How much does it cost?

Fees are typically 0.75% to 1.5% of turnover, depending on the services you need and how many units you run. A like-for-like internal finance team costs roughly 4% to 7% of turnover, so you get the same capability for a fraction of the cost — with no recruitment, no sickness cover and no payroll admin. We confirm a fixed monthly fee after a free introductory meeting, so you know exactly what you are paying before you commit.

Do you work with single sites or only groups?

Both. We typically work with hospitality and retail businesses from one to five sites. The common thread is not size — it is that the owner is ready for proper financial reporting and wants a finance partner rather than someone who files the tax return.

How is a fractional CFO different from an accountant?

An accountant tells you what happened. A fractional CFO helps you decide what to do next. Ours sits on top of the virtual finance department for board meetings, funding rounds, lender conversations, growth decisions and financial models. A full-time CFO costs £150k+ before you start; this gives you the same experience only when you need it.

Yes, tronc schemes and payroll are handled as standard. Tronc distributes tips to staff in a National Insurance efficient way, and the rules changed in 2024: tips must be allocated fairly, with new requirements on how they are handled and taxed. Getting it wrong has a real cost.

Which software do you work with?

We are a Xero Silver Partner and a Xero Retail & Ecommerce specialist, and we work with Dext and ApprovalMax alongside it. We connect to your rota and EPOS systems so information flows automatically rather than being retyped.

Do we have to switch to Xero?

It is our recommendation and where we work fastest, but it is a conversation, not a condition. Tell us what you run now at the introductory meeting and we will be honest about whether moving is worth the disruption.

How quickly can you onboard us?

Most clients are fully live within two to three weeks of signing. Onboarding covers connecting your bank feeds, EPOS and rota systems, agreeing the reporting pack and introducing your named team.

Can you take over mid-year?

Yes. Mid-year is a perfectly normal time to switch. We handle the handover with your outgoing accountant, pick up the year to date and carry on — you do not need to wait for your year end.

What if we are behind on our bookkeeping?

That is one of the most common reasons people call us, and it is not a problem. We will scope the catch-up separately, tell you what it costs up front, and get you current before we start the monthly cycle.

Do you do payroll for hourly staff?

Yes — weekly or monthly, for hourly and salaried staff, including auto-enrolment pensions and tronc. We link to your rota system so hours flow through rather than being re-keyed.

Do you help with funding and landlords?

Yes. We have raised finance from banks and institutions many times, and we help with grant applications, insurance claims, emergency loans, landlord negotiations and HMRC Time To Pay arrangements.

Yes. A UK team, based in Hungerford, working with clients across the UK and heavily in London. You deal with the same named people every time: an Accounts Assistant, an Account Manager and a Director.

Sick pay from day one: what hospitality employers need to know

Aug 19
3 min read

Since 6 April 2026, statutory sick pay has been a day-one cost. The three-day waiting period is gone and the minimum earnings threshold has been scrapped, so almost any sickness absence now triggers SSP from the first day off. We are moving from short absences rarely being covered to all absences being covered, and that's money the business pays, you don't get it back from the government.

WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE APRIL 2026?

Previously staff only qualified for SSP if they hit a minimum earnings level and only after three days off sick. Since 6 April neither applies. Sick pay is due from day one of sickness, regardless of earnings.

The financial impact is awkward to pin down. Across our payroll clients we estimate this adds around 0.5% to the payroll bill based on current sickness levels, and we think a fair expectation is 0.5% to 1% of total payroll over 12 months. The government expects more people to call in sick too, but argues this will be offset by productivity gains, because sick people no longer come in and spread illness around. This seems hopeful. We expect sickness incidents to increase.

HOW MUCH IS SSP?

SSP is £123.25 a week, or 80% of your employee's average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. For a five-day worker that is £24.65 a day. For a three-day worker the daily rate rises to £41.08, because SSP is calculated on a weekly basis.

The edge cases are where it gets interesting. Take someone who works three, four-hour shifts a week, earning £50.84 a day at the new minimum wage rates. If they call in sick for one shift and they get £40.67, which is 80% of the shift value and a fraction under the SSP daily rate. Short shifts are more at risk than long ones, because the gap between sick pay and shift pay is narrower.

WHAT IS THE BRADFORD FACTOR?

It is a simple measure for spotting staff who are frequently off, even when each absence is short. its something we are seeing companies referring to more and more in the face of these changes. To calculate Multiply the number of separate absences by itself, then by total days off, over the last 12 months. An employee who has been off sick once, for two weeks scores 10 (1 x 1 x 10). Another employee off five times, but for less time, at only six days in total would score 150 (5 x 5 x 6). It is a great way of highlighting and reviewing frequent absence which this legislation will encourage.

You can build it into your sickness policy as a trigger for conversations. An example could be below

80, no action
80 to 199, informal chat and offer support
200 to 399, formal absence review
400 and above, capability process.

Exclude pregnancy-related and disability-related absences, and check with your HR support before you set the thresholds.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO FOR PAYROLL?

A change for most people will be recording a sickness missed shift as actual sickness in your system - a missed shift will not automatically trigger SSP. Not every absence is sickness, family emergencies and travel issues do not count. You will need to make sure you are getting the right info to payroll

Policies need updating to reflect the statutory changes, and those changes need communicating to staff. The impact sits almost entirely on short absences, anything over seven days is largely unchanged. If you want to talk through how this affects your business, get in touch.

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