Bookkeeping, management accounts, forecasting and a finance lead you actually know — delivered as one service, on the systems I already run for every client. No recruitment, no desk, no salary on top of pension and payroll costs.
A Virtual Finance Department (VFD) is an outsourced finance function that does the job an in-house Finance Manager, Financial Controller or part-time Finance Director would do — bookkeeping, monthly reporting, cash flow management, budgeting and financial strategy — run by me instead of hired by you.
It's built on the same cloud accounting software and automation I use for every client, so the routine work — transaction coding, bank reconciliation, invoice chasing — happens continuously in the background. That frees up time for the part that actually needs a person: reading the numbers and telling you what they mean.
You get one point of contact who knows your business inside out, rather than one employee who might leave, get sick, or simply not have covered every specialism you need.
A part-time Finance Director alone typically costs more than a full VFD service — and that's before recruitment fees, pension contributions, holiday cover and training.
Bookkeeping, payroll, tax and strategic advice covered properly, rather than resting on whoever you managed to hire.
Add more support as the business grows, or dial it back in quieter periods. No notice period, no redundancy conversation.
Live cloud dashboards mean you're not waiting for a monthly PDF to know how the business is doing.
Automated reconciliation through the month means management accounts are ready in days, not weeks.
Every report comes with a conversation. You get someone who can explain why the numbers moved, not just that they did.
A Virtual Finance Department tends to fit businesses somewhere between their first hire and their first Finance Director — typically once turnover, headcount or investor reporting has reached a point where a spreadsheet and an annual set of accounts is no longer enough, but a full-time finance hire isn't justified yet. That includes scaling SMEs, funded start-ups preparing for their next round, and established businesses replacing an outgoing finance employee without rushing a recruitment decision.
Bookkeeping is one part of it. A VFD adds monthly management reporting, forecasting and strategic input on top — the things a bookkeeper isn't scoped or qualified to do.
Yes. Most clients build up to a full VFD gradually — starting with bookkeeping and management accounts, then adding forecasting and strategic support as the business grows.
Typically monthly, alongside your management accounts — plus direct access whenever something comes up in between. That's set with you at the start, not fixed for every client.
A short call is enough to tell you whether a full VFD makes sense yet, or whether you just need one piece of it.