Finance director for a business turning over £1m to £5m
Between £1m and £5m of turnover, an owner needs a plan, a cash flow forecast and someone senior to take decisions with. Buzz’s part-time finance director is Peter Allen, our Financial Director, with the bookkeeping, payroll and VAT done by the Buzz finance team. From £2,000 + VAT a month.
Which level does the business need?
Answer three questions to see which level of support fits your business.
Are you borrowing, or about to?
Is a major decision coming up this year?
Does anyone explain your monthly figures to you?
Or book a call to talk it through.
Part-time finance director rates
UK fractional finance directors typically charge £3,000–£6,500 a month for businesses turning over £1m–£5m (Leadership Services, 2026). The Buzz finance director service starts from £2,000 + VAT a month, and the fee includes the day-to-day finance work of the Buzz finance team.
| Business Pulse | Financial Controller | Finance Director | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | £299 quarterly or £499 monthly, + VAT a month | £1,500 + VAT a month | £2,000 + VAT a month |
| Bookkeeping, payroll and VAT | Done by you or your bookkeeper | Done by the Buzz finance team | Done by the Buzz finance team |
| Customer invoicing and supplier payments | Done by you | Done by the Buzz finance team | Done by the Buzz finance team |
| Reporting | Management accounts against the budget | Monthly board pack | Monthly board pack and a KPI dashboard |
| Forecast | Rolling 12-month cash flow forecast | Alert when cash falls below a set level | 12-month forecast of profit, balance sheet, cash and valuation |
| Meetings | 90 minutes quarterly or 60 minutes monthly | — | Quarterly board meeting with Peter Allen |
A £3m business losing two points of margin
- Gross profit at the budgeted 40%
- £1,200,000
- Gross profit at 38%
- £1,140,000
- Gross profit lost in a year
- £60,000
£5,000 a month, visible in the first month’s board pack.
An illustrative example. The business is invented and every figure is made up.
Margin on £3m of sales
On £3m of sales, each point of gross margin is worth £30,000 a year.
The KPI dashboard shows gross margin every month. A fall from 40% to 38% is in the board pack in the month it starts, and the quarterly board meeting decides what changes: prices, suppliers or the mix of work.
Audit and the figures a lender reads
A private company is exempt from audit if it meets two of three tests: turnover of no more than £15 million, assets of no more than £7.5 million, and 50 or fewer employees on average (GOV.UK, financial years from 6 April 2025).
A business turning over £1m to £5m with assets under £7.5 million meets the first two. The figures a bank, landlord or investor reads are then the management accounts and the forecast the business prepares itself. The finance director service keeps both current every month.
Your finance director is Peter Allen
Peter is Buzz’s co-founder and Financial Director, with more than 20 years’ experience.
He writes the one-page plan with you, owns the forecast and the KPI dashboard, and runs your quarterly board meeting. The Buzz finance team does the weekly work in Xero.
More on the finance director service
Questions about a finance director at this size
What is the difference between a financial controller and a finance director?
A financial controller runs the finance function: the board pack, customer invoicing, supplier payments and cash monitoring. A finance director plans: the annual plan, the 12-month forecast, the KPI dashboard and the quarterly board meeting. Buzz’s finance director service includes the financial controller work.
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.
Do we need an audit?
A private company that meets two of the three tests (turnover up to £15 million, assets up to £7.5 million, and 50 or fewer employees on average) is exempt from audit, unless its articles or its shareholders require one.
Can we start with Business Pulse?
Yes. Business Pulse adds a budget, a forecast, management accounts and review meetings while your own team keeps doing the bookkeeping. Each service is quoted on its own, so you can move to the finance director service later.
Talk to us about a finance director
Tell us about the business and what you need. A named person replies within one working day.
