Part-Time CFO Services In Bristol

A funded growth plan, and a management team that delivers it, for Bristol businesses

Secantor places experienced part-time CFOs with owner-managed businesses across Bristol, giving the directors senior financial leadership without a full-time salary, hire or cost. Your CFO becomes part of the leadership team, owns the delivery of the financial strategy and stays to see it through, working alongside your people on funding, growth and the value of the business.

See our wider board-level support across the South West and Gloucestershire, or our national page on the Fractional CFO role.

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What Does A Part-Time CFO Do For A Bristol Business?

A Secantor part-time CFO takes responsibility for where a Bristol business is heading, how that journey is funded and what the business will be worth at the end of it, working with your directors rather than reviewing from the outside. The areas of support typically include:

  • Planning: a financial forecast model looking three to five years ahead, with the profit and loss account, the balance sheet and cashflow, so that every growth option is tested against the cash it needs before the directors commit.
  • Funding and lenders: sizing the funding the plan requires, preparing the case and managing the relationship with banks, lenders and investors.
  • Reporting and decisions: management accounts the directors can act on, with commentary on profit by product, customer and channel.
  • Cash and working capital: short and long-term cashflow forecasts, so that surprises are found early.
  • Deals and projects: financial leadership through acquisitions, disposals, due diligence and major systems changes.
  • Governance and people: sound financial controls and coaching for the finance team, and a board that is kept accountable for delivering the plan.
  • Value and exit: building a business that is worth more and can run without its owners ahead of a sale or succession.

You may also see this role described as fractional, outsourced or virtual CFO support. For a defined period we provide an Interim CFO.

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When Does A Bristol Business Need A Part-Time CFO?

Secantor's part-time CFO service suits a Bristol business when its decisions have grown larger than its finance function can support. The city's aerospace and engineering firms around Filton, its creative and digital agencies, professional practices and port and logistics operators near Avonmouth all meet the same moments: an expansion that has to be paid for, a lender asking for a forecast it can rely on, an acquisition on the table, an owner weighing up a sale, or margins slipping without a clear cause. Our blog on when an SME needs a CFO sets out the signs to look for.

How A Part-Time CFO Works With A Bristol Business

A Secantor part-time CFO opens with a diagnostic phase in your Bristol business and then stays to deliver what is agreed. At the outset the CFO takes stock of where the business stands today, gets to know your directors and the people who run the business, and reviews how well the systems, processes, reporting and organisation structure support the way the business operates. From that work an improvement action plan is agreed with you, and the CFO helps put it into effect.

A Part Time CFO discussin investment options with a business owner

We put forward the advisor whose background best suits the priorities of your business, or more than one if you would like to choose. All of our advisors have held senior board roles themselves, and each is accredited by our directors. Your CFO works as a trusted member of your team, takes responsibility for the results and stays until the work is done, with a Secantor director supporting in the background.

What Does A Part-Time CFO Cost In Bristol?

A Secantor part-time CFO in Bristol costs £1,200 a day plus VAT and expenses. The days are agreed in advance and you have full flexibility to increase or decrease them to suit your business needs, so you can add days around an acquisition, a refinancing or a turnaround and reduce them when the business is steady. Our guide to what a Fractional CFO costs in the UK sets out the wider picture.

A part time CFO interpreting financial performance with an SME management team
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Choosing The Right Arrangement For A Bristol Business

A Bristol business can draw on Secantor for senior board-level help in four forms, and the best fit follows from the problem that needs solving first.

  • Part-time CFO: senior leadership on funding, strategy and the value of the business, working alongside your directors on a regular basis.
  • Fractional Finance Director: for the business whose first priority is control, with sound reporting and a firm grip on cash.
  • Non-Executive Director: an outside perspective, a sounding board and challenge at the board table, and mentoring for the directors.
  • Interim CFO: senior cover for a defined period, such as a gap in the finance team or a major project.

Our blog comparing Fractional, Part-Time and Interim CFOs sets out how the models differ.

Working With Your Existing Team And Accountants

A Secantor part-time CFO in Bristol sits alongside your finance team, accountants and board, and nobody is replaced. The CFO adds a senior strategic layer above your finance function and can manage the relationship with your external accountants, so that their advice is put into effect. Secantor does not offer bookkeeping or outsourced accounts. If you already have a Finance Director, the CFO takes on strategy and funding and works with them on the rest. Where an exit is part of the plan, Exit Planning describes the way we ready a business for sale and Build Value In Your Business sets out how value is created.

A part time CFO creating a financial forecast model with an SME business owner

Starting With A Free Business Review

Secantor's Free Business Review lets a Bristol owner talk the business through with us before committing to anything, to see whether a part-time CFO would help. After an initial call, we come to you and listen to the full story, and you receive our independent assessment of where a CFO could add the greatest value, together with a recommendation. Read more about the Free Business Review.

Our 5-Point Commitment to You

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

✅ A Trusted Working Relationship: We select advisors who fit 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.

Next Steps

Start with a Free Business Review for your Bristol business, or book a call to speak to a Secantor director before you decide.

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Questions Bristol Owners Ask About A Part-Time CFO

How is a part-time CFO different from a Finance Director?

A part-time CFO focuses on funding, growth, value and exit, whereas a Finance Director keeps the business under control through reporting, cash and the finance function. They are two separate roles, and once we have met you and understood your business priorities we will recommend the one that suits a Bristol business like yours.

Is a part-time CFO a consultant?

No. A Secantor part-time CFO becomes a trusted member of your team: the advisor takes responsibility for the results, helps your directors make decisions as a director would, and stays until the work is done instead of handing over a report and leaving.

Can a part-time CFO help us with funding and our bank?

Yes. A Secantor CFO prepares the forecast, cashflow and supporting case that lenders and investors expect, and helps manage the relationship with your bank and other lenders, including joining meetings with them where that is useful.

Can a part-time CFO help us prepare for a sale?

Yes. A Secantor CFO helps the board build the case a buyer will look for: dependable figures, a credible forecast, clear due diligence information and a business that does not depend on its owners.

Do we still need our accountant if we have a part-time CFO?

Yes. Your accountants prepare the statutory accounts and tax returns, while a Secantor CFO works inside the business on strategy, funding and performance and helps put your accountants' advice into effect. The two roles complement each other, and we do not provide bookkeeping or outsourced accounts.

How many days does a part-time CFO work in a business?

The number of days follows the work to be done. You decide how many days to book, and you can increase or decrease them, for example around an acquisition or a refinancing.

Do you work with businesses outside Bristol city centre?

Yes. Secantor works with owner-managed businesses across Bristol, from Clifton and Temple Quarter to Filton and Avonmouth, in nearby towns such as Portishead, Keynsham and Yate, and in the wider South West and Gloucestershire.

Not quite found the answer you need? Contact our team and we will get back to you personally.

For a different role, our Non-Executive Director service may help.

Talk To Paul About Your Business Goals

Book a Free 30-Minute Business Review

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Paul Gibbins

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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

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