As you grow, finance changes shape
Fractional CFO support for founders building towards Series A.
I work alongside your accountant, not instead of them.
A conversation costs nothing. If we’re not the right fit, no hard feelings.
Early on, finance is mostly compliance: accounts filed, VAT returned, payroll run. That work carries on, but somewhere between first revenue and Series A, a second set of needs appears alongside it.
Knowing how long your cash lasts. Numbers your board and investors trust. Knowing a hire is affordable before you make it. Someone to think it through with.
That’s CFO work, not accounting, and most founders need it long before they can justify a full-time finance hire.
That’s the job I do
Two ways to work together
Financial hygiene check
Investors will look hard at your numbers. It’s better if I look first.
- 1A call to understand the business, how finance runs today, and what’s worrying you.
- 2A review, done in the background, of your accounts, reporting, metrics, cash position and forecast.
- 3A second call to walk you through what I found and what to fix before investors see it.
A written summary, a prioritised list of fixes, and help making them if you want it.
Best done a few months before you raise, not during.
Ongoing CFO support
Around a day a week, for a fixed monthly fee and a scope agreed in writing.
- Monthly management reporting that shows what’s driving your numbers
- Cash flow and runway, and what shifts them
- KPIs and metrics that fit how your business works
- Board and investor reporting you can stand behind
- Scenario modelling and a second opinion when you’re weighing a decision
Joined-up finance operations.
Access to me between check-ins, with no clock running.
The nagging sense that something’s been missed becomes my problem rather than yours.
Need something specific? I take on one-off projects too: a financial model built from scratch, cash flow tracking set up properly, or an honest look at a new revenue stream before you commit to it.
What I don’t do
Bookkeeping, VAT, payroll or year-end accounts. That’s compliance work, and it stays with your accountant.
How I work
Straightforwardly. I’ll tell you the truth about your numbers, including when it isn’t what you were hoping for. It’s rarely the fun part, but it’s usually the useful one. You’ll get practical answers, not forty-page decks.
Advice only counts if it actually happens. So I don’t just tell you what should change. I work through it with your team, in plain language, and help get people on board.
Why this work
I’ve spent 15 years working with start-ups in compliance and advisory roles, and seen a lot of fundraises up close. The same pattern kept coming up. Founders held on to the finance side themselves, often to keep costs down, or didn’t notice how much their needs had changed, until a raise or a board meeting made it urgent. That crunch is when you need the most support, and the worst time to be working it out alone. I’d rather be there before it arrives.
Rachel on LinkedInWho I work with
Founder-led tech, SaaS and e-commerce businesses, from early revenue through to Series A.
I work with mission-led companies, and I’m particularly committed to working with female founders.
I’m probably not the right fit if you’re pre-revenue or in crypto.
After Series A, most companies are ready for a finance hire of their own. I’ll tell you when you’ve got there.
How it starts
- 1A 20-minute call. You tell me where things are and what’s on your mind.
- 2A written proposal. What’s included, what isn’t, and the fee, so there are no surprises later.
- 3We start. We agree a start date and get going.
Or find me on LinkedIn.
A conversation costs nothing. If we’re not the right fit, no hard feelings.