A forecast they can test
Profit and loss, balance sheet and cash for at least the next 12 months, with each assumption written down so an investor can change it and see the effect.
A finance director before you raise investment
Investors ask for a cash flow forecast, a run of management accounts and a clear account of what the money is for. A part-time finance director builds them with you before the first meeting and comes to the meetings with you. Peter Allen, Buzz’s Financial Director, from £2,000 + VAT a month.
What investors ask to see
Management accounts
Monthly figures that agree to the bank and to the filed accounts, with each month closed within five working days.
Use of funds
What the money pays for, month by month, and the month in which the business would need more.
KPIs with a history
Sales, margin, customers, orders or enquiries, measured the same way every month, so an investor sees the trend.
How long the money lasts
Runway is the cash available divided by the cash the business spends each month above what it brings in.
The forecast works it out every month from actual results, so the board knows when the next round has to start. Peter takes investors through the same forecast, with the plan for the money and the KPIs beside it.
A company raising £600,000
- Cash in the bank today
- £180,000
- Investment raised
- £600,000
- Planned net cash outflow a month
- £45,000
- Months of cash
- 17
Starting the next round six months before the cash runs out puts the start at month 11.
An illustrative example. The company is invented and every figure is made up.
SEIS and EIS limits for the company
Investors in a qualifying share issue can claim income tax relief. Before the shares are issued, the company can ask HMRC for advance assurance that the issue is likely to qualify.
| Company limit | SEIS | EIS |
|---|---|---|
| Most the company can raise | £250,000 | £10 million in any 12 months and £24 million in its lifetime |
| Gross assets | No more than £350,000 when the shares are issued | No more than £30 million before the issue |
| Employees | Fewer than 25 full-time equivalent | Fewer than 250 full-time equivalent |
| Age of the trade | No more than 3 years old | Within 7 years of the first commercial sale |
Sources: HMRC, SEIS guidance; HMRC, EIS guidance, limits updated 6 April 2026. Knowledge-intensive companies and Northern Ireland specified companies have different EIS limits. Buzz is not authorised by the FCA, so a recommendation of a particular lender, investor or financial product is referred to an authorised firm.
Your finance director is Peter Allen
Peter is Buzz’s co-founder and Financial Director, with more than 20 years’ experience.
Before a raise he builds the forecast and the use of funds with you, keeps the management accounts and the KPI dashboard current, and comes to the investor meetings. After the raise he runs the quarterly board meeting and prepares the reporting your investors receive.
More on the finance director service
Questions about raising investment
When should a finance director start before a raise?
Before the forecast goes to an investor. Each month the forecast is compared with actual results, so by the first meeting it has a record you can show.
Will you introduce us to investors?
Buzz is not authorised by the FCA, so a recommendation of a particular investor, lender or financial product is referred to an authorised firm. We prepare the figures and come to the meetings.
What reporting do investors receive after the raise?
Whatever the investment agreement sets out. A monthly board pack and the quarterly board meeting are part of the finance director service.
How much does a part-time finance director cost?
From £2,000 + VAT a month. The fee includes the day-to-day finance work as well: weekly bookkeeping in Xero, payroll and expenses, VAT returns, a monthly board pack, customer invoicing and chasing, supplier payments and cash monitoring. The fee is confirmed in writing before work starts.
Talk to us before you raise
Tell us about the business and what you need. A named person replies within one working day.
Accreditations & Partnerships
