A Finance Director, Without the Salary
Board-level financial leadership on tap.
Strategy, funding, profitability and growth, from someone who has done it at scale.
What's included
- ✓ Strategic financial leadership
- ✓ Profit & margin improvement
- ✓ Funding & investment support
- ✓ KPI & board reporting
- ✓ Growth & exit planning
Why Abbeygate
Proactive advice all year round, real FD-level commercial experience, and Xero Gold Partner technology, delivered by a friendly team rated 4.9 stars.
What an outsourced Finance Director actually does for you
Most growing businesses reach a point where the numbers need more than an accountant at year end, but a full-time Finance Director doesn't make sense yet. An outsourced FD gives you that senior financial thinking for a few days a month, at a fraction of the cost of a permanent hire.
Strategy and planning
Budgets, forecasts and a clear plan for profit, tax and cash, so decisions are made on numbers rather than gut feel.
Cash and funding
Cash flow forecasting, lender and investor conversations, and the reporting banks expect before they say yes.
Board-ready reporting
Monthly management accounts and KPIs you can actually use, presented in plain English.
Who it's for
Owner-managed businesses and MDs who are growing, raising finance, preparing for a sale, or simply tired of finding out how they did months after the event. We also cover interim FD roles, for example when a finance director leaves or a project needs senior support quickly.
How it works
A free call to understand the business and where you want it to go.
A review of your current numbers, systems and reporting.
An agreed monthly plan, from a few hours to regular board meetings.
Ongoing support, with forward-looking reviews so there are no surprises.
Experience that has been there
Our team are commercially experienced. We have run and grown businesses ourselves, including in the motor trade, so the advice is practical rather than theoretical. We are a Xero Gold Partner, rated 4.9 on Google and AAT Accountant of the Year 2025, and we work with businesses across England, mostly online through Xero.
Questions we get asked
What is an outsourced Finance Director?
An outsourced Finance Director is an experienced FD who works with your business part-time, usually a set number of days or hours each month. You get senior financial strategy, forecasting and reporting without the cost of a full-time hire.
How is an outsourced FD different from an accountant?
An accountant typically looks back, preparing year-end accounts and tax returns. An FD looks forward, helping you plan profit, cash, funding and growth, and challenging the numbers with you each month.
Do you work with businesses outside Suffolk?
Yes. We are based in Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds, and work with businesses across England, mostly online through Xero and video calls.
Can you provide an interim Finance Director?
Yes. If your finance director has left or you need senior support for a project, our interim FDs can step in quickly and keep the finance function running.
Do I need to use Xero?
It helps, and we are a Xero Gold Partner, but it isn’t essential. If you want to move to Xero we handle the migration and give free 1-2-1 training.