What is a virtual CFO?
A virtual CFO is an outsourced finance leader who does the strategic work of a Chief Financial Officer — forecasting, financial modelling, board and investor reporting, fundraising support — without being a full-time in-house hire.
The difference from a bookkeeper is direction. A bookkeeper records what already happened. A virtual CFO tells you what to do next — which customers actually pay, when cash gets tight, whether the round is raisable, what the model says about the decision you’re about to make.
You get senior finance judgement on a monthly retainer instead of a $200k–$400k salary plus equity. For most businesses between roughly $1M and $50M in revenue, that’s the right trade.
What does a virtual CFO do?
Six things, every month. Not a menu — this is the engagement.
Monthly management accounts you can act on
A P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow closed by the 5th — plus a one-page commentary telling you what changed and what to do about it.
Cash flow forecasting
A 13-week rolling cash forecast so you see the squeeze before it happens, not after. Updated every month against actuals.
Budgets and financial models
A budget you can defend, scenario planning for the decisions you're weighing, and unit economics that show which parts of the business actually pay.
Board and investor reporting
The pack your board or investors expect, in the format they expect it — built before the meeting, not the night before.
Fundraising support
Data room preparation, the numbers behind your deck, and the model that survives diligence questions.
A monthly strategy session
A standing call with a senior, ACCA-qualified accountant who knows your file — not a rotating support queue.
Bookkeeper vs controller vs virtual CFO
These get mixed up constantly, and hiring the wrong one is expensive. The honest breakdown:
Is a virtual CFO right for you?
We’d rather tell you no than sell you something you don’t need. If you’re only in the last two rows, call a CPA — not us.
From a founder’s spreadsheet to investor-ready accounts.
TutorChase came to us in 2022 as an early-stage UK EdTech running on a spreadsheet. We started with the foundations — chart of accounts, reconciliation, a real month-end close. As they grew, so did the brief: management reporting, KPI packs, then cash flow forecasting and the financial models the founder could defend in board conversations. By the time investor conversations came around, our outputs were already in the shape investors expected. Four years on, it runs as a stable monthly retainer.
Starting is one call.
A free 30-minute call
You tell us where you're stuck. We tell you what we'd do, what it'd cost, and — honestly — whether you even need a virtual CFO yet.
We get into the numbers
We take over the close, clean up whatever needs cleaning, and build the first reporting pack. Usually inside the first month.
Forward-looking work starts
Forecast, budget, model, board pack. The monthly strategy session becomes the rhythm — you stop guessing.
It scales with you
Fundraise, new market, new entity — the scope flexes. Same team, same file, no re-onboarding.
Virtual CFO FAQ
What is a virtual CFO?
A virtual CFO is an outsourced finance leader who does the strategic work of a Chief Financial Officer — forecasting, financial modelling, board and investor reporting, fundraising support, and the decisions behind the numbers — without being a full-time in-house hire. You get senior finance judgement on a monthly retainer instead of a six-figure salary plus equity.
What does a virtual CFO actually do?
Day to day: closes and interprets your monthly management accounts, maintains a rolling cash flow forecast, builds and updates your budget and financial model, prepares board and investor reporting, supports fundraising and diligence, and runs a monthly strategy session with you. The distinction from a bookkeeper is direction — a bookkeeper records what happened; a virtual CFO tells you what to do next.
What is the difference between a virtual CFO and a controller?
A controller looks backwards: they own the accuracy of the close and the reporting. A CFO looks forwards: forecasting, capital, strategy, and the decisions the numbers point to. Most growing businesses need the controller function first (accurate books), then add CFO-level thinking once decisions get expensive. We can cover both.
How much does a virtual CFO cost?
We work on a flat monthly fee agreed up front — no hourly billing, no surprise invoices. The fee depends on the complexity of your business and the scope you need. It is a fraction of a full-time CFO ($200k–$400k plus equity). We quote it on the first call, and if we think you don't need a virtual CFO yet, we'll tell you that instead.
Do you file our tax returns?
No — and we're direct about this. We are not a CPA or audit firm. We do not file income tax returns or perform statutory audits. What we do: prepare your year-end accounts, working papers, and schedules so your CPA can file quickly and cleanly. We do handle sales tax and VAT filings ourselves.
Is a virtual CFO right for a startup?
Often yes — it's the most common reason founders call us. Early-stage companies need investor-grade reporting and a model that holds up in diligence, but cannot justify a full-time CFO. A virtual CFO gives you that capability at the stage where it matters most. TutorChase started with us on bookkeeping in their early days and grew into financial models and investor reporting as they scaled.
Who actually does the work?
ACCA-qualified accountants from our Dhaka delivery team, with a named senior point of contact who stays on your account. Not a rotating queue. We're an ACCA Approved Employer (Gold) with around 30 accountants, and we run shifts that cover US, UK, Bangladesh, and Malaysia business hours.