Growing a SaaS or tech business means making high-stakes financial decisions every month — pricing strategy, runway planning, hiring budgets, fundraising timing. An outsourced CFO gives you senior financial leadership and strategic thinking without committing to a £150k+ full-time hire.
At ScaleWithCFO, I work as an embedded member of your leadership team. Not a once-a-month check-in. Not a glorified bookkeeper. A strategic finance partner who understands SaaS metrics, investor expectations, and what it takes to scale from £1M to £20M+ ARR.
What Does an Outsourced CFO Actually Do?
An outsourced CFO provides the same strategic financial leadership as a full-time CFO, but on a flexible basis that matches where your business is right now. For SaaS and tech companies, that typically means:
Financial Strategy & Planning
Building your financial model, setting KPIs that matter, creating budgets tied to your growth plan, and running scenario analysis so you can make decisions with confidence rather than gut feel. This includes long-range planning, monthly reforecasts, and making sure your financial plan actually connects to your commercial strategy.
Fundraising & Investor Relations
Whether you're raising a Seed, Series A, or preparing for exit, I help you build the data room, prepare investor-ready financials, model your unit economics, and present a compelling financial narrative. I've supported multiple SaaS fundraises and know what VCs and PE firms look for in the numbers.
Cash Flow Management
Cash is the lifeblood of every startup. I build 13-week cash forecasts, optimise your working capital cycle, manage burn rate, and make sure you never get surprised by a cash crunch. For SaaS businesses, this means understanding the gap between revenue recognition and cash collection.
Management Accounts & Reporting
Monthly management accounts that actually tell you something useful. Not just a P&L and balance sheet, but SaaS metrics — MRR, churn, LTV:CAC, net revenue retention — presented in a way that drives decisions. I also build board packs that keep investors informed and confident.
Commercial Finance & Pricing
Analysing your pricing strategy, understanding customer acquisition costs, modelling the financial impact of new products or markets, and making sure every commercial decision has a clear financial framework behind it.
Why SaaS Founders Choose an Outsourced CFO
Most SaaS companies between £1M and £10M ARR aren't ready for a full-time CFO. The salary alone is £120-180k, plus equity, benefits, and the risk of hiring the wrong person. But you still need the strategic thinking.
An outsourced CFO gives you that expertise for a fraction of the cost. Typically 1-3 days per week, scaling up when you need it (fundraising, board meetings, year-end) and scaling down when you don't.
The companies I work with typically share a few characteristics: they've found product-market fit, they're growing but the finances feel chaotic, their investors are asking harder questions, or they're preparing for a fundraise or exit within the next 12-24 months.
How I Work
I don't believe in the traditional "outsourced finance" model where someone reviews your numbers once a month and sends a report. That's accounting, not CFO work.
Instead, I embed into your team. I attend your leadership meetings. I talk to your head of sales about pipeline. I work with your product team on pricing. I challenge your assumptions and bring financial rigour to every strategic conversation.
Typical engagements start at 2 days per month and go up to 3 days per week, depending on the complexity of your business and what's on the horizon. Most clients are based in London, but I work with SaaS companies across the UK.
Is an Outsourced CFO Right for Your Business?
An outsourced CFO is usually the right fit if you're a SaaS or tech company with £1-20M in revenue, you've outgrown your accountant, and you need someone who can think strategically about the finances — not just record them. If you're preparing to raise capital, planning for exit, or simply want to make better financial decisions faster, let's talk.
Book a free discovery call to discuss how outsourced CFO services could work for your business.
