Virtual Finance Office
Ongoing financial clarity, confidence and control — without the cost of employing in‑house
Running a growing business shouldn’t feel like guesswork
“I don’t really know how we’re doing until months later”
“My accountant gives me accounts, not clarity”
“I’m making big decisions without good financial information”
What is a Virtual Finance Office?
Our Virtual Finance Office acts as your outsourced finance team.
Instead of employing a bookkeeper, VAT specialist, accounts clerk or finance director, you gain access to experienced professionals who work alongside your business, providing both compliance and insight.
We focus on:
- Making your numbers understandable
- Giving you visibility before problems arise
- Supporting better, more confident decision‑making
All delivered remotely, flexibly, and tailored to your business.
What’s Included?
Your Virtual Finance Office can include:
- Fully managed bookkeeping
- VAT returns and support
- Regular management information (Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet)
- Cashflow forecasting
- Proactive tax planning
- Ongoing advice and support
- Scheduled review meetings
- Ad‑hoc questions answered in plain English
We adapt the level of support as your business grows — you’re never forced into a one‑size‑fits‑all model.
Why Virtual beats employing in-house
Creating an internal finance team is expensive and inflexible.
Typical annual employment costs can look like this:
- Bookkeeper: £22,000 – £30,000
- VAT specialist: £35,000 – £45,000
- Ledger or accounts clerk: £24,000 – £32,000
- Part‑time Finance Director equivalent: £60,000+
That’s £140,000+ per year, before employer NI, pensions, recruitment, software, holidays or sickness.
With our Virtual Finance Office, you receive:
- Multiple skill sets
- Experienced advisors
- No recruitment or employment risk
- No holiday or sickness cover to manage
- A service that scales up or down
All for a fraction of a cost of employing even one senior finance hire.
The difference is makes
Client using our Virtual Finance Office typically experience:
Increased confidence in decision-making
Reduced stress around money
More proactive tax planning
Better control of cash
Fewer surprises
Clearer planning
Who This Service Is Right For
Our Virtual Finance Office is ideal if you:
- Run a growing limited company or established business
- Want more than year‑end accounts
- Are making important decisions around hiring, borrowing or investing
- Feel your current financial information arrives too late
- Want a trusted adviser, not just a compliance provider
If you’re spending time worrying about your numbers instead of using them — this service is designed for you.
Virtual Finance Office vs In-House Finance Team
| Virtual Finance Office | In-House Finance Team |
| Access to a team of experienced professionals | Reliant on one or two individuals |
| Bookkeeping, VAT, reporting and insight combined | Often split across multiple roles |
| No recruitment or employment risk | Recruitment, onboarding and retention required |
| No employer NI, pensions, holidays or sickness | Full employment costs apply |
| Scales up and down as your business grows | Fixed headcount, harder to adjust |
| Ongoing, proactive advice throughout the year | Insight often limited to month-end or year-end |
| Fraction of the cost of employing staff | £140,000+ per year for equivalent coverage |
| Support focussed on clarity and decision making | Time often spent on processing and admin |
The takeaway
Why hire a finance team when you can access one – flexibly, affordably and without the risk?
Our Virtual Finance Office gives you the reassurance of experienced finance support, without the overheads and complexity of employing in-house.
Why Hanley & Co?
We’re not just accountants — we’re business advisers.
✔ Chartered Accountants
✔ Regulated by the ICAEW
✔ Plain‑English advice
✔ Proactive and approachable
✔ Long‑term relationships
✔ “Accountants You Can Talk To”
We focus on helping businesses grow with confidence, not just meeting deadlines.
How it works
Getting started is simple:
- We get to know your business and goals
- We agree the right level of support
- We set up systems and reporting
- We work with you on an ongoing basis
No disruption. No overwhelm. Just clarity and support.
FAQs - Virtual Finance Office
Is a Virtual Finance Office the same as a Finance Director?
Not exactly — and that’s a good thing.
A Finance Director is typically one senior individual. A Virtual Finance Office gives you access to a team of experienced professionals, covering bookkeeping, VAT, reporting and strategic insight, without the cost or commitment of employing someone in‑house.
You get breadth of expertise, ongoing support, and advice that’s tailored to your business — not just one viewpoint.
How is this different from standard accounting services?
Traditional accounting is often backward‑looking — focused on year‑end accounts and compliance.
Our Virtual Finance Office is ongoing and forward‑looking. We focus on:
- understanding how your business is performing now
- spotting issues before they become expensive
- helping you plan, not just report
It’s about clarity and confidence, not just meeting deadlines.
My business isn’t huge — is this still right for me?
Many of our clients are growing small and medium‑sized businesses.
If you:
- want better visibility over cashflow,
- are making important decisions, or
- feel your numbers arrive too late to be useful
then a Virtual Finance Office can be extremely valuable — regardless of size.
You don’t need to be “big” to benefit from clearer financial insight.
How much of my time will this take?
Less, not more.
One of the main reasons clients choose our Virtual Finance Office is to reduce the time they spend worrying about finances.
Once we’re set up correctly:
- information flows more smoothly
- financial questions get answered quickly
- problems are identified earlier
Our aim is to simplify, not add complexity.
Will I lose control of my finances?
No — quite the opposite.
You remain fully in control of your business and decisions. Our role is to:
- provide clear information
- explain what it means
- support you in making informed choices
We work alongside you, not instead of you.
What if my needs change over time?
That’s expected.
One of the biggest advantages of a Virtual Finance Office is its flexibility. As your business grows or changes, we can adjust the level of support to suit your needs.
You’re not locked into a rigid structure or a fixed headcount.
Is this a long‑term commitment?
We aim to build long‑term relationships, but we also understand that businesses evolve.
We’re always happy to review services, discuss changes, and make sure the support you’re receiving continues to add value. And if circumstances change, we’ll talk things through openly.
How do you price the Virtual Finance Office?
Our pricing is:
- tailored to your business
- agreed in advance
- charged monthly
You only pay for the level of support you actually need.
For many clients, the cost is significantly lower than employing even one in‑house finance role — and provides much broader expertise.
Is this suitable if I already have bookkeeping software?
Yes.
We regularly work with businesses using QuickBooks and other cloud accounting systems. In fact, having the right software in place often makes a Virtual Finance Office even more effective more quickly.
We focus on using your systems to produce clearer information — not complicating things.
What’s the first step if I’m interested?
A conversation.
We’ll talk through your business, what you’re trying to achieve, and whether a Virtual Finance Office is the right fit. If it is, we’ll recommend the level of support that makes sense for you — and if it isn’t, we’ll tell you that too.