25/06/2026
What goes on in the mind of a forward-thinking FD?
The Finance Director is a very different role to the bookkeeper or finance manager who process transactions and report the past data. Whilst this role is important, what the business really wants is the forward-looking skills of a fractional finance director.
Often wired differently, the Chief Finance Bro thinks differently to the founder which is why the role works so well with the business owner or managing director.
Some of key things Fractional FD thinks about are,
Cashflow: Woes the business have enough cashflow in the short and medium term? Is there a forecast to guide the business through its pinch points?
Profitability: What are the profit margins and where is money made and not made? Does the business understand it’s gross margin? Does it have analytics to shows profitability by customer/product/market and where the anchors are dragging along the floor?
Management accounts: Does the business receive prompt management accounts? Whilst this is past data, it is important to monitor progress against the plan.
Business support: Does the owner have someone to give the Finance view so they feel confident the bases have been covered in their decision making? The finance director is the sounding board for ideas, enabling best to proceed and the unaffordable ones to be canned quickly.
Budgets: Is there a plan that translates expected profits into a cash-flow projection? This is still an effective tool to plan business activity to achieve your targets.
Funding: Does the business have enough working capital, does it need to raise more for investments and expansion?
The storyteller: A great FD can bring the numbers to life, tells you what they mean and focuses on the key areas needing attention rather than them being hidden in a 20-page management accounts pack.
The forward view: The FD thinks about the order book, the expected future sales, the impacts on profit and cashflow. These all steer the business towards its goals as well as helping everyone sleep at night knowing the financials are being looked after. No one likes surprises!
Fractional FD – Tim Powell
Experienced Finance Director for just £750 per month
www. Altonfinancedirector.co.uk
