Virtual CFO services
Senior finance leadership without a full-time hire. We own how your business is measured, planned and controlled, and work alongside you on the decisions that shape it.
Budget versus actual, year to date
Sample Trading Co., April to September 2026
| ₹ lakh | Actual | Budget | Var. | Var. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 1211 | 1215 | −4 | −0.3% |
| Cost of goods sold | 748 | 735 | −13 | −1.8% |
| Gross profit | 463 | 480 | −17 | −3.5% |
| Employee cost | 152 | 148 | −4 | −2.7% |
| Rent and facilities | 64 | 64 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Selling and marketing | 58 | 66 | +8 | +12.1% |
| Admin and other | 41 | 39 | −2 | −5.1% |
| EBITDA | 148 | 163 | −15 | −9.2% |
Positive variance is favourable to profit. Costs under budget show as positive.
Price and mix
Higher share of low-margin institutional sales reduced gross margin by 1.3 pp.
Timing
₹8 L of marketing spend moved to Q3. Expected to reverse.
Action
Review institutional pricing before contract renewals in November.
When businesses bring in a virtual CFO
Usually when the business has outgrown bookkeeping and gut feel, but does not yet need a full-time finance head.
- Decisions on pricing, hiring or expansion are made without a financial view of the impact.
- The books are up to date, but nobody turns them into analysis.
- Cash is tight even though the business reports a profit.
- A bank, investor or partner is asking for information you struggle to produce.
- The founder is still the de facto finance head.
What a virtual CFO does for you
The exact scope is agreed with you. These are the areas we usually cover.
Performance and reporting
- Monthly MIS and KPI dashboard
- Variance analysis with commentary
- Board or partner reporting packs
Planning
- Annual budget
- Rolling forecasts
- Scenario and sensitivity analysis
Cash and working capital
- 13-week cash forecast
- Receivable, inventory and payable cycles
- Funding requirement and borrowing plans
Controls and process
- Month-end close calendar
- Approval and payment controls
- Review of accounting team output
Decision support
- Pricing and margin analysis
- Capex and new-location cases
- Preparing for bank and investor discussions
Virtual CFO, full-time CFO or accountant?
They do different jobs. Most growing businesses need an accountant and a CFO-level view; the question is how to get the second.
| Aspect | Virtual CFO | Full-time CFO | Accountant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical commitment | Part-time, agreed hours or days each month | Full-time employee | Ongoing transactional work |
| Main focus | Analysis, planning, cash, controls, decisions | Analysis, planning, team leadership | Recording transactions and compliance |
| Cost structure | Monthly retainer for agreed scope | Salary, benefits and recruitment | Monthly fee or salary |
| Best suited to | Growing SMEs that need senior judgement without a full-time hire | Larger businesses with a finance team to lead | Every business, as the foundation |
How an engagement starts
- 1
Discovery call
Understand the business, how it runs today and the challenges you want solved.
- 2
Financial diagnostic
Review the data you already have, its quality and what the reporting needs to answer.
- 3
Scope and proposal
Agree deliverables, responsibilities, timelines and a fixed fee in writing.
- 4
Implementation
Set up report formats, data flows, a closing calendar and the review rhythm.
- 5
Ongoing review
Deliver the agreed reports, analyse performance and support decisions each month.
Questions about virtual CFO support
How much time does a virtual CFO spend with my business?
It depends on the scope. Some clients need a monthly review and a few hours of analysis, others need weekly involvement. We agree a level of commitment up front and review it as the business changes.
Will you work with my existing accounts team?
Yes. We usually work alongside an in-house accountant or an external bookkeeping firm, review their output and set the standards and timelines for the monthly close.
Can you speak to banks and investors on our behalf?
We prepare the financial information, models and reports banks and investors ask for, and can join meetings to explain them. Decisions and commitments remain with the business and its management.
Get CFO-level thinking on your next decision.
Start with a conversation about where the business is and what you need from finance.