01
Profit & margins
Understand where profit is being lost. Improve pricing, discounts, product mix and commercial discipline.
Cole-Pendrey Advisory
Fractional Finance Director for ambitious SMEs
Senior financial leadership with the commercial and operational experience to improve profitability, cash flow and how the wider business performs.
For owner-managed SMEs that need experienced FD-level support without the cost of a full-time appointment.
Senior experience. Flexible involvement. Based near Milton Keynes.
FCCA-qualified14+ years’ experienceOwner-managed SMEs to listed companiesHands-on senior leadership
Where I can help
From the problem
to the practical next step.
Business challenges rarely sit in one department. I connect the numbers with what is happening across your business.
02
Sales & growth
Make your proposition clearer, strengthen pipeline visibility and focus on the right opportunities.
03
Cash & working capital
Understand your cash position and improve the way stock, debtors and creditors are managed.
04
Financial performance
Turn management information into useful KPIs, better decisions and clear accountability.
05
Operations & efficiency
Improve how work flows through your business, with practical processes and measures your team can use.
06
Systems & automation
Connect your systems, reduce avoidable administration and make technology support the way you work.
Who I work best with
A good fit if your business looks like this.
Owner-managed SMEs that have outgrown basic financial support but do not yet need a full-time Finance Director.
£1m–£10m turnover
Established enough to need senior financial leadership.
Growing complexity
Growth is creating bigger decisions and more moving parts.
Management team in place
Capable managers need clearer priorities and accountability.
Needs FD-level challenge
Finance, commercial and operational decisions need joining up.
Best fit: service, software, professional services and service-led product businesses.
Experience with measurable impact
Real businesses. Tangible progress.
Results from Guy’s leadership roles, combining financial discipline with hands-on implementation.
£30k → £730k
Peak annual service contribution
A four-year improvement built on utilisation, labour recovery, accountability and consistent management.
£1m+
Annual online sales
An eCommerce channel developed within three years following an initial £12,000 website investment.
£1.5m
Funding secured
A share-buyback facility structured to protect day-to-day working capital and preserve repayment flexibility.
These are outcomes from previous in-house leadership roles, rather than claims about new advisory clients.
Testimonials
Recommended by people who have seen the work up close.
Recommendations from people who have worked closely with me in previous leadership roles.
“Guy has a strong understanding of both the financial and commercial aspects of the business and was always happy to work collaboratively to resolve queries and get things done.”
Sam Brown BFP FCA
Former external auditor
“His strategic and commercial insight has been invaluable. He is an exceptional manager who challenges, supports and develops the people around him.”
Group Financial Controller
Former direct report
Ways to work together
Fractional FD support, with two ways to start.
Fractional FD is the core ongoing service. If you are not ready for that level of involvement, start with a focused business review or lighter-touch monthly owner advisory.
Fractional Finance Director
Ongoing senior financial leadership that connects the numbers with pricing, commercial performance, operations, management accountability and growth.
From £2,400 per month
Explore Fractional FD →Business Performance Review
An independent review of your proposition, operations and financial performance, with prioritised improvements and a practical 90-day plan.
£1,750 one-off review
Explore the review →Monthly Owner Advisory
A structured monthly review for owners who want experienced challenge, clearer priorities and accountability without embedded FD support.
£500 per month
Explore Monthly Owner Advisory →Fractional FD retainers typically start at two days per month, based on a £1,200 senior advisory day rate. Fees exclude VAT where applicable.
A connected view
Better businesses aren’t built from the numbers alone.
Financial performance reflects decisions made across your business. My approach looks at three connected areas.
Business proposition
Are you selling the right products and services, to the right customers, at the right price?
Operations
Do your people, processes and systems deliver that proposition effectively?
Finance & performance
Is activity translating into profit and cash—and do you have the information to act?
Meet Guy
Experience from inside the business.
I’m Guy Cole-Pendrey, an FCCA-qualified finance, commercial and operational leader.
My career spans owner-managed SMEs, FTSE 100, FTSE 250 and NASDAQ-listed businesses across software, FMCG, construction and machinery.
I’ve led teams, improved service operations, built eCommerce capability, implemented systems and worked through funding and restructuring. That experience helps me understand both what the numbers show and what needs to happen on the ground.
More about Guy →Start with a conversation
What would you like your business to do better?
Tell me what you want to achieve and what is getting in the way. We’ll explore whether I’m the right person to help.
Arrange an introductory call
Tell me a little about your business and what you would like help with. I’ll get back to you to arrange a conversation.
Thanks — your enquiry has been sent. I’ll be in touch shortly.
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Based near Milton Keynes · Face-to-face and remote support