Your Finance Head, on Retainer
An experienced finance leader works as your company's finance head — sitting in your reviews, owning the numbers and making sure the finance function runs on time. Senior, structured finance leadership, without the cost and commitment of a full-time CFO hire.
Built for Owner-Run SMEs and Funded Startups
- Manufacturing, trading or service business with ₹5–200 crore revenue
- Startup or scaleup with institutional investors or preparing for a fundraise
- Family-owned business transitioning from promoter-run to professionally managed
- Business with a bookkeeper and accounts team but no finance leadership
- Company that has grown quickly but whose finance processes haven't kept up
- Business dealing with a bank restructuring, lender audit or formal credit facility
- Promoter who wants finance off their plate without giving up control
Four Phases, Then Ongoing on Retainer
Diagnostic
We review the accounts, trial balance, MIS and processes. You get a gap report within 2–3 weeks: what's working, what's broken, what's urgent.
Setup & Clean-up
Chart of accounts, reporting templates, bank reconciliations, audit trail — we put the foundations in order so the numbers mean something.
Running the Function
Monthly MIS, weekly cash position, budget-vs-actual, finance review meetings. Your finance function, running on a fixed calendar.
Strategic Finance
Forecasts, fundraise support, lender negotiations, board reporting, M&A analysis — as the business demands it, at no extra cost within scope.
Everything Under One Finance Retainer
Finance Function Setup
Build the foundation — chart of accounts, ERP/Tally configuration, process standards and a team that knows what it's doing.
- Chart of accounts redesign
- Accounting SOP documentation
- Month-end close calendar
MIS & Dashboards
Monthly management reports and dashboards that give you a clear view of where the business stands — in language the promoter understands.
- P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow
- Department and SKU-level P&L
- Custom KPI dashboard
Budgeting & Forecasting
Annual operating plans, rolling forecasts and the variance discipline to keep targets honest and actuals tracked.
- Annual budget with ownership
- Rolling 13-week cash forecast
- Monthly budget-vs-actual review
Cash Flow & Working Capital
Daily and weekly cash positions, debtor and creditor management, and a systematic approach to keeping cash in the business.
- Debtor ageing & collection tracking
- Creditor payment planning
- Inventory turn analysis
Unit Economics & Costing
Real product-level or service-level profitability — so you know which lines are making money and which are quietly dragging the business down.
- Product or job costing
- Contribution margin by segment
- Break-even and sensitivity models
Compliance Oversight
Stay on top of GST, TDS, ROC and payroll deadlines — with a compliance calendar and a team that flags issues before they become notices.
- Monthly compliance calendar
- GST & TDS review
- ROC filings coordination
Audit Coordination
Year-end audit preparation, auditor interface and resolution of repeat observations — so audits close on time and without fire drills.
- Pre-audit preparatory review
- Auditor query management
- Management letter responses
Board & Investor Reporting
Board packs, investor MIS and the narrative to go with the numbers — prepared, reviewed and presented if needed.
- Board pack preparation
- Investor MIS template
- Quarterly business review deck
Fundraise Support
Financial model, data room, investor questions and lender decks — the finance side of a fundraise, done properly.
- Financial model (3-statement)
- CMA / TEV documentation
- Due diligence data room support
Controls & Risk
Internal control review, IFC framework and risk register — so the business doesn't grow in ways it later has to unpick.
- Internal control review
- Risk register & escalation matrix
- Fraud and leakage identification
Tax Planning
Proactive tax structuring — advance tax, direct and indirect tax optimisation, and coordination with the statutory auditor.
- Advance tax planning
- Promoter salary & dividend structuring
- Group entity optimisation
Three Tiers, Scoped to Your Stage
Fees vary based on business complexity, team size and scope of modules. We'll scope it accurately after the discovery call.
- Finance Function Setup & Clean-up
- Monthly MIS & Reporting
- Cash Flow Management
- Compliance Oversight
- Audit Coordination
- Budgeting & Forecasting
- Unit Economics & Costing
- Board & Investor Reporting
- Controls & Risk
- Tax Planning
- Full Fundraise Support
- Multi-entity Consolidation
- Group Structure Tax Optimisation
- M&A / Transaction Support
- Dedicated Finance Team Lead
Talk to Us About a Virtual CFO Retainer
We start every engagement with a free 45-minute discovery call — no commitment required. We'll understand the business, the pain points and scope what a good VCFO engagement looks like for you.