What is a Virtual CFO?

A Virtual 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 a Virtual 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 a Virtual CFO differ from a Full-Time CFO?

Virtual 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 a Virtual CFO?

Many SMEs reach a stage where financial decisions become more complex — but aren’t yet ready for a full-time CFO. A Virtual 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 a Virtual 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 a Virtual 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 a Virtual CFO?

Virtual 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 a Virtual CFO cost?

Fees vary depending on the time commitment and complexity. Our Virtual 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 a Virtual 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 a Virtual 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 a Virtual 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 a Virtual 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 a Virtual 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.

Virtual CFO Services For SMEs | Fractional CFO Support

A Virtual CFO provides experienced senior financial leadership to SMEs on a flexible remote basis. Businesses gain improved financial visibility, forecasting, reporting and commercial insight without employing a full-time Chief Financial Officer.

For many growing SMEs, modern cloud accounting systems and remote working now make it entirely practical for strategic financial leadership to be delivered remotely. A Virtual CFO works closely with business owners and management teams to support financial planning, cash flow management, profitability improvement and better commercial decision-making.

Many businesses use the terms Virtual CFO, Fractional CFO, Part-Time CFO or Outsourced CFO interchangeably. In practice, the role is very similar. The main difference is that Virtual CFO services are delivered primarily through remote support, online meetings and cloud-based financial systems.

Businesses looking for broader strategic financial leadership may also wish to explore our Fractional CFO services.

Why SMEs Use A Virtual CFO

As businesses grow, financial management often becomes more complex. Directors may find themselves making increasingly important decisions without reliable financial visibility, forward planning or meaningful management information.

Many SME owners continue managing financial leadership themselves for longer than they ideally should. This often leads to reactive decision-making, inconsistent reporting, cash flow pressure and uncertainty around profitability or future growth.

A Virtual CFO helps businesses strengthen financial visibility, improve planning and introduce better commercial discipline without the cost of employing a permanent full-time CFO.

Businesses typically appoint a Virtual CFO when they need:

clearer financial reporting and management accounts
improved cash flow forecasting
support with budgeting and financial modelling
stronger commercial decision-making
funding or investment support
profitability analysis
KPI reporting and business performance visibility
strategic financial leadership for growth

Many businesses also benefit from combining Virtual CFO support with improved management accounts, business planning and longer-term strategic financial planning.

Financial Forecasting And Cash Flow Planning

Producing rolling cash flow forecasts, budgets and financial forecast models to improve visibility and support better planning decisions.

Management Reporting And Commercial Insight

Improving management accounts, KPI reporting and financial analysis to help directors better understand business performance.

Profitability Improvement

Analysing margins, pricing, overheads and operational performance to identify opportunities to improve profitability and cash generation. Businesses looking to strengthen margins may also find our guide on ways to increase business profitability helpful.

Funding And Investor Support

Preparing financial forecasts, supporting funding applications and helping businesses communicate effectively with banks, lenders and investors.

Strategic Financial Leadership

Supporting directors with budgeting, planning, investment decisions, recruitment planning and long-term commercial strategy.

Finance Team Support And Development

Strengthening internal finance processes, improving controls and helping finance teams become more effective and reliable. Businesses seeking wider organisational improvement may also benefit from support around developing a strong accountable team.

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

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Businesses sometimes also search for:

If you require temporary full-time leadership during a finance transition, maternity cover or recruitment process, please visit our Interim CFO page.

You may also find our guide What Does A Fractional CFO Do In The First 90 Days? helpful if you are exploring how senior financial leadership could support your business.

Free Business Review

No two businesses are the same. That is why we offer a free business review for SME owners and directors.

Following an initial discussion, members of our senior team will take time to understand your business, your challenges and your objectives. We will then provide practical observations and recommendations based on our experience supporting hundreds of SMEs across a wide range of industries.

This allows you to understand how we work while helping us identify the right level of support for your business.

Frequently Asked Questions: Virtual CFOs

A Virtual CFO is a senior financial leader who works with your business on a flexible remote basis, providing strategic financial oversight, forecasting, reporting and commercial support without the cost of employing a full-time CFO.

A Virtual CFO helps businesses improve financial visibility, strengthen decision-making and support long-term growth. Typical responsibilities include financial forecasting, management reporting, cash flow planning, profitability analysis, budgeting, KPI reporting, funding support and strategic financial planning.

A Virtual CFO provides the same type of strategic financial leadership as a full-time CFO but works with your business on a flexible part-time basis. This allows SMEs to access experienced financial expertise without the salary costs and long-term commitment associated with a permanent full-time appointment.

The roles are very similar and the terms are often used interchangeably. A Virtual CFO primarily delivers support remotely using cloud accounting systems and online meetings, while a Fractional CFO may combine both remote and onsite support.

Many SMEs reach a stage where financial management becomes more complex but employing a full-time CFO is not yet commercially practical. A Virtual CFO helps businesses improve financial control, strengthen forecasting, manage growth, improve profitability and make better strategic decisions.

Businesses exploring this type of support may also find our article Why Every SME Should Have A CFO helpful.

Day-to-day activities often include reviewing management accounts, monitoring cash flow, building forecasts, supporting budgeting, analysing profitability, attending board meetings, improving reporting processes and helping directors make commercially informed decisions.

Yes. Many experienced CFOs also provide broader strategic and board-level support as Non-Executive Directors. This can include governance, accountability, commercial challenge and strategic guidance alongside financial leadership.

Virtual CFO services are commonly used by growing SMEs that require stronger financial leadership but do not yet need a permanent full-time CFO. Secantor typically supports businesses ranging from approximately £3m–£50m turnover, although requirements vary depending on complexity and growth plans.

The responsibilities often overlap significantly within SMEs. In larger organisations, a Finance Director may focus more heavily on financial control and reporting, while a CFO tends to operate more strategically across funding, growth, investment and long-term business planning. In many SMEs, one individual performs both roles.

Costs vary depending on the level of support required, the size of the business and the complexity of the role. Virtual CFO services are typically far more cost-effective than employing a permanent full-time CFO because businesses only pay for the level of support they need.

Yes. Accountants and CFOs perform different roles. Accountants usually focus on compliance, tax and statutory reporting, while a CFO focuses on strategic financial leadership, forecasting, decision support and business performance improvement. The two roles work together closely.

Virtual CFO services are particularly valuable for SMEs experiencing growth, increasing complexity or more demanding financial decisions. Businesses preparing for expansion, funding, acquisition or exit often benefit significantly from stronger strategic financial leadership.

Yes. A Virtual CFO can help prepare financial forecasts, funding models and investor information while supporting discussions with banks, lenders and investors. Strong financial preparation often improves credibility and decision-making during funding processes.

In many cases, support can begin relatively quickly depending on business requirements and availability. Secantor carefully matches businesses with commercially experienced CFOs suited to their sector, culture and objectives.

Secantor’s CFOs combine strong financial expertise with practical commercial experience gained from working within growing SMEs and larger organisations. Our approach focuses on becoming part of the management team, helping directors improve financial clarity, decision-making and long-term business value.

The best starting point is an initial discussion about your business, challenges and objectives. Following this, we identify the most appropriate level of support and match you with a CFO whose experience and approach fit your business requirements.

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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

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

Learn More

Virtual CFO Services For SMEs

What Is A Virtual CFO?

Why SMEs Use A Virtual CFO

How A Virtual CFO Supports Your Business

Financial Forecasting And Cash Flow Planning

Management Reporting And Commercial Insight

Profitability Improvement

Funding And Investor Support

Strategic Financial Leadership

Finance Team Support And Development

Virtual CFO vs Full-Time CFO

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”

When Businesses Typically Appoint A Virtual CFO

Want to Boost Your Business Profits?

Related CFO Services

Free Business Review

Frequently Asked Questions: Virtual CFOs

Talk To Paul About Your Business Goals

Book a Free 30-Minute Business Review

Paul Gibbins

No obligation

30-minute call

Expert advice

Read Our Latest Case Studies

Achieving the Dream Business Exit

The Value of an Interim Finance Director

Resolving Boardroom Conflict

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?

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

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”

Our Services

We help you make strategic decisions

Non-Executive Director

Finance Director

Operations Director

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