The Benefits of a Finance Director for Your SME

So what are the benefits of a finance director for your business?

By bringing a finance director, such as myself, into your business you will secure the services of an experienced business adviser who will be able to relieve you from a lot of the day to day hassle of running a business, freeing you up to concentrate on whatever it is you do best. That might be new product design and development, spending more time with your key clients, or driving new business development and securing more sales for your business. Whatever it is, I will ensure that your activities are properly budgeted for, and that you have sufficient ready cash available to achieve your immediate targets.

Working closely with you and other key members of your management team and board, I will also keep the big picture front of mind and ensure that your business grows in a planned and controlled way, that you have the financial and other resources available to take advantage of any unplanned opportunities that arise, that potential risks are identified and risk prevention and mitigation strategies are implemented. If your business does have the misfortune to hit a bump in the road (and it happens to the best of them) then I will be on hand to help you plot an appropriate recovery strategy.

In addition to this, in my role as your finance director I am required to maintain a professional independence from you that ensures I can always provide constructive challenge to your plans, proposals and decisions. If you’ve ever watched Dragon’s Den, you will have witnessed the confrontational version of this. But to have someone on your team who has the ability to ask incisive questions that challenge the direction you are about to take is invaluable to any business leader. Whilst you might not always appreciate it at the time, it’s far better to have the potentially fatal flaws in your business strategy exposed at the planning stage when they can be discussed and alternatives considered. Post implementation, when a substantial amount of time and money has already been invested, it may be too late. The consequences for a small business in this situation can sometimes be terminal.

And it is this constructive challenge that as a business owner or managing director you probably find most difficult to get. However good your management team, when all is said and done, they look to you to take the lead, set the course and take the key decisions. If you have those within your team who will genuinely challenge you, constructively, when you are set on a particular course of action then you are fortunate indeed. But most leaders in your situation are not so blessed and it is here that I can add value to your planning and decision making processes.

Find out more

For a free, no obligation introductory chat to find out how I can add value to your business, working with you to regain control, and your passion for your business, please give me a call on 07740 800986, or email me via the contact form with your contact details and I will get straight back to you