we serve larger companies too. If you’re experiencing growing complexity in your finances or strategic decisions, a CFO will help bring clarity and control.

Can an Outsourced CFO help with fundraising or investment?

Yes — a CFO plays a crucial role in preparing forecasts, engaging with investors or banks, presenting financial strategy, and structuring funding rounds. They bring credibility and clarity to the process.

How quickly can an Outsourced CFO start?

We can often place a vetted, accredited CFO in your business within a matter of days. Every Secantor CFO is carefully selected and personally accredited to ensure they not only have the right technical expertise, but also the commercial experience and interpersonal skills to fit seamlessly into your team.

What makes Secantor different?

Our CFOs are personally accredited by Secantor Directors and chosen for their blend of technical expertise, commercial judgement and interpersonal skills. Our team have held senior roles in both large corporates and growing SMEs — and every engagement is backed by Secantor’s oversight to guarantee quality and results.

How do I hire an Outsourced CFO?

The easiest way is to book a call with one of our experienced advisors. We’ll learn more about your business, explain how we work, and scope your requirements. Following a visit to meet you personally, we develop an in-depth understanding of your business needs, allowing us to match you with a carefully selected CFO based on your requirements, culture, and priorities. No obligation — just a conversation to see if we’re a good fit for you.

Outsourced CFO Services for SMEs | Fractional CFO UK

An Outsourced CFO provides senior strategic financial leadership to a business on a flexible, fractional basis. Businesses typically appoint an Outsourced CFO when financial complexity, commercial decision-making or growth ambitions increase beyond the capabilities of existing finance resources, but employing a full-time Chief Financial Officer is not yet commercially appropriate.

Secantor’s Outsourced CFOs work alongside owners, directors and leadership teams to improve financial visibility, strengthen commercial decision-making and help businesses plan confidently for growth.

Unlike external accountants who primarily focus on compliance and historic reporting, an Outsourced CFO becomes embedded within your business and works proactively with management teams to improve forecasting, profitability, cash flow management and long-term strategic planning.

Many businesses also refer to this role as a Fractional CFO, Part-Time CFO or Virtual CFO, although the responsibilities are usually very similar. If you are specifically looking for temporary full-time cover during a finance leadership gap or project period, you may also wish to explore our Interim CFO services.

Businesses requiring broader operational financial leadership may also benefit from our Fractional Finance Director services.

What Does An Outsourced CFO Do?

An Outsourced CFO provides strategic financial leadership across all major areas of business performance, planning and decision-making.

While every engagement is tailored to the needs of the business, Outsourced CFO responsibilities commonly include:

improving management reporting and financial visibility
producing budgets and rolling forecasts
strengthening cash flow management and working capital control
improving profitability and margin analysis
supporting pricing and commercial decision-making
preparing businesses for growth, funding or investment
supporting acquisitions, restructures or exits
developing finance teams and improving internal processes
attending board meetings and supporting directors strategically
building financial models and scenario planning tools
improving accountability and operational performance reporting

Many directors ask what actually changes when a CFO joins the business.

👉 Read our guide: What does a CFO do in the first 90 days?

Businesses often appoint an Outsourced CFO when:

turnover and operational complexity are increasing
directors lack clear financial visibility
profitability becomes inconsistent
cash flow pressures emerge
funding or investment support is required
management reporting is weak or delayed
the owner is carrying too much responsibility
strategic planning becomes more important
the business is preparing for acquisition or exit
leadership teams need stronger financial challenge and accountability

As businesses grow, owners often experience:

reduced visibility over profitability
cash flow uncertainty
inconsistent reporting
difficulty planning ahead
pressure around funding or investment decisions
operational inefficiencies
growing management complexity
increasing reliance on the owner

An Outsourced CFO helps introduce greater financial clarity, structure and commercial insight so directors can make better decisions with more confidence.

Our Outsourced CFO services support owner-managed UK SMEs across a wide range of sectors, helping businesses improve financial visibility, strengthen profitability and plan more confidently for growth.

Because Outsourced CFOs work across multiple businesses and sectors, they also bring broader commercial perspective and practical experience from other successful SMEs.

Secantor has supported hundreds of SMEs over more than 20 years, helping businesses improve financial visibility, strengthen profitability and prepare confidently for growth, investment and exit.

Many SMEs appoint an Outsourced CFO after reaching a stage where decisions become more financially significant and operational complexity increases. Common outcomes include improved profitability, stronger cash flow visibility, clearer reporting, improved decision-making, increased accountability and greater confidence around growth planning.

Flexible CFO support allows SME owners to access experienced strategic financial leadership as their business grows, without committing to the cost and risk of a permanent executive hire too early.

Senior financial expertise without full-time cost

Gain access to experienced board-level financial leadership without the salary, pension, benefits and long-term commitment associated with employing a permanent CFO.

Better financial visibility and reporting

Improve management information, forecasting, KPI reporting and financial clarity across the business.

Stronger strategic decision-making

Use accurate financial insight to support pricing, recruitment, investment, expansion and operational decisions.

Improved cash flow management

Strengthen forecasting, working capital management and financial planning to reduce surprises and improve financial stability.

Support for growth and funding

Prepare stronger financial forecasts, funding packs and business plans to support investment, lending and expansion opportunities.

Improved profitability

Identify profit improvement opportunities through better reporting, margin analysis and commercial performance monitoring.

Greater accountability and structure

Introduce improved reporting disciplines, budgeting processes and management accountability across leadership teams.

More time for business owners

Reduce the pressure on founders and directors by providing experienced strategic financial support and commercial challenge.

Outsourced CFO vs Finance Director

In many SMEs, the terms CFO and Finance Director are often used interchangeably because one individual typically performs both strategic and operational financial leadership responsibilities.

However, where distinctions exist, a Finance Director often focuses more heavily on internal financial control, reporting and finance operations, while a CFO typically works more strategically across business growth, commercial planning, funding, investment and long-term value creation.

For many SMEs, the most important factor is not the title itself, but having commercially experienced senior financial leadership embedded within the management team.

Learn more about our Fractional Finance Director services.

An Outsourced CFO typically becomes part of the leadership team and works closely with directors across both financial and commercial decision-making.

Depending on the business, this may include:

Financial forecasting and modelling

Building detailed financial forecasts and scenario models to support planning, growth and risk management.

Businesses planning expansion or funding often benefit from our financial modelling services and business planning support.

Management accounts and reporting

Improving the quality, consistency and usefulness of management accounts and KPI reporting.

You may also find these resources helpful:

Profit improvement

Analysing profitability by customer, product, service line or operational area to identify improvement opportunities.

You can also download our free guide on increasing business profitability.

Funding and investment readiness

Supporting funding applications, lender relationships, investor presentations and financial due diligence.

Strategic planning

Helping directors develop longer-term financial strategies and clearer operational plans aligned to business objectives.

Exit and value creation planning

Preparing businesses for future sale, succession or investment opportunities by improving reporting, processes, leadership capability and financial performance.

Businesses preparing for future exit may also wish to explore:

How Secantor’s Outsourced CFOs Work

Secantor’s Outsourced CFOs work as part of your management team, not as detached consultants.

Our CFOs are commercially experienced senior finance leaders who combine strategic insight with practical operational support. Every CFO is personally accredited by Secantor Directors to ensure the right balance of technical expertise, commercial judgement and interpersonal capability.

We carefully match CFOs to each business based on sector experience, business stage, culture and leadership requirements.

Most engagements operate on a flexible basis ranging from one day per month to several days per week depending on business needs.

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No two businesses are the same, which is why we offer a free business review.

Following an initial conversation, two experienced members of our team will visit your business to understand your goals, challenges, financial visibility and operational structure.

We then provide independent insight and practical observations based on our experience working with hundreds of SMEs across multiple sectors.

This process also helps us identify the right CFO for your business requirements.

👉 Book a free consultation

Frequently Asked Questions: Outsourced CFOs

An Outsourced CFO is a senior financial professional who provides strategic financial leadership to a business on a flexible basis without the cost of employing a permanent full-time CFO.

An Outsourced CFO helps businesses improve forecasting, financial reporting, profitability, cash flow management, strategic planning, funding readiness and board-level decision-making.

Many SMEs reach a stage where financial decisions become more complex but are not yet large enough to justify a full-time CFO salary. An Outsourced CFO provides experienced financial leadership without the long-term employment cost.

To dive deeper, why not read our blog When does an SME need a CFO?

We typically support SMEs with turnover between £3m and £50m, although we also work with smaller ambitious businesses and larger established organisations.

In many SMEs the roles overlap considerably. However, CFOs are often more strategically focused on growth, funding, investment and long-term value creation, while Finance Directors may focus more heavily on financial control and reporting.

An Outsourced CFO provides the same senior-level expertise as a permanent CFO but delivers flexible CFO support on a fractional basis, making the role significantly more cost-effective for SMEs.

Costs vary depending on business size, complexity and time commitment. Our Outsourced CFO services typically start from £1,200 +VAT per month.

Yes. Outsourced CFOs commonly help businesses prepare financial forecasts, funding applications, investor presentations and lender reporting.

Businesses raising funding often also benefit from our financial modelling services and business planning support.

Yes. Improving profitability is one of the most common reasons businesses appoint an Outsourced CFO. This often involves improving reporting, analysing margins, strengthening pricing decisions and improving operational accountability.

You may also find our guide on increasing business profitability useful.

Yes. Accountants and CFOs perform different but complementary roles. Your accountant typically focuses on compliance and statutory reporting, while your CFO provides strategic financial leadership inside the business.

Yes. At Secantor, many of our CFOs also act as Non-Executive Directors. Their commercial experience, governance understanding and strategic perspective make them valuable contributors at board level.

Learn more about our Non-Executive Director services.

We can often place an experienced Outsourced CFO within a matter of days depending on your requirements and location.

Our CFOs combine technical expertise with strong commercial and operational experience. Every engagement is carefully overseen by Secantor to ensure quality, continuity and practical business impact.

The best starting point is an initial conversation with our team. We’ll learn more about your business, understand your goals and recommend the most appropriate support structure for your needs.

👉 Speak with our team today

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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.

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.

✓ 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

Learn More

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.

✓ 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

Learn More

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.

✓ 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

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Outsourced CFO Services for UK SMEs

Outsourced CFO Services Explained

What Does An Outsourced CFO Do?

Businesses Typically Use An Outsourced CFO When

Why Businesses Use An Outsourced CFO

The Benefits Of An Outsourced CFO

Senior financial expertise without full-time cost

Better financial visibility and reporting

Stronger strategic decision-making

Improved cash flow management

Support for growth and funding

Improved profitability

Greater accountability and structure

More time for business owners

“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”

Outsourced CFO vs Finance Director

What Does This Look Like In Practice?

Financial forecasting and modelling

Management accounts and reporting

Profit improvement

Funding and investment readiness

Strategic planning

Exit and value creation planning

How Secantor’s Outsourced CFOs Work

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Frequently Asked Questions: Outsourced CFOs

Related Services

Talk To Paul About Your Business Goals

Paul Gibbins

Ways Secantor Will Help You

Develop & Implement A Successful Plan

Optimise Your Finances

Develop A Strong Accountable Team

Build Value In Your Business

Improve Operational Efficiency

Exit Your Business Successfully

Read Our Latest Case Studies

Achieving the Dream Business Exit

The Value of an Interim Finance Director

Resolving Boardroom Conflict

What Does It Take to Build a Successful SME?

“Secantor has made a world of difference - we are now in control. It's a very cost effective way for us to have high level management and strategic help”

Read Our Latest Blog Posts

Why Every SME Business Should Have a Finance Director

The Benefits of Management Accounting: Why Every SME Business Should Use Management Accounts

When Does An SME Need A CFO?

Our Services

We help you make strategic decisions

Non-Executive Director

Finance Director

Operations Director

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