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Charis FD serves small business owners that want to get financial management disciplines into their businesses in order to build and grow them successfully.

Most Charis FD clients are entrepreneurs and owners of young businesses. They either have great ideas, have found a niche market, or are great at sales and customer service. The owner’s expertise is in identifying successful new products or new markets, or in understanding customer needs.

The expertise they do NOT have is in financial management... and it worries them! Do you feel like saying yes to any of the following questions?

Are you new in business and don’t have much experience in Finance? Perhaps you’ve left the corporate world to start up on your own, experienced some success because you’ve found a good product or a good market. But the finances worry you, because it’s a bit of a mystery to you. But you know you need to pay attention to it, because without cash and profit your business venture will be short-lived.

Are you disappointed with the profitability of the business? You don’t know why, but you think the business should be making more money. You wish there was someone you could turn to to help you find out.

Do you worry that you don’t have enough cash, and banking relationships are strained? Cash is the fuel of the business. If the tank is empty you are out of the race. You know that, but you don’t know why you keep having to apologise to the bank. You have sleepless nights sometimes when you dare to look at the bank statement.

Are you operating without a business plan or budget? Perhaps you don’t think you need one! You’re wrong. Maybe you don’t know where to start with planning?

Do you spend a huge amount of time looking at figures when you are not sure what they mean or whether they are really accurate or useful? You wish there was someone working with you to interpret it all to you in simple terms that will help you to make the right decisions and keep the business moving.

Do you often seriously wonder whether you are doing the right things in managing the finances of the business? It’s not that you’re stupid. You probably know a fair amount about finance. But “you don’t know what you don’t know”! Couldn’t someone more experienced in these things come and tell you whether you are getting it right. That would help you relax a bit more.

Do you have demanding shareholders who never seem satisfied with the information you give them or the performance of the business? Some shareholders are only interested in a return on their investment, and have no interest in helping you. They demand information so they can beat you up, but they are never satisfied.

Do you feel like the finances are disorganised, so you are worried that things might be going wrong? Do you wish you had better procedures and controls to make things run more smoothly? Being late with VAT returns, being chased by suppliers, having to spend hours to find out how much you sold last month - all symptoms of a worrying lack of control.

Are you considering a big change project that you are not sure how to kick off and carry out successfully? Need a new machine? Want to acquire a business? Considering new IT systems? How can you tell whether you should do them or not? Will they make you money or lose you money?

If any of those scenarios sounds familiar, please read on. You will find help here.

Our clients typically look like this:

Size: Normally between £1m and £15m turnover. But if you suffer any of the pain above, especially if your business does not currently benefit from having experienced expert assistance in financial management from, for example, a Finance Director, then get in touch and we’ll see how we can help.

Location: Our clients are normally located in Central London, Thames Valley or along the M3/M4 corridors in the UK.

Industry sector: Any sector.

Characteristics:
  • Great marketers or sales people - you can find customers and persuade them to buy.
  • Unshakable confidence in your product - you know there is a market for it and it will make money for you.
  • Desire to keep moving - you love innovating, or doing things better than others, spotting gaps in the market. You simply can’t stand still. You have to keep growing.
  • Love business - being in business gives you a thrill. It’s so much better than just having a job.
  • Recognise own weaknesses - you know you are not an expert in everything and are willing to listen to those who can give you helpful advice.
  • See the value of good financial management - you know that managing the finances well will give your business the strength, discipline and consistency to avoid pitfalls and press for success.

If that’s you, then read on and see how we can help you - check out what to expect from us, some of our case studies and read more about our services.