Grow with confidence.Sell on your terms.
Senior finance leadership, a few days a month — for growing businesses that have outgrown bookkeeping and year-end accounts.
New to this? A fractional Finance Director is a senior finance chief you share — expert financial leadership for a few days a month, at a fraction of the cost of a £180k full-time hire.See how it works →
Sound familiar?
Your accounts arrive once a year
Your accountant files the year-end, but you're steering a growing business with no monthly numbers to steer by.
Growth is stretching your cash
More staff, bigger clients, longer payment terms — and no twelve-month view of where the cash is going.
An exit is on your mind
You'd sell for the right offer in the next few years, but you don't know what the business is worth — or what a buyer's due diligence would pick apart.
If any of that sounds like you, you've outgrown bookkeeping. You need a part-time Finance Director — senior leadership without the full-time cost. We work with businesses of ten people or more across Berkshire, London, Surrey and the South East.
Two ways we help
Every engagement leads with one of two goals. Most clients start with growth and stay through to exit — the same Finance Director, the whole journey.
Growth Planning
A part-time Finance Director who builds the financial engine your growth needs — so decisions about hiring, borrowing and expanding are made on real numbers, not instinct.
- 12-month profit and cash-flow forecasts — the format banks expect
- Monthly management accounts, with your bookkeeper supervised
- Credit checks on new clients to cut bad-debt risk
- Support when you expand overseas
Exit Planning
Thinking about selling your business? The best exits are prepared years before the sale. We value the business, choose the right route — trade sale, EOT or MBO — get your numbers due-diligence-ready, then manage the deal from first conversation to completion.
- Business valuation and exit-route advice
- Preparation that lifts sale value before you go to market
- Due diligence and data-room readiness
- Deal management through to completion
Proof, not promises
No stock testimonials — just work we've actually done, with names where clients were happy to share them.
“As we agreed a sale of the business to Just Media in the US, Lak conducted all the heavy lifting with regards [to] the trade sale… His prior M&A experience acting both for the Buyer and Seller was invaluable to us the founders, ensuring we were guided to achieve the best possible outcome.”
Enigma Marketing Trade Sale
How Oppenheim Advisory guided Enigma Marketing Services through a UK trade sale to a US media agency, managing diligence across jurisdictions. Learn more.
Read the case study →B2B Marketing & Media AgencyB2B Agency Growth and EOT Exit
How Oppenheim Advisory transformed a UK B2B marketing agency through operational improvements and prepared it for an Employee Ownership Trust exit.
Read the case study →B2B Marketing AgencyApril Six Geographic Expansion
How Oppenheim Advisory helped April Six set up international offices in the USA, Singapore, Germany and China. Speak to a Fractional FD today.
Read the case study →What you actually get
Not a strategy deck — working outputs, produced month in, month out.
Monthly management accounts
We move you from annual accounts to a monthly reporting rhythm, supervising your bookkeeper so the numbers are right, on time, every month.
12-month P&L and cash-flow forecasts
A rolling twelve-month view of profit and cash — bank-ready when you apply for a loan or funding.
New-client vetting
Credit checks on new clients before you extend payment terms — and on key suppliers before you depend on them.
Overseas expansion support
Entities, compliance and reporting handled when you open your first office abroad — run from your UK HQ.
An engagement shaped around you
A few hours spread across the week, or a couple of days a month. Capacity scales up around a budget, a funding round or a sale — and back down afterwards. Never a rigid day-a-week retainer.
The full Finance Director toolkit
Exit and growth are where we lead. These are the disciplines that make them work.
Cash Flow Management
Optimise working capital and maintain a healthy cash position
- Rolling 12-month cash flow forecasts
- Working capital optimisation
- New-client credit vetting
- Stronger credit control processes
Management Reporting
Comprehensive financial reporting tailored to your business needs
- Monthly management accounts
- Actionable insights for board decisions
- Variance analysis
- Board reporting packs
Budgeting & Forecasting
Strategic financial planning for sustainable growth
- Annual budget preparation
- Rolling forecasts
- Scenario planning
- Actual vs budget vs prior year tracking
Exit Process Management
Expert guidance through the entire exit journey
- Buyer negotiation
- Deal structuring
- Due diligence management
- Post-deal integration
Geographic Expansion
Financial strategy for entering new markets and opening overseas offices
- International company infrastructure
- Local statutory compliance
- Transfer pricing policy
- Overseas operations run from UK HQ
Commercial Finance Services
Drive profitability through commercial excellence
- Pricing strategy
- Contract negotiation
- Margin analysis
- Revenue optimisation
Financial Due Diligence
Rigorous financial due diligence for buyers, sellers, and investors. Buy-side, sell-side, and vendor DD delivered by a senior Fractional Finance Director with 30+ years of UK M&A experience.
- Buy-side financial due diligence
- Sell-side and vendor due diligence (VDD)
- Quality of Earnings (QoE) analysis and adjustments
- Normalised working capital analysis
Beyond finance: a trusted network
At Oppenheim Advisory we have a network of trusted advisors across various disciplines and can introduce you to specialists in:
Let's Talk About Your Numbers
Book a free, no-obligation consultation with Lak — whether you're planning growth, a funding application or an eventual sale.
Meet Lak Sidhu
Lak has spent over 30 years as Finance Director and CFO to growing B2B companies — SaaS, marketing and media agencies, professional services — and has taken several of them through to successful sales. He works hands-on: in your business, with your team, on your numbers.
Client Success Stories
Feedback from founders.
"I was first introduced to Lak as part of the team acquiring our business. Over the 3 month period of due diligence he proved to be an incredibly detailed, focussed and knowledgeable individual with an incredible ability to cover every base in the negotiation almost single handedly. In this phase I described him many times as 'a force to be reckoned with'. Once the deal was done, I found a whole new side to Lak - a dedicated custodian of our financial wellbeing. His ability to maintain an air of calm means he has become a source of stability in our organisation where there was previously a certain amount of turbulence. He has brought us round to a new way of financial management that has had a huge impact on the way we do business. I don't think we would be achieving what we are today if it were not for his oversight, management and masterful control of our finances."
"I've had the great pleasure in working alongside Lak twice! Lak was an important partner and advisor to help me set up local entities of both agencies we've worked together on. He's keen eyes for details and his extensive knowledge and versatility on both the financial and legal grounds have been instrumental in helping us set up offices, processes and teams successfully across the APAC region within countries like Singapore and China."
From seller-side preparation and trade sale execution to buyer-side due diligence and post-acquisition integration, our clients benefit from comprehensive M&A expertise and ongoing financial leadership.
Why Choose Fractional Over Full-Time?
Get senior-level financial expertise precisely when you need it, without the commitment and cost of a full-time hire.
Fractional Finance Director
Smart, flexible, cost-effective
Immediate Impact
Start contributing from day one with proven systems
A Fraction of the Cost
Typically 30-50% of the cost of a full-time FD — no salary, pension, benefits, bonus or recruitment fees
Senior Experience
30+ years across multiple industries and scale-ups
Flexible Engagement
A few hours a week or a couple of days a month — scaled up for a funding round or sale, back down after
Fresh Perspective
External viewpoint with industry best practices
Full-Time Finance Director
Traditional approach
Recruitment Delays
Recruitment agency costs, interview process and on-boarding delays
£180,000+ Fully Loaded
Base salary around £140,000, plus employer NI, pension, healthcare and bonus — closer to £226,000 in year one once recruitment is included
Learning Curve
Time needed to understand your business and industry context
Fixed Commitment
Difficult to adjust capacity or scale based on business needs
Internal Perspective Only
Limited external experience and cross-industry insights
Ready to Experience the Fractional Advantage?
Book a free consultation to discuss how fractional FD services can transform your business finances and accelerate growth.
Let's Discuss Your Financial Goals
Tell us a little about your business. Every enquiry gets a reply from Lak within one working day, and the first consultation is free and no-obligation.
Email Us
Get a response within one working day
[email protected]
Call Us
Speak directly with Lak Sidhu
+44 7990 835891
Where We Work
Based in Maidenhead — serving Berkshire, London, Surrey and the South East
See All Locations
Why Choose Us?
Oppenheim Ltd, registered in England, company number: 14738428
Registered Address: 7 Kinghorn Park, Maidenhead SL6 7TX, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Fractional Finance Director?
A Fractional Finance Director (also known as a part-time FD or fractional CFO) provides senior-level financial leadership on a part-time or project basis. This allows growing businesses to access experienced financial expertise without the cost of a full-time hire.
How much does a Fractional Finance Director cost?
Fractional Finance Director services typically cost between 30-50% of a full-time FD salary. Engagements are flexible: some clients spread a few hours across each week, others prefer a couple of days a month. Capacity scales up around budgets, funding rounds or a sale, and back down afterwards.
When does a business need a Fractional Finance Director?
Businesses typically need a Fractional FD when they are growing rapidly, preparing for investment or exit, facing cash flow challenges, need improved financial reporting, or require strategic financial guidance but cannot justify a full-time hire.
What services does a Fractional Finance Director provide?
Services include management reporting, budgeting and forecasting, cash flow management, exit planning, due diligence support, investor relations, fundraising assistance, and strategic financial leadership.
How is a Fractional Finance Director different from an accountant?
While accountants focus on compliance, tax, and historical reporting, a Fractional Finance Director provides strategic financial leadership, forward-looking analysis, commercial decision support, and helps drive business growth and profitability.