Strategic financial oversight, without the salary.
Most growing businesses reach the point where a year-end accountant is no longer enough — but a full-time financial controller is an overhead they cannot yet justify. This service sits in that gap. Fixed monthly fee, AAT Licensed, and every enquiry handled personally by Annabel.
- Monthly management accounts delivered within 5 working days of month close
- Cash flow visibility so you know what is coming before it arrives
- Commercial advice on margins, pricing and where the money is actually going
- One person who knows your numbers in depth, available when decisions need making
No long-term contract. If it is not working after three months, you leave with clean, up-to-date books and nothing owed.
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Scoped to your business. Reply within 1 working day.
What our clients say
★★★★★
Switched Accountants, Already Saving Thousands
“She has fixed so many lazy, unprofessional mistakes by my old accountant by being so meticulously thorough, offering amazing business advice & has saved me thousands.”
★★★★★
Changing Accountants Made Smooth and Stress-Free
“She has made the whole process of changing accountants so smooth and stress-free. Her step-by-step guidance and clear communication made everything easy to follow.”
★★★★★
Support That Set My Mind at Ease
“The support and advice I have had has been extremely helpful and has set my mind at ease knowing that any problems or queries I have will be handled or answered.”
★★★★★
Genuinely Cares About Your Business Finances
“I switched accountants to work with Annabel because I felt she truly cared about helping businesses to take control of their finances. She opened my eyes to how an accountant actually should work with you.”
Growing fast, but no real view of the numbers?
Revenue is moving in the right direction, but you are still making decisions based on what is sitting in the bank account. Month-end comes and goes without any meaningful picture of how the business actually performed. You know you need more than a bookkeeper, but a full-time hire is not the right move yet. That gap is where most small businesses get stuck.
- No monthly figures to work from — decisions made on instinct and bank balance alone
- Cash flow surprises arriving without warning because no one is watching the pipeline
- No commercial input on margins, pricing or costs — just compliance work once a year
What financial visibility actually looks like
A financial controller service gives you the oversight of a senior finance person without the overhead. Management accounts arrive within 5 working days of month close, in plain English, with commentary on what the numbers mean and what to do next.
- Monthly management accounts in 5 working days — decision-ready numbers, every month
- Cash flow monitored and flagged in advance, not discovered after the fact
- Commercial commentary on margins and costs included as standard, not as an add-on
- Scoped monthly fee — no surprises, no hourly billing for every conversation
What clients say about working with Annabel
Both reviews below come from clients who needed more than basic compliance support — and found the commercial input they were looking for.
I switched accountants to work with Annabel because I felt she truly cared about helping businesses to take control of their finances. She opened my eyes to how an accountant actually should work with you! She has fixed so many lazy, unprofessional mistakes by my old accountant by being so meticulously thorough, offering amazing business advice & has saved me thousands! She even went through my dad’s accounts who had been through liquidation & had a really tough time just because she cared & wanted to see if she could help. I 100% trust Annabel & she proves time & time again why it was the best move for my business to switch to her. I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for someone who genuinely cares, who is meticulously thorough & offers great advice!
Working with Annabel has been fantastic. She has made the whole process of changing accountants so smooth and stress-free. Her step-by-step guidance and clear communication made everything easy to follow, even for someone who does not naturally “speak accounts.” Annabel’s energy, passion, and genuine desire to help people understand their business finances really shine through in everything she does. Her support and knowledge have been superb, and I now see her as a vital part of my business and its continued growth. Thank you, Annabel, for all your help; you truly live up to your company name!
What the financial controller service covers
Three core components that give you the financial oversight a growing business needs — without the cost of a full-time hire.
Monthly Management Accounts
Delivered within 5 working days of month close, every month. Profit and loss, balance sheet and key metrics explained in plain English, with a short commentary on what the numbers mean and what warrants attention. No jargon, no overwhelming spreadsheets — just the information you need to run the business.
Included as standardCash Flow Oversight and Forecasting
A rolling view of cash coming in and going out, so that pressure points appear on the radar before they become a problem. Particularly useful for businesses with variable income, project-based billing or seasonal patterns where the bank balance alone gives a misleading picture.
Included as standardCommercial Advice and Financial Input
Margin analysis, pricing sense-checks, cost review and input on financial decisions as they come up — the kind of conversation you would normally need a full-time finance director for. Annabel has spent 16 years working inside businesses at a strategic level, so the advice is grounded in how businesses actually work, not just how the numbers look on paper.
Included as standardConsistent results across different businesses
Three clients, three different situations — the common thread is commercial input that went well beyond what they had received before.
Saved Thousands, Fixed Years of Mistakes
“She has fixed so many lazy, unprofessional mistakes by my old accountant by being so meticulously thorough, offering amazing business advice & has saved me thousands!”
Now a Vital Part of Business Growth
“Her support and knowledge have been superb, and I now see her as a vital part of my business and its continued growth.”
Queries Handled, Mind Set at Ease
“The support and advice I have had has been extremely helpful and has set my mind at ease knowing that any problems or queries I have will be handled or answered.”
What makes this different from standard accountancy
Financial controller work is only worth paying for if the person doing it has actually sat inside a business and understood how decisions get made.
16 years inside real businesses
Annabel spent 16 years working at a strategic and operational level inside real businesses — not processing numbers from a distance, but contributing to the decisions that grew them. That experience is what makes the commercial commentary in your management accounts worth reading. An accountant who has only ever worked in practice cannot tell you what your margin should be. One who has sat where you are sitting can.
5-day month-end, every month
Management accounts delivered within 5 working days of month close — not when it is convenient, not after chasing. The point of financial controller oversight is that it arrives in time to influence decisions, not after they have already been made. This commitment is baked into how the service works, not a target that slips when things get busy.
Plain English, no exceptions
Every set of management accounts comes with a short commentary explaining what the numbers mean and what warrants attention. No jargon, no tables that require a finance degree to interpret. You should be able to read your monthly accounts in ten minutes and know exactly where you stand.
Up and running in three straightforward steps
The onboarding process is designed to be as low-friction as possible — most of the work happens on this side of the desk, not yours.
Free discovery call
A free, no-obligation 20-30 minute call. Annabel asks about your business, your current setup and what’s keeping you up at night — no scripts, no pitch deck. You get honest advice whether you become a client or not.
Tailored proposal
A proposal built around your specific situation — not a template tier. Scoped to what your business actually needs, with a clear fee and no surprises. If the service is not the right fit, that gets said plainly on the call.
Onboard and hand over
We take the admin off your plate — a smooth transition from your current setup or previous accountant, handled entirely by us, so your books are running properly from day one. Your first set of management accounts arrives within 5 working days of your first month close.
Monthly numbers, on time
From month one, you have a standing rhythm: management accounts land within 5 working days of month close, with commentary. Cash flow is monitored. Decisions have a financial input behind them. You are no longer running the business on instinct and a bank balance.
“I have recently had the pleasure of the wonderful service of Annabel, appointed as my bookkeeper and accountant. Having never been self employed or a limited company before, the support and advice I have had has been extremely helpful and has set my mind at ease knowing that any problems or queries I have will be handled or answered. Friendly, supportive and very quick to respond to any queries or sort advice. I would 100% recommend.”
Things people usually ask before getting in touch
What does a financial controller service actually cover — is it different from a bookkeeper or a standard accountant?
A bookkeeper records what has happened. A standard accountant files the year-end and keeps HMRC happy. A financial controller service sits above both — it takes the bookkeeping data and turns it into monthly management accounts with commercial commentary, cash flow oversight and ongoing input on the decisions that affect profitability. The job is not to process transactions but to tell you what the numbers mean and what to do about them.
What does this cost, and how is the fee structured?
Fees are scoped to each client’s specific situation and confirmed on the free discovery call — there is no published price list because the scope varies depending on the size of the business, the complexity of the books and what is already in place. What you will get is a clear monthly figure with no surprises and no billing for every email or phone call. Pricing is discussed openly on the call, and a written proposal follows before anything is agreed.
My books are behind and in a bit of a state — is that a problem?
It is a common starting point, not a barrier. The onboarding process includes a review of where things currently stand, and any catch-up work required is scoped and priced transparently as part of the proposal. Plenty of new clients arrive with books that have not been touched in months — the priority is getting everything clean and current so the management accounts are actually useful from the first month.
Is there a long-term contract or a minimum commitment?
There is no long-term contract. If it is not working after three months, you leave with clean, up-to-date books and nothing owed beyond the current period. The intention is that the service earns its place every month — not that you stay because it is difficult to leave.
Do you work with businesses outside Bournemouth and Dorset?
Yes. The practice is cloud-based via Xero, so location is no barrier. Clients are onboarded and supported remotely through Xero, video call and phone. Businesses across Dorset, Hampshire and the wider UK are supported in exactly the same way as those based locally.
Will I get a view of my tax position as well as the monthly accounts?
Yes. Management accounts are prepared with tax awareness throughout the year — so Corporation Tax is not a shock at year-end and salary and dividend planning can be considered in real time rather than retrospectively. The distinction between compliance work and advisory input is not a useful one for a growing business, so both are factored in from the start.
Related services you may also need
Stop running on instinct and a bank balance.
Monthly management accounts in 5 working days, cash flow oversight and commercial advice — scoped to your business, fixed monthly fee, no long-term contract.