How it works
Our pricing, in plain numbers
We take special care onboarding our clients, because every ecommerce brand runs differently. Rather than asking our clients to jump straight into a one-size-fits-all monthly retainer, we’ve developed a three-step onboarding plan.
This is our way of ensuring we really get under the hood and understand the business from multiple angles before diving in.
Onboarding Pathway
NOW
Step 1
Free Discovery Call
Free
A short call to talk through your current challenges, see whether we're a good fit, and explain how the RT Finance pathway works.
book now→Weeks 1-2
Step 2
Ecom Finance Deep Dive
£1.5k–£2.5k
- A one-off deep dive into the ecom business to give an initial snapshot view of cash, margin, stock, sales channels, team, and planning gaps, comparing to industry benchmarks.
- The output is a review document showing the business's financial reality, presented via a summary call with the founder(s).
Weeks 3-6
Step 3
Ecom Founder Finance Plan
£3.5k–£5k
- A dedicated session with the founder(s) on goals, hopes and fears for the business to ensure forward planning aligns closely with founder goals.
- Creation of a multi-scenario plan of where the business is currently heading vs the required changes to align it with the founder's goals.
- Summary plan and founder presentation call, giving the founder(s) a clear view of the recommended path forward, key decisions required, and the most appropriate ongoing finance programme.
Ongoing Finance Programmes
Following the onboarding pathway clients move on to the most appropriate ongoing programme:
Ecom Finance Control
£2.5k pcm
Our entry-level option for more high-level accountability
- ✓Weekly sales dashboard
- ✓Monthly financial forecast update (see more)
- ✓Monthly finance review call with finance lead
Most popular
Ecom Finance Growth Partner
from £4k pcm
The best fit for most clients, enabling clear forward planning and growth
- ✓Weekly sales dashboard
- ✓Weekly 13-week cashflow forecast (see more)
- ✓Weekly cashflow call with finance lead
- ✓Monthly finance board pack
- ✓Monthly profit & margins call with finance lead
- ✓Quarterly strategy call with finance lead & RT Finance founder
- ✓Annual reset of the Ecom Founder Finance Plan
Ecom Strategic Finance Partner
from £6.5k pcm
A premium service for larger clients who want more complex scenario planning and deeper analysis
- ✓Weekly sales dashboard
- ✓Weekly 13-week cashflow forecast (see more)
- ✓Weekly cashflow call with finance lead
- ✓Enhanced monthly finance board pack
- ✓Monthly profit & margins call with RT Finance founder
- ✓Quarterly strategy call with finance lead & RT Finance founder
- ✓Quarterly strategic finance project (eg. stock planning, channel profitability, funding readiness)
- ✓Quarterly scenario planning review
- ✓Annual reset of the Ecom Founder Finance Plan
Cost comparison
How the cost compares
Hiring a senior finance person full-time is a big commitment for a growing brand. Here’s how the first year compares.
| Full-time CFO | RT Finance Growth Partner | |
|---|---|---|
| Base monthly cost | £10k | £4k |
| Extra monthly costs | £2k National Insurance, pension | n/a |
| Onboarding costs | £30k–£36k recruitment fee | £5k–£8k onboarding, including a full finance review and plan |
| First-year cost | £174k–£180k | £45k–£48k |
| Time to start | 3–6 months to recruit, plus notice period | Within weeks |
| If it’s not working | Employment contract and notice period | Monthly programme |
| Tools and reporting | Built from scratch | Sales dashboard, 13-week cashflow and board pack from day one |
Most founder-led brands don’t need a CFO five days a week, but they do need CFO-level thinking.
Salaries based on Robert Walters UK Salary Survey 2026 and FD Capital SME data.
Example calendar of services
Ecom Finance Growth Partner programme
| Frequency | Service | Value for founder |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Dashboard app | Seeing sales from all ecom channels in one place |
| Weekly | 13-week cashflow update and forward look (read more) | Giving clarity over the next 3 months of cash movements to enable day-to-day decisions to be made with confidence |
| Monthly | P&L, margin & profitability review (read more) | Understanding the wider health of the business and identifying sales, margin and cost decisions to be made |
| Quarterly | Strategy session | Setting quarterly priorities for the whole business |
| Annually | Founder-led plan reset | Ensuring the whole business plan still fits with founder's priorities |
Working alongside your accountant
RT Finance doesn’t replace your accountant or bookkeeper. We work alongside them. They keep the numbers accurate and compliant, and we use those numbers to help you plan what comes next.
Your accountant or bookkeeper
Keeps you compliant and up to date
RT Finance
Helps you plan ahead and make decisions
If you’re already working with an accountant you’re happy with, that’s great. We’ll slot in around them. If you don’t have one yet, or want to upgrade, we can recommend someone we trust.
What our clients say
“Rory has a broad knowledge of the finances needed for a startup in its early stages, keeping a keen eye on cashflow without losing sight of the bigger picture.”
“Rory has delivered to the highest standard on cashflow, forecasting and management accounts, and gone above and beyond on loan financing and raising venture capital.”
“Rory is much more than an accountant, he's a trusted strategic partner whose advice is always practical, relevant, and focused on what the business needs to thrive.”
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
A fractional CFO is a senior finance lead who works with your business part-time, instead of as a full-time hire. For ecommerce brands, that means cashflow forecasting, margin and stock planning, and the commercial decisions behind growth. RT Finance provides fractional CFO support to founder-led UK ecommerce brands.
At RT Finance, ongoing fractional CFO programmes start at £2.5k per month for Ecom Finance Control. Ecom Finance Growth Partner is £4k per month, and Ecom Strategic Finance Partner starts from £6.5k per month. New clients first go through an onboarding pathway: a free Discovery Call, an Ecom Finance Deep Dive (£1.5k–£2.5k) and an Ecom Founder Finance Plan (£3.5k–£5k).
Yes. A fractional CFO doesn't replace your accountant or bookkeeper. Your accountant handles bookkeeping, year-end accounts, tax returns, payroll and filings with HMRC and Companies House. RT Finance uses those numbers to help you plan ahead: cashflow forecasting, margin analysis, scenario planning and commercial decisions.
Most founder-led ecommerce brands bring one in once growth in sales leads to complexities that are beyond the experience of the existing team. This can mean: having several people on the payroll, but uncertainty each month about cash levels up until when salaries are paid; decisions over which type of debt finance is best for the business; professionalising the business to ensure different departments are reporting in a streamlined way. The free Discovery Call is the place to find out whether it's the right time for your business.
Every ecommerce brand runs differently, so RT Finance starts by understanding the business before recommending ongoing support. The Ecom Finance Deep Dive gives a detailed snapshot of cash, margin, profits, stock and sales channels. The Ecom Founder Finance Plan then lines up a forward plan with the founder's goals and recommends the right ongoing programme.
A 13-week cashflow forecast projects money coming in and going out of the business week by week over the next three months. RT Finance updates it weekly on the Growth Partner and Strategic Finance Partner programmes, so founders can make day-to-day decisions on stock, marketing spend and hiring with confidence, without unpleasant surprises hitting the bank balance.
Ready to take the guesswork out of running your business?
To take control of your finances and gain a clear, confident plan for growth, book your free Finance Clarity Call today.
book your free finance clarity call→Meet the founder
Rory Thomas, ACA, is the founder of RT Finance. He trained as a chartered accountant and spent years in corporate finance at organisations like Vodafone and Allianz before choosing to bring that same rigour to founder-led ecommerce and retail brands, work he's focused on exclusively since 2019.
Learn more about Rory