Why a Fractional Finance Team Beats Hiring a Newly Qualified Accountant (Especially for Startups ready to level up, like yours)

Let’s be honest, when you’re running a fast-moving tech startup, you don’t have time to become a finance expert overnight. You need solid financial foundations, smart forecasting, and someone who can tell you what’s around the corner before it hits you in the ……… cash flow. That’s where a Fractional Finance Team (like ours at The Smart Team) comes in.

So, what is a Fractional Finance Team?

Think of it as your own plug-and-play finance department. Instead of hiring one person to do everything (and hoping they can), you get access to a whole team of seasoned professionals…..FDs, controllers, analysts, bookkeepers. Each bringing their own expertise, but without the full-time cost.

You also get a dedicated team who gets to know your business inside out. We work remotely by default, but we’re happy to be on-site when needed, whether that’s for board meetings, investor pitches, or just a good old-fashioned whiteboard session.

Why not just hire a newly qualified accountant?

Great question. A newly qualified accountant is smart, no doubt. But they’re also just starting out. They might not have seen the inside of a funding round, navigated a messy cashflow situation, or helped a founder sleep better at night by untangling a budget that’s gone rogue.

And here’s the kicker: most newly qualified accountants don’t want to “do the books” anymore. They’ve trained hard, passed their exams, and now they’re looking to move into strategic roles. They don’t want to chase receipts or reconcile bank statements.

Stretching one person across all the roles of a finance function bookkeeper, controller, analyst, FD, isn’t just unrealistic, it’s unfair. It’s like asking your developer to also do sales, marketing, and customer support. You wouldn’t do that. So why do it with finance?

With a Fractional Finance Team, you’re not betting on potential, you’re buying experience.

You get the strategic thinking of a Fractional FD, the rigour of a Financial Controller, and the day-to-day support of a bookkeeper, all rolled into one seamless service.

Here’s how it works:

1. We get to know your business – your goals, your pain points, your dreams of world domination.
2. We build your finance function – tailored to your stage, sector, and ambitions.
3. We grow with you – scaling up or down as needed, without the HR headaches.

The benefits? Let’s count them:

• Cost-effective: You only pay for what you need. Don’t pay Controller Rates for bookkeeping.
• Scalable: We grow with you so no awkward “we’ve outgrown our accountant” moments.
• Expertise on tap: From compliance to strategy, we’ve got it covered.
• Peace of mind: So you can focus on building your product, not balancing your books.
• Flexible working: Remote-first, but we always show up when it matters.
• Dedicated team: You’re not just a client, you’re part of the team. We are part of yours.

Final thought

If you’re a founder like Jimmy - ambitious, innovation-led, and juggling a million things - you don’t need to go it alone. A Fractional Finance Team gives you the confidence, clarity, and control to make smarter decisions, faster.

Don’t be put off by the term Fractional – We are ALL IN, to help you reach your goals.

And yes, we’ll even explain EBITDA without making your eyes glaze over.