Alex Sturge ACAFractional CFO

How I help

Five practical playbooks for founders.

Most finance problems in a growing business follow familiar patterns. I've built a practical playbook for each one, based on work I've already delivered, not theory. I start with the decision that matters most to you, and use only the parts of a playbook you actually need.

Playbook 1

From limited visibility to predictable growth

“We're busy and growing, but I can't see clearly where the cash and profit are.”

What changes

Reliable numbers, controlled cash and confident decisions, with no financial surprises as you scale.

See my approach
  1. Find the real numbers. Check your systems and data, and establish your true revenue, margins, cash and unit economics.
  2. See cash coming. A 12–18 month rolling cash forecast, weekly cash reporting and early warnings on runway.
  3. Control spend. Budgets compared with actuals, and simple approval rules.
  4. Report what matters. A short monthly pack built around your growth drivers, margins and customers.
  5. Build the backbone. Reliable billing, a faster month-end and processes that scale with you.

Playbook 2

From margin pressure to profitable growth

“Sales are up, but profit isn't keeping pace.”

What changes

Clear profitability, consistent pricing and stronger margins that support growth and cash.

See my approach
  1. Find the leaks. Test pricing, cost to deliver, product and customer mix, and contract terms.
  2. Show margin clearly, by product, customer and channel.
  3. Set pricing rules. One price list, minimum margins, discount limits and deal approvals.
  4. Tighten commercial terms. Payment terms, milestones and inflation clauses that protect both margin and cash.
  5. Price for value. Use what customers value and will pay to price new and existing offers.
  6. Keep it on track. Margins reviewed monthly and pricing quarterly, with an agreed improvement plan.

Playbook 3

From reactive reporting to confident decisions

“Our forecast is a guess, and every decision feels like a gamble.”

What changes

You see cash, capacity and funding needs coming, and act on risks early.

See my approach

A forecast earns its keep when it changes a decision. It isn't a prediction; it's a set of assumptions linked to your strategy.

  1. Build a forecast you can use. 12–18 months, linking revenue, hiring, margins and cash, with base, downside and upside cases.
  2. Set a monthly rhythm. Monthly numbers within a week of month-end, compared with budget, and a refreshed forecast.
  3. Put sensible controls in place for spend, contracts, billing and payroll.
  4. Share the understanding. Help your leaders understand margins, runway and unit economics, for example through short lunch-and-learn sessions on how the business makes money, so pricing, hiring and investment decisions use the same assumptions.

Playbook 4

From fundraising readiness to funded growth

“We're about to raise, and I need investors to take our numbers seriously.”

What changes

Defensible numbers, a credible plan and a smoother due diligence process, so you negotiate from a position of strength.

See my approach
  1. Make the numbers stand up. Reconcile the accounts and check revenue, margins and unit economics, plus the metrics investors look for first: burn, runway, customer acquisition payback, lifetime value, retention by cohort and, for marketplaces, GMV and take rate.
  2. Build the model. A 3–5 year integrated profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow model, plus your cap table, with scenarios, runway and a clear funding requirement.
  3. Organise the data room. Financial, legal, commercial, tax and people records, ready for due diligence.
  4. Tell one story. Traction, market, plan, ask and use of funds, consistent across the model and pitch deck.
  5. Rehearse. Mock investor Q&A on churn, margins, runway, risks and assumptions.
  6. Run the process and close. Track investors and requests, model dilution, review terms and support legal due diligence.
  7. Report well after the round. Board packs, monthly investor updates and the reporting your investment agreement requires, so investors stay confident and the next raise starts from trust.

Playbook 5

From underperformance to a credible recovery

“We're behind plan, and I need to know why and what to do about it.”

What changes

Clear causes, a credible reset and measurable recovery, while protecting cash.

See my approach
  1. Test the plan against reality. Compare the original revenue, cost and margin assumptions with what's actually happening.
  2. Find the root causes, whether pricing, delivery, pipeline, hiring or contracts.
  3. Reset the forecast, with base, downside and recovery cases, and the cash you'll need.
  4. Make targeted fixes. Reprice weak work, tighten discounts, control scope and refocus sales.
  5. Align the team around one plan, with clear owners, timings and numbers to track.

How I work alongside your team

I build capability, not dependency.

Your accountant makes sure the history is recorded correctly. My role is to help you use the numbers to improve what happens next. I work alongside your bookkeeper, accountant and any finance staff, so nothing is duplicated.

Every process I put in place, from the forecast to the monthly reporting pack, I hand over properly. I train your team to run it themselves, so that over time they're ready to step up and my role reduces, or isn't needed at all. Done well, a fractional CFO leaves your finance function stronger than they found it.

Not sure which playbook fits?

Most founders aren't. We'll work it out together in a free 45-minute conversation.

Book a free financial clarity conversationEmail or call