Services
Find out more about how Rob Mackean and Numbersmiths can help your business grow.
What We Offer
With more than 20 years of experience supporting startups and growing companies in Scotland and beyond, we are pleased to offer a range of flexible services, including virtual finance director support.
Our goal is to ensure your business is built on a solid financial base – from the first day.
Consulting Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Services
Startups and growing companies need a solid financial base from the first day. However, hiring a full-time Chief Financial Officer is usually neither necessary nor cost-effective. This is where virtual CFO support comes into its own.
As your consulting CFO, I work with your in-house team when you need advice. Think of it as having a senior financial professional on tap. What’s more, whilst much of my work is done remotely, I am happy to arrange in-person meetings as required.
senior level cFO Expertise on tap
virtual or in-person services
Expertise on Demand
As a Chief Financial Officer I support you as and when you need me.
dedicated to your business
Expert advice on any aspect of your business.
Startup Mentoring
Starting a company makes for busy days and a plethora of questions. In addition, not every founder has a business degree, and this is not a requirement for success. However, understanding the basics of business administration is important.
For that reason, we offer personalised business mentoring for startups. Sessions can be held virtually or in person and cover any topic you need. From SWOT analysis to business plans, from finance planning to compliance and tax advice – we’ve got you covered.
on demand finance advice
Dedicated to your startup as you are
Cashflow Forecasting
How much income will your business have in the next two to three months (or years), and what costs are you expecting? Answering these questions is what cashflow forecasting is all about.
However, for early-stage startups, it can be hard to look even a few months into the future. For that reason, we guide you through aspects of financial planning that will help you make the right decisions for your company. Whether you prefer looking at excel spreadsheets or online forecasting tools, we’re comfortable in either.
making sense of the numbers
giving you the facts you need
Looking Ahead
Understanding income and outgoings made easy.
Objective advice
An independent voice on your board to help with strategic planning.
Non-Executive Director / Chairperson
Having an independent voice on your board of directors can help with making long-term, strategic decisions. Even with the best of intentions, directors who are also part of the executive team can struggle to take a birds eye view at the business performance. This is because they are simply too close to be objective.
As a non-executive director, I can help minimise conflicts of interest between management and shareholders.
Independent Advice for your directors
Avoiding conflicts of interest
Frequently Asked Questions
Partnering with a senior finance director requires trust. We are sure that you have questions you want to ask us. Here are answers to questions we have been asked repeatedly over the years. If they don’t cover your questions, don’t hesitate to contact us directly.
Why Choose a Virtual CFO over a full-time person?
Keeping costs under control and staying on top of your company’s financial health is crucial. However, it does not require top-level support all day, every day. Choosing a virtual CFO to lend a hand as and when you need it, makes better use of your funds. As a result, you have high-level expertise on tap, without paying for more than you need.
Which Industries do you work with?
We are happy to work with startups and growing businesses in any industry. Over the past few years, much of our work has been within the technology sector. AS a consequence, we understand the complexities of developing tech services and apps, and we speak your language.
Saying that, we are happy to support organisations in any sector.
How Do your contracts work?
First of all, we meet with you virtually or in person to learn more about your business and how we can help you. Based on that we provide an estimate of typical costs for a similar business. Nonetheless, until we take a closer look at what’s ‘under the bonnet’ of your business, it’s hard to provide a specific quote.
We can agree on a set level of support per month or work on an ad-hoc basis. Much of our work is done virtually, but we are happy to arrange and chair face-to-face meetings as required.
Moreover, most of our contracts are rolling and invoiced monthly. This is how we avoid any surprises!|
Can you do our Accounts, too?
If needed, I can provide book-keeping support and payroll services. However, in most cases, I suggest outsourcing them to a trusted third party.
Moreover, I am happy to take on monthly management accounts if necessary, but I don’t do annual statutory accounts, audits or corporation tax. For those, I work with external advisors who are specialists in these fields, and can help you select an appropriate firm if you don’t have one in place.
What if we decide to hire an in-house cFO?
Once your business grows to a certain size, hiring an in-house CFO makes financial and practical sense. At that point, we will simply hand over the work we have done to your new CFO to allow for a seamless transition. In addition, if your team requires additional support, we are here to help.
People and businesses We Have Helped
Logos of some of the businesses Numbersmiths has worked with.
