Effective management of your entire finance function.
Your numbers, run for you. So you always know where you stand.
Financial management. The part nobody warned you about
When you started, it was simple. No team, barely any transactions, no one to answer to.
Then you grew. You hired people, trusted they knew their jobs and leaned on them in areas that were never your strength. One of those areas was finance.
Finding the right finance people at a price you can justify is hard. So you get by with what you have, it gets heavy and you do not have the grip on the numbers you would like.
Your business has grown, yet you cannot justify a Finance Director at £75,000 to £120,000. Even a Financial Controller rarely comes in under £45,000 plus tax and benefits.
You know you should systemise and use technology better. You are just not sure where to start.
And you are not certain your finance staff are running the function as tightly, or as efficiently, as they could be.
Carrying finance alone has a price
The consequence
You sail along not really knowing whether the business could be doing better, managing the finances yourself with no expert alongside you.
That pulls your time and energy away from what you are best at: winning customers, generating enquiries, driving the business forward.
You worry about tax and obligations because you have no real-time cash flow forecast to lean on. And your numbers land too late, you only learn whether you made a profit long after it mattered.
No systems you trust. No plan or KPIs to build toward. In short, it can feel lonely.
The problem
Once a business is big enough, it hires qualified finance people to carry the growing load.
The problem, for smaller businesses, is that they simply cannot justify that cost. So they go without the level of finance support they actually need, at exactly the point they need it most.
The real cost of building it in-house
To cover every finance role properly, here is roughly what the market pays.
Accounts payable clerk
£31,500
Accounts receivable clerk
£29,000
Bookkeeper
£30,000
Senior accountant
£52,000
Financial controller
£80,000
Finance director
£110,000
That is before bonuses, benefits, pension and employer’s national insurance at 15 percent. Out of reach for most, yet these are exactly the businesses that need this level of input the most.
You do not need all of these roles full time. The trouble is you cannot hire 40 percent of a controller or 10 percent of an FD. So you either put highly skilled people on low skilled work, or you carry gaps where the skills are missing. That is where we come in.
Source: London-weighted averages from the Indeed, Glassdoor and Robert Half 2026 guides. Finance Director shown at the lower, SME end of the London range.
Imagine handing it over
One team to implement, systemise and run your finance function, so that:
- You stop worrying about financial management
- You get FD and FC level expertise at a fraction of the cost of hiring it
- Your in-house people are trained and supported by qualified professionals
- You save time and money, with the right technology doing the heavy lifting
- You get real-time management information and a clear view of your funding options
- You can scale, knowing your finance function scales with you
- You have a trusted advisor who knows your business as a sounding board
This is your Finance Function.
Your Finance Function
A complete, bespoke finance function for ambitious businesses, often for less than the cost of a full-time junior hire. It is built around people: our experienced finance team, who have run the whole function for businesses like yours. We provide everything from bookkeeper to FD, or slot into the gaps in the team you already have.
What a full finance function actually covers
01
Invoicing and collecting cash from customers.
02
Paying suppliers and employees, on time.
03
The systems your data flows through and the management accounts that come out.
04
Managing cash flow and stock so nothing seizes up.
05
Budgets and the variance analysis that keeps them honest.
06
Giving the figures meaning, tracking KPIs, managing financial risk.
07
Staying on the right side of HMRC and Companies House.
Built around people. Our team has run the entire finance function for businesses like yours.
What your Finance Function gives you
Cover across every finance area, at an investment the business can afford.
What is your investment?
Every business is different, so we build the package around you. We do it collaboratively using our pricing software, so you control the level of service and management you want.
You always get a fixed price you can budget around. As you grow, or if you retract, the package flexes with you. Contrast that with employing finance staff whether or not you fully need them.
The cost is fully deductible for tax, so HMRC effectively refunds a portion at your corporation tax rate. And there is no employer’s national insurance, unlike an employed FD, a saving of 15 percent.
You are in complete control, and you only pay for what moves the business forward.
How we deliver it
Running a modern finance function is no small task. Technology now automates much of the work that used to sit with employed staff, which saves you time and money. The point is not a drawer full of separate apps. It is one connected system, built around your ledger, that we run for you.
One connected system, not a set of disconnected tools. We implement only what is useful to you.
Your options in detail
For a small fixed monthly investment, you benefit from the following, depending on the package you choose.
A health check on your current finance systems and processes, with recommendations that save time and money.
We streamline how documents flow, using technology to scan and cut manual entry, reducing errors and freeing up space.
A review of credit control and strategies to get cash in faster, from automation to direct debit to upfront payment.
We run or review your payments, tighten controls and build a clean process for employee expenses.
Done for you, or set up to run efficiently across every account, so you always know who owes what.
Real-time reporting as often as you need it, with our commentary so the numbers make sense.
Ready to work with us? Start with a free 30-minute call.
Your dedicated finance director
Direct access to an experienced finance director who works closely with you, backed by the team so you always reach someone.
No clock-watching and no surprise bills. Anything outside scope is quoted first.
Expense monitoring and advice to keep costs in check as you scale and hire.
Model a hire or an investment before you commit and see the impact on your numbers.
A live forecast with real visibility over future cash, including PAYE, VAT and corporation tax.
We identify the key risks and help you mitigate them, from credit checks to controls.
Your financial and non-financial KPIs in one place. What gets measured improves.
Goals turned into targets, and a monthly call to keep you moving through the plan.
When you are ready
To raise finance, or to exit
We make the case to our network of financiers and keep the reporting they need flowing to protect your credit line.
A plan to get maximum value for the years you have put in, including options like MBOs and tying in key people through tax-efficient share schemes.
Where investors or lenders expect one, we can take the seat and give them the comfort they need.
Most accountants tell you what happened. We tell you what to do next
250+ entrepreneurs advised since 2014
“We have been working with Z Group now for more than ten years, and they have become an important part of our growth story. As our business has grown, Z Group has been able to deliver the right level of support for our business every step of the way.”
Dave Dunlop
“Z Group has been proactive with recommendations, and have provided helpful, contextual insights into the financial position an direction of our business as we navigate changes in the macro-economic conditions.”
Fiona Scott
“Providing accounting, tax and fundraising support under one roof, with the flexibility and price sensitivity that early-stage businesses look for, is a winning combination. I would highly recommend Z Group.”
Simon Bittlestone
“Everyone has been friendly, approachable, flexible, efficient and highly professional. Importantly for us they take the time to fully understand our business and the challenges faced by small businesses. We have recommended them to others and would do so again without hesitation.”
Hedley Shaw
“We have always been provided with prompt and efficient support, telling us what we need to know when we need to know it, and enabling us to make decisions about our growing business. Thank you for the support!”
Nigel Bailey
“We are extremely pleased with the services provided by Z Group. We always experience professionalism, expertise, and a genuine commitment to our needs. Their exceptional, personalised service is commendable. and I highly recommend them to anyone.”