01
Late, unreliable management accounts
Numbers arrive weeks after month-end and rarely match the bank. I work with bookkeeper / finance assistant to rebuild the close process so you get a clean, trusted pack within agreed timeframe — every month.
Fractional Finance Director
Senior finance leadership,
on the days you need it.
I partner with owners and managers to bring clarity to the numbers — board-ready reporting, P&L and cash flow forecasting, margin analysis and fundraising support, without the cost of a full-time hire.
20+
Years in senior finance
£200K – £10M
Helped clients secure funding ranging from £200K to business sales of c.£5M–£10M
Portfolio
Working with growth-stage companies across a variety of industries
FCCA
Fellow qualified Chartered Certified Accountant
What I do
Common financial reporting problems, solved.
The issues below come up again and again in growth-stage businesses. Here's how I tackle each one — pragmatically, and without disrupting the team you've already built.
02
No visibility on cash runway
I work with the business to produce a cash flow forecast and a key driver-based P&L forecast you can use to make business critical decisions and investigate possible scenarios.
03
Board packs that raise more questions than they answer
Owner, managers and investors ask for clarifications instead of making decisions. I produce narrated monthly packs tied to your strategic plan — KPIs, variance analysis commentary, and a platform to allow discussion and decisions to be made.
04
Unclear product or service profitability
Without a clear view of gross margin by product, service or customer it's hard to know where you make money. I build gross margin analysis that reveals the true profit drivers, so pricing, mix and cost decisions are grounded in evidence.
05
Fundraising or sale process exposing weak numbers
All investment requires financial Due Diligence to be completed. I prepare business plans using integrated financial models that can be used during the process, in addition to setting up data rooms, and any additional analysis required. I can also be a part of the team and in investor meetings through the process if required.
About
Thirty years of building knowledge and experience that I now use to help growth stage companies deliver strategic aims.
I have over thirty years experience across a number of positions and industries. This includes fifteen years in retail culminating in being the Divisional Finance Director of a company that grew from 150 to 600 stores and a turnover of £500m+.
Today I work with a small portfolio of SME's who want someone to deliver timely and accurate financial reports, and to provide board level financial reporting support and strategic input.
- Based
- Cardiff, but work with clients all over the UK
- Sectors
- Currently working with companies in manufacturing, media, and market research. Also have 15 years experience in the retail sector
In their words
“I met Richard while coaching a business who were working towards a sale. It was a really well run business but lacked the financial systems, rigour and forecasting needed to get it to a sale and prove it’s worth.
Richard was brought on board to provide all the above and, in my view, made all the difference in providing crucial facts, figures and a structure to provide the evidence needed. The business was sold successfully for many millions, thanks, in no small part, to Richard’s ability to interpret value, risk and future worth.
Richard has a rare quality in my view where accountant related professionals are concerned. He can interpret both the detail, but more importantly, provide the overview and simplify the overall picture for non-financially trained owners and leaders. This ability is invaluable for accurately informing strategy and business decisions.
I would have no hesitation in recommending Richard to any business who really needs to understand how their business is doing. In my view this is essential in today’s unstable business environment.”
Robert Firth BSc BArch MSc FRSA
Certified Business Coach & Mentor
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Let's talk
Bring a senior set of eyes
to your numbers.
A 30-minute intro call, no pitch. We'll talk through where you are, what's coming, and whether I'm the right partner for the next chapter.