Questions, answered

It depends on what you need. For some clients that's the full finance function - bookkeeping, payroll, VAT, management accounts, and board reporting. For others it's a specific gap: a finance director on a part-time basis, a model that needs building, or a reporting function that needs rebuilding. We scope it around your business, not a fixed package.

You get senior expertise without a full-time salary, employer's NI, pension contributions, holiday cover, or the risk of a bad hire. You also get flexibility - the level of support can increase during busy periods and scale back when things are quieter. Most clients find they get more for less.

Often yes. Bookkeeping and strategic finance are different disciplines. We work alongside existing bookkeepers and finance staff regularly. Our role is usually at the layer above: interpreting the numbers, producing management accounts, advising on decisions, and providing the senior oversight that a bookkeeper isn't there to provide.

For most engagements, within two to three weeks. The early stage involves understanding your current systems, accounts, and reporting - which takes a short period of structured onboarding. Urgent situations can be prioritised.

We work across a broad range of sectors, and the financial principles that matter - cashflow, margins, working capital, reporting - apply across all of them. Where industry-specific knowledge matters, we ask the right questions and learn quickly. Our value is in the quality of financial thinking, not in already knowing your market.

We work with businesses from early-stage to established SMEs, typically from £500k to £30m in turnover. If you're at the point where financial information genuinely matters to how you run the business, there's likely a version of this that makes sense for you. The first conversation is free and without obligation.

It varies based on the scope and frequency of support. We're transparent about fees from the first conversation - no retainers that don't reflect the work, and no unexpected charges. Most clients find the cost is significantly less than an equivalent full-time hire, and the comparison changes further when you factor in recruitment costs and employment overheads.

We work on notice periods that are fair to both sides, typically one month. There's no long-term lock-in. If your needs grow, we scale up. If you hire internally and no longer need us, we'll handle a proper handover so nothing is lost.

However works best for you. Some clients prefer a regular on-site presence; others work with us entirely remotely with a monthly video call. We're led by what's most useful, not a fixed model of how engagement has to look.

All client information is handled confidentially and in accordance with data protection requirements. We don't share information between clients, and access to systems is managed carefully. If you have specific security requirements, we'll accommodate them.