A clear, transparent sequence, designed to build understanding before commitment.

Every engagement is properly scoped before any commitment. The sequence is the same for everyone.

01

Discovery Call

A free 30-minute conversation. Understand the business, the founder's goals, and the immediate financial pressures. Decide together whether to take a closer look.

02

Diagnostic Review

Every wider engagement starts here. A focused, fixed-fee assessment of the business, covering profitability, cash flow, reporting, controls and operating rhythm, concluding with a written Diagnostic Report and a clear set of priorities.

03

Fixed-fee projects

Where useful, scoped pieces of work to put the foundations in place: management reporting and KPIs, 13-week cash flow forecasting, budget and forecast builds, pricing and margin work, finance process improvement.

04

Ongoing retainer

Where it makes sense, an ongoing advisory retainer: senior finance partnership at the right level of involvement, from a steady monthly rhythm through to a more embedded Portfolio FD engagement.

05

Compliance, alongside

Bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, annual accounts and corporation tax, provided where consolidating them with one team simplifies the picture for the founder. Compliance is offered as an enabler of better advisory work, not as the main event.

Diagnostic Review

A fixed-fee strategic review and the structured entry point to any wider engagement. It exists for two reasons: to give you a clear outside view of the business, and to give us a substantive enough understanding to advise well on what should come next.

Typically includes

  • A structured working session with the founder and (where helpful) one or two senior people
  • Review of the most relevant financial information: management accounts, recent statutory accounts, year-to-date trading, cash position, budget or forecast
  • Initial view across profitability, cash flow, working capital and key risks
  • A written Diagnostic Report with a prioritised set of recommended actions and a sensible next step, whether that is further work with Phoenix Advisory, a different external option, or no action at this point

Best for: every founder considering ongoing support. The Diagnostic Review is intentionally the gateway to wider engagement.

Fixed-fee projects

Targeted, scoped pieces of work where the need is well-defined and a fixed-fee project is the right shape. Typical project types include:

  • Management reporting and KPI dashboard rebuild
  • 13-week rolling cash flow forecast model
  • Budget and forecast build, integrating Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
  • Pricing and margin analysis
  • Finance process improvement and controls
  • Board, investor or lender readiness

Best for: defined finance priorities that need focused, senior input, often as the bridge between the Diagnostic Review and an ongoing retainer.

Ongoing retainer: Portfolio FD / Fractional CFO support

A monthly advisory retainer for founders who want senior finance partnership without hiring a full-time FD or CFO. The aim is straightforward: better visibility, better decisions, and a calmer rhythm to running the business.

Typical scope includes

  • Monthly management reporting and KPI review with the founder and leadership team
  • Cash flow forecasting and working capital oversight
  • Profitability, pricing and margin analysis by product, channel or service line
  • Budgeting, forecasting and scenario planning
  • Finance process improvement and internal controls
  • Liaison with bookkeepers, accountants and the wider finance team
  • Board, investor or lender support where required, including diligence and transactions

Tiered to the level of involvement the business needs, from a lighter, steady-state monthly rhythm through to a more embedded Portfolio FD engagement with deeper Phase 1 setup work.

Best for: founder-led businesses outgrowing basic bookkeeping who want the judgement of an experienced FD or CFO without a permanent hire.

Compliance services

Where it helps, we also handle compliance: bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, annual accounts and corporation tax. Many founders find it simpler to have one team that understands the business end-to-end rather than coordinating an accountant, a bookkeeper and a separate finance adviser. Compliance is offered as an enabler of better advisory work, not as the main event.

Modern cloud finance, applied with judgement.

We work in modern cloud finance environments such as Xero, Hubdoc and A2X, and apply AI thoughtfully where it lifts the quality and speed of analysis. The technology is in service of the judgement, not a substitute for it. The aim is the same as it always was: clearer numbers, faster, with less manual lift on the founder.

Not sure which level of support fits? A short Discovery Call is the easiest place to start.

A free 30-minute Discovery Call. No obligation, no sales pressure.