A Finance Director brings enormous value to a growing business, but not every business needs one full time. Outsourced FDs combine exceptional experience with greater flexibility.
A Finance Director is a multi-faceted role, covering your entire finance function, which includes:
Having to deal with these responsibilities yourself can be an enormous stressor, not to mention distraction from the day-to-day running of your business.
In an ideal world, every business would have its own dedicated finance team to look after all of this. But bringing all of this expertise in house permanently may not be feasible.
Whatever your business size or industry, an Outsourced Finance Director gives you the tools, technology, knowledge and strategic insight you would expect only the biggest corporations to have.
20% of UK businesses outsourced their finance functions in 2024, and 57% increased outsourcing in 2025 and beyond.
When working with Gravitate, you get big company expertise as part of a cost-effective and flexible plan that can be much more affordable than a full-time hire.
Our team combines decades of experience in a variety of industries and company sizes to focus on your financial needs.
We can work as much or as little as you need, whether that’s on a part-time, long-term or project basis.
We prioritise honesty, integrity and professionalism, promising an objective perspective that you can trust on all issues.
Team Gravitate is based in Sheffield and has a wealth of experience across various sectors, and you will have the backing of a full team of finance and accounting specialists. We work with clients all across the region and nationwide in these key areas.
You may need or benefit greatly from an outsourced Finance Director (FD) when your business is growing, your cash flow is quite complex, investors or lenders are involved, or you need strategic financial insight and skills but don't want a full-time FD in house yet.
Not usually. An outsourced FD is serves to complement your accountant and bookkeeper, not replace them. They are a high-level, strategic figure within your business. In some cases, they may help streamline or coordinate existing finance support to reduce duplication, but they won't do your day-to-day bookkeeping and statutory accounting. These will remain with your current providers (or a new one, if you choose!).
An Outsourced FD will be involved as you need them to be. Engagements and duties are totally flexible and can range from a few hours a month to several days a week, depending on business size, complexity, and current challenges. This flexibility is one of the key strengths of an Outsourced FD vs an in-house FD.
No. You can retain full control of your finance function. The outsourced FD advises, analyses, and guides decisions, but you always make the final calls and keep ownership of all financial accounts and data.
Confidentiality is protected through professional standards, NDAs, secure systems, and strict data-handling processes. Reputable Outsourced FDs like the team at Gravitate treat confidentiality with utmost importance.
They are largely the same thing. “Fractional CFO” is primarily an American term, commonly used in the US and in venture-backed or investor-led businesses. “Outsourced FD” is more widely used in the UK, Europe, and Commonwealth markets, where Finance Director is the standard senior finance title. Both provide senior-level financial leadership on a part-time or flexible basis.
If you have a major transaction on the horizon, such as a merger, sale or investment effort, an Outsourced FD can be a complete game changer. They can provide valuable support and insights throughout the entire process, including:
Unit 13E
92 Burton Road
Neepsend
Sheffield
S3 8BX
United Kingdom
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