Cash flow is the thing that quietly kills a lot of startups. Not lack of funding. Not a broken product. Just running out of money and not seeing it coming. And while everyone says “keep an eye on your cash”, few founders know how to actually build a forecast that holds up for more than a few weeks. Here’s how to build one that is useful, flexible, and doesn’t fall apart the moment things change. Because things willchange. Start with reality, not guesses Most early-stage forecasts fall apart because they are based on what you hope will happen, not what actually is. Start with your current bank balance and actual fixed costs: salaries, rent, subscriptions, contractors. Those numbers don’t lie, and they create the

If you’re building a business and wondering whether it’s time to bring in some financial help, you’re not alone. One of the most common questions founders ask is, “Do I need a CFO, or can a bookkeeper handle what I’ve got going on?” The short answer: it depends on the stage of your business, your goals, and the complexity of your finances. But if you want to learn more, the first thing you need to do is to understand the difference between a bookkeeper’s and a CFO’s responsibilities.  In simple words, think of a bookkeeper as the person who keeps your financial engine running day to day. They handle tasks like: Recording transactions Reconciling bank accounts Managing payroll Making sure bills get paid Generating

So, you’ve hit that inflection point. Things are growing, numbers are getting messy, and your gut isn’t quite enough to steer the business anymore. You need financial clarity, but you’re not ready for a full-time CFO just yet.  This is exactly when hiring a fractional CFO might be just what you need to change the game. A fractional CFO gives you access to senior financial leadership without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. They plug into your business on a flexible basis, help you build strategy and strategic insight, and bring a level of financial discipline that most startups don’t realise they’re missing until they have it. Here’s what to expect when you bring one on board. A good fractional CFO doesn’t

If you’ve ever opened a spreadsheet with 20 tabs and formulas referencing other formulas buried five layers deep, you’re not alone. A lot of financial models are built to impress, not to be useful. But here’s the thing: a good financial model shouldn’t make your head spin. It should make decisions easier. So what does a good financial model actually look like? Let’s break it down. 1. It tells a story  A good financial model is more than just numbers in a grid. It tells the story of your business. It should reflect how you acquire customers, what it costs to serve them, and how money flows in and out. If a potential investor or internal team member can’t see how your business works

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering whether your startup needs a CFO but can’t justify the cost of hiring one full-time, you’re not alone. Many founders reach that critical inflection point when the business has outgrown hacked together spreadsheets and needs strategic financial guidance, but isn’t quite ready to take on the salary of a full-time executive. And this is when finding someone who provides fractional CFO services can come to the rescue.  If you are not sure what a fractional CFO is or what the costs of hiring a fractional CFO are, then this blog is for you. We will break down fractional CFO fees, services and whether or not hiring one makes sense for your business.  While you can learn more about

If you have never worked in finance, it can be very difficult to understand the differences in roles and responsibilities of individual members of the finance team. As a result it is very easy to assume that you can find one person that can do both the operational and strategic work. But the reality is that these are two very different skillsets, and, in growing businesses, the most appropriate person to lead the strategic finance function is a CFO, and for many businesses that haven’t yet reached a certain level of scale, a fractional CFO. So what is it that a fractional CFO actually does? At EmergeOne, we tend to break down the fractional CFO’s role as follows: Capital Management CFOs help to manage

The world of finance is full of jargon, not least in the titles that get bandied about all the time. Finance Managers, Financial Controllers, Heads of Finance, Management Accountants, FP&A Analysts; the list goes on. But one of the roles that is probably most misunderstood is the CFO – the Chief Financial Officer – and even more so, the fractional CFO. So this article aims to demystify what a fractional CFO is, and when you might want to engage with one. A fractional CFO is the most senior member of the finance team, typically in a venture capital backed startup or small or medium sized enterprise (SME) who works on a part-time or on-demand basis. A fractional CFO is a senior financial executive who