Project profitability unknown
You know firm-level profit, not project- or client-level. A vCFO builds the view that shows which work actually pays.
Know which projects and clients actually pay.
Virtual CFO for Professional Services Firms
Senior CA / ex-banker–led fractional CFO support for Indian agencies, consultancies, law, architecture and IT-services firms — project profitability, fee realisation, WIP, partner economics and collections, at a fraction of a full-time CFO’s cost. A vCFO who shows you which clients, projects and teams make money — and which quietly don’t. ₹4,250 Cr+ mobilised across 100+ mandates since 2011.
CA / ex-banker led Project profitability Partner economics
A track record since 2011, in numbers
₹4,250 Cr+
Group capital facilitated since 2011₹550 Cr
Largest single facility structured100+
Deals advised end to end20–40 hrs
Structured bandwidth per monthSince 2011
CA / ex-banker, senior on every fileA Virtual CFO for a services firm is a senior finance leader embedded part-time with operating accountability — built for partner- and promoter-led firms that need real project profitability, clean fee realisation and fair partner economics, but don’t yet justify a full-time ₹50 L–1.5 Cr CFO hire. Unlike an external advisor, the vCFO owns the numbers month on month.
Where services-firm profit leaks
The finance gaps inside a people-and-projects business
In a services firm the margin lives in realisation, utilisation and WIP — not the headline fee. These are the gaps a virtual CFO closes.
Realisation below the rate card
Discounts, scope creep and write-offs erode the standard rate. We measure realisation so it’s managed, not assumed.
WIP & unbilled piling up
Work done but not billed, billed but not collected. We track WIP and unbilled ageing so revenue converts to cash.
Utilisation untracked
No clear view of billable utilisation by team or grade. We make capacity and bench cost visible.
Partner economics by gut feel
Compensation and profit shares argued without clean numbers. We model partner economics against real profitability.
GST & compliance on services
GST on services, RCM, TDS and multi-state registration handled on a managed calendar — no surprises.
Three ways to engage
Three engagement models — fitted to your firm
From full-stack monthly bandwidth to a one-off profitability overhaul. Fees are indicative and scoped case-by-case on size, offices and project volume.
Model Scope Duration Fees range Best for
RetainerMost popular ScopeFull-stack CFO bandwidth — project profitability, realisation, MIS, cash Duration12+ months Fees range₹50k–2 L / month Best forGrowing services firms & agencies
Project-Based ScopeDefined deliverable — profitability model, WIP/realisation cleanup Duration2–4 months Fees range₹2 L–10 L / project Best forOne-time finance-function fix
Fundraise-Linked ScopeModel, diligence support for a stake sale, merger or PE raise Duration3–6 months Fees rangeRetainer + success fee Best forA stake sale or consolidation
Indicative — scoped case-by-case based on size, offices and project volume. Every model is led by a senior CA or ex-banker, with a support resource executing under partner oversight. For the full breakdown, see our full Virtual CFO service, or how virtual CFO pricing works.
What we own month on month
The services-firm finance function, owned — not advised on
From the project-profitability view to partner economics, we run the finance function end to end so the numbers are clean, current and decision-ready every month.
01
Project & client profitability
Profitability by project, client and service line — net of delivery cost, write-offs and overhead — so you steer toward the work that pays.
02
Fee realisation & WIP
Realisation against rate card, WIP and unbilled ageing, and billing discipline — so revenue converts to cash, not stale work-in-progress.
03
Utilisation & capacity
Billable utilisation by team and grade, bench cost and capacity planning — the engine of a services firm’s margin.
04
Collections & cash flow
Receivables discipline and a 13-week cash forecast so the firm is never cash-short despite a full order book. See our 13-week cash flow guide.
05
Partner compensation modelling
Partner/principal compensation, profit-share pools and drawings modelled against real profitability — removing friction from a sensitive decision.
06
MIS, GST & compliance
A monthly MIS, GST on services, RCM, TDS and ROC on a managed calendar. We work on your stack — Zoho, Tally or our group’s TatvaBooks.
Why a vCFO earns its keep
CFO-grade judgement, sized to a firm
Senior finance leadership, project-profitability clarity and clean partner economics — on a structured monthly cadence, with the flexibility to scale up or step back.
Senior CA / ex-banker lead
No junior pass-through — partner-led, by people who read the numbers the way a board or buyer will.
Profitability truth
Project- and client-level margin — so pricing, staffing and client decisions are based on profit you can see.
Cash from realisation
Tighter realisation, WIP and collections often free more cash than winning new work — without adding headcount.
Fair partner economics
Compensation modelled on real numbers — the basis for a stable, scalable partnership.
Exit flexible
Month-to-month with 30-day notice after the minimum term — no long lock-ins, scale up or step back as the firm shifts.
Confidentiality first
NDA at kick-off; books, client data and partner numbers stay ring-fenced to the named engagement team.
Process
How an engagement runs — from scoping to monthly cadence
A clear path from first scoping call to a steady monthly cadence, with the named partner on the file at every stage.
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Scoping call
1 dayService lines, project volume and pain points — we map where profitability, realisation and cash stand today.
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Diligence
3–5 daysBooks, project data, billing and utilisation review, with a baseline maturity assessment of the finance function.
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Engagement design
2 daysScope, cadence, deliverables, fees and the lead partner confirmed — locked into a signed engagement letter.
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Kickoff & SOPs
week 1NDA, the profitability template, billing SOPs and first-month deliverables — the engine starts turning.
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Monthly cadence
ongoingMonthly profitability MIS, realisation reviews and cash management — the vCFO owns the numbers month on month.
Who we work with & what we need to start
Built for partner- and promoter-led firms
We work across professional and creative services — and we know exactly what we need to get profitability, realisation and cash under control.
Firms we work with
CA / ex-banker–led, Mumbai & Pune-based, serving firms across Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad and pan-India.
What we need to start — onboarding checklist
- Latest financials & current trial balance
- Project / client billing & WIP data
- Rate card & timesheet / utilisation data
- Receivables & collections ageing
- Partner/principal compensation structure
- KYC of firm, partners and directors
Indicative — varies by size and structure. A mutual NDA is executed before diligence begins.
Why Finnova
Why firms choose Finnova as their Virtual CFO
Four reasons partners hand us the numbers — and keep us on file as the firm grows.
01
Project-profitability truth
Margin by project, client and service line — so pricing and staffing decisions rest on profit you can see.
02
Realisation & cash discipline
Tighter realisation, WIP and collections — often more cash freed than winning new work.
03
Partner economics, settled fairly
Compensation and profit shares modelled on clean numbers — the basis for a stable partnership.
04
Track record
₹4,250 Cr+ mobilised and 100+ deals since 2011 — a finance partner with real market reach.
Consultation
Tell us where the finance function stands
One conversation tells you the right engagement model, the cadence that fits your firm and how fast we can stand up real project profitability. No pitch — just a straight read from senior people who own numbers for a living.
Thank you — your enquiry has been submitted
We’ve received your details. A senior member of our team will review them and get back to you within one business day. Everything you’ve shared stays strictly confidential.
FAQ
Virtual CFO for professional services firms, answered
For an agency, consultancy, law, architecture or IT-services firm, a virtual CFO owns project and client profitability, fee realisation and WIP/unbilled tracking, utilisation and rate-card economics, collections, partner or principal compensation modelling, GST on services and a monthly MIS — the finance leadership a people-and-projects business needs without a full-time CFO.
By making project-level economics visible — realisation versus standard rates, write-offs, utilisation and WIP ageing — so you can see which clients, projects and teams actually make money. Most firms discover they are subsidising under-priced clients or carrying stale WIP; fixing realisation and collections is usually the fastest margin win.
Yes. Modelling partner or principal compensation, profit-share pools and drawings against a clean project-profitability view is a core part of the engagement — it removes the friction and guesswork from one of the most sensitive decisions a firm makes.
Engagements typically run ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh per month depending on size, number of offices and complexity, against ₹50 lakh to ₹1.5 crore a year for a full-time CFO. Fees are scoped to your headcount and project volume.
Every mandate is led by a senior CA or ex-banker — you deal with the named partner directly, not a rotating bench of junior staff. A second support resource handles execution under partner oversight.
Further reading
The virtual CFO question, explained in our Resources
What a virtual CFO is, what it costs, and how cash forecasting works. For the complete service, see our full Virtual CFO service.