What does a part-time finance director do?

A part-time finance director, also called a fractional FD, does the work a full-time finance director would do in a larger company for a fixed fee or a set number of days each month. Businesses bring one in when the year-end accounts and the bookkeeping no longer show enough to make decisions with, when they are raising money or preparing to sell, or when a lender or board asks for regular figures.

The work

• An annual plan: the year's objectives and priorities, agreed with the owners and written down.
• A forecast: profit and loss, balance sheet and cash for at least the next 12 months, kept up to date.
• A KPI dashboard: the handful of numbers that show how the business is doing, including the ones that show what is coming.
• Board meetings: results reviewed against the plan, decisions taken and actions followed up.
• Lenders, investors and buyers: the forecast, board pack and records they ask for, and a seat at the meetings.
• Decisions: pricing, hiring, a new site or a large purchase, tested against the figures before they are made.

Who does the day-to-day work

A finance director plans and decides. The bookkeeping, payroll, VAT returns, month-end close, customer invoicing and supplier payments are done by a finance manager or a financial controller, or by your own bookkeeper. Some part-time finance directors work alongside your existing team. The Buzz finance director service includes the finance team's day-to-day work in the fee.

The guide to a finance manager or a financial controller sets out what each of those roles does.

FD, CFO or financial controller

In small and medium-sized businesses a finance director and a chief financial officer (CFO) do the same job. CFO is the title used more often in investor-backed and technology companies. A financial controller runs the month-end close, the board pack, credit control and supplier payments, and reports to the finance director.

The cost, part-time or employed

UK fractional finance directors charge £3,000 to £6,500 a month for businesses turning over £1m to £5m (Leadership Services, UK Fractional Director Rate Report 2026). The Buzz finance director service starts from £2,000 + VAT a month, with the day-to-day finance work included.

The salary is the national 50th percentile in the Robert Half 2027 UK Salary Guide. Employer National Insurance is 15% of pay above the £5,000 secondary threshold. The employer pension is the 3% minimum on qualifying earnings between £6,240 and £50,270 (GOV.UK; The Pensions Regulator).

Signs the business needs one

• You find out about a bad month after it has ended.
• A lender, investor or buyer has asked for a forecast.
• You are deciding on a hire, a new site or a price change with nothing to test it against.
• Cash is tight even though the accounts show a profit.
• The business has outgrown a bookkeeper and an annual meeting with the accountant.