The words "CFO Advisory" get thrown around a lot in accountancy circles, but most founders we speak to aren't entirely sure what it means — or whether it's relevant to them. Let us be direct about both questions.
What CFO Advisory actually is
A Chief Financial Officer does three things a standard accountant doesn't: they think strategically about the business's financial future, they model scenarios before you have to make decisions, and they sit in the room when it matters — board meetings, investor calls, big hires, major contracts.
CFO Advisory means you get access to that thinking and those capabilities without employing someone at £120,000–£180,000 per year. For most businesses with a turnover between £500k and £10m, a fractional or advisory CFO — someone who brings that expertise on a retained basis — is the smarter, more cost-effective structure.
"The question isn't whether you can afford a CFO. It's whether you can afford not to have one."
What you actually get
When Runway provides CFO Advisory services, here's what that looks like in practice:
- Cash flow modelling — 13-week rolling forecasts so you never have a cash surprise
- Budget and scenario planning — What does hiring two people do to your runway? What if revenue dips 20%?
- Fundraising support — Financial models, investor decks, data rooms, due diligence
- Board-ready reporting — Management accounts and KPI dashboards that actually inform decisions
- Strategic financial input — Sitting alongside you when you're making the calls that matter
Do you need it?
Here are some signals that CFO Advisory would change your business:
- You're not sure what your cash position will look like in 90 days
- You're making hiring decisions based on gut feel rather than financial modelling
- You're preparing to raise investment and your financials aren't investor-ready
- Your accountant only shows up at year-end
- You have a financial question and no one to call
If two or more of those resonate, it's worth a conversation. Not because we're trying to sell you something, but because the gap between where your finance function is and where it should be is costing you in ways you probably can't yet quantify.
The Runway approach
Every Runway client gets some level of CFO-style thinking built into their relationship with us — because we don't believe compliance and strategy should be separated. But for businesses at a stage where they need intensive financial leadership, we offer dedicated CFO Advisory as a structured part of our service.
If you'd like to understand what that looks like for your specific business, book a free call with a founder. We'll tell you honestly whether it's the right fit — and if it isn't, we'll tell you that too.
