Finance consulting · United Arab Emirates
A CFO's judgement, without a CFO's salary
Thirteen-week cash flow, budget against actual, margin by product and line, and a board pack that survives scrutiny. Delivered on a monthly retainer by people who have held the job.
- Rolling 13-week cash flow forecast
- Annual budget, then monthly variance against it
- Unit economics and pricing — where the margin actually goes
- Bank facility and investor-ready reporting
- Monthly strategy session with a senior advisor
Speak to a specialist
Free 30-minute consultation. Written proposal within one business day.
The problem
The gap between a bookkeeper and a finance director
A competent bookkeeper tells you what happened. A finance director tells you what it means and what to do about it. Most UAE SMEs sit in the gap: the accounts are produced, nobody interrogates them, and decisions on pricing, hiring and expansion get made on the balance in the current account.
Hiring the answer is expensive. A finance director in Dubai commands a package that most companies under AED 20 million in revenue cannot justify, and the role is under-utilised at that scale anyway. The retained alternative gives you the same analysis on the days it is worth having, at a fraction of the fixed cost, and it scales down again when it is not needed.
Typical starting point: a business doing AED 5–30 million in revenue with a bookkeeper in place, no forecast, and a decision pending on hiring, pricing or borrowing.
Scope
What is included
Planning & control
- Rolling 13-week cash flow forecast
- Annual budget build and quarterly reforecast
- Monthly budget-versus-actual with written commentary
- Working capital, debtor days and inventory turn analysis
- Scenario modelling for hiring, expansion or a new line
Commercial & strategic
- Unit economics and contribution margin by product, client or branch
- Pricing analysis and break-even modelling
- Board and investor reporting pack
- Bank facility applications and lender questions
- Due diligence support for a raise, a sale or an acquisition
How it works
Four steps
Diagnostic
We read the last twelve months, identify where margin actually comes from, and where cash is trapped.
Framework
Budget, forecast model and reporting pack built for your business, not a template.
Monthly rhythm
Numbers produced, variances explained, decisions discussed in a scheduled session.
Escalation
Funding rounds, facility applications and due diligence handled as they arise.
Pricing
What it costs
Published, fixed, and quoted in writing before we start. All fees exclude 5% UAE VAT.
| Service | Basis | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerate package | Monthly retainer, includes full bookkeeping | AED 3,000/month |
| CFO advisory only | Monthly retainer, you keep your bookkeeper | from AED 5,000/month |
| Financial model or forecast build | Project | from AED 6,000 |
| Funding or facility application support | Project | On request |
Questions
Finance Consulting & Virtual CFO — frequently asked
How is this different from bookkeeping?
Bookkeeping records the past accurately. This work interrogates it and projects forward. A bookkeeper will tell you revenue was AED 1.2 million last month. This service tells you which third of that revenue is losing money, and what happens to cash in week nine if you win the contract you are bidding for.
Do I have to move my bookkeeping to you?
No. The advisory retainer works alongside your existing bookkeeper or in-house accountant. It works better when we control the underlying data quality, and we will say so if the records are not good enough to build on — but it is not a condition.
How much of your time do I get?
A scheduled monthly session, the reporting pack, and reasonable access in between. Discrete projects — a funding round, a facility application, a due diligence process — are scoped and quoted separately because they consume weeks rather than hours.
Will you attend board or investor meetings?
Yes, in person in the UAE or remotely. For companies with external shareholders this is usually where the retainer earns its cost, because the questions get asked in the room rather than in an email afterwards.
Can you help us raise money?
We prepare what a lender or investor asks for: historical accounts that reconcile, a model with defensible assumptions, and answers to the questions in the data room. We are not a licensed placement agent and we do not introduce investors for a success fee.
At what size does this make sense?
Below roughly AED 3 million in revenue, the Growth package with management accounts usually covers what a founder needs. Between AED 5 million and AED 30 million, with staff and stock and a bank facility in play, the advisory work generally pays for itself in one pricing or working-capital decision.
Next step
Thirty minutes, no obligation
Tell us where you are. We will tell you what is required, what it costs, and whether anything is already overdue — before you have paid us anything.
Prefer to see numbers first? Take the 3-minute assessment — package, indicative fee and your own filing deadlines, no contact details required.
Request a call back
A senior advisor, not a call centre.