Help your clients access CFO-level support without taking on that scope yourself.
You know when a client’s finance questions have moved beyond the usual work.
The accounts may be accurate. Reporting may already be in place. The bookkeeping, payroll, tax, VAT or outsourced finance support may be working well.
But the client now needs something different.
They may need senior finance input around cashflow, forecasting, board reporting, investment readiness, business value, exit planning, international growth or decisions that need more than day-to-day finance delivery.
Leask Advisory Solutions works alongside accountancy firms, bookkeepers and finance partners to give clients that senior strategic finance layer — while helping you protect the client relationship you have already built.
Led by Julia Leask FCMA, CGMA, Leask adds Fractional CFO and strategic finance support where the client needs commercial challenge, forward-looking insight and clearer decisions.
You stay central.
The client gets the right level of specialist support.
The relationship becomes stronger because you helped them find the expertise they needed next.
Keep the relationship. Add the senior finance layer.
This is not about replacing the client’s accountant, bookkeeper or finance provider.
Good advisers already help clients understand their accounts, keep the financial foundations working and provide valuable insight within their scope.
Leask is brought in when the client’s questions move into a more strategic, forward-looking or CFO-level space.
That might mean cashflow pressure, investment preparation, board reporting, exit readiness, business value, international growth, finance systems, controls or a finance function that has not kept pace with the business.
At that point, the client may need senior finance support alongside the existing adviser relationship.
Julia adds that layer without disrupting the trusted team already in place.
Say yes to bigger client needs without absorbing CFO-level work into your existing scope.
When a client starts asking bigger finance questions, it can create pressure.
You want to help. You want to protect the relationship. You want the client to get the right support.
But you may not want complex cashflow strategy, board packs, investor reporting, forecasting, exit readiness or Fractional CFO-style work pulled into your existing fee model, team capacity or service line.
Leask gives you a trusted senior finance partner to introduce at that point.
Protect the client relationship
You are seen as the adviser who recognised the need and brought in the right specialist.
Avoid advisory scope creep
You do not have to absorb complex CFO-level questions into compliance, bookkeeping or recurring finance work.
Strengthen client outcomes
The client gets clearer financial visibility, stronger decisions and senior finance insight.
Stay focused on your core work
Your team continues delivering accounts, tax, bookkeeping, payroll, VAT, reporting or outsourced finance support.
Look more valuable to the client
A well-timed introduction shows judgement, confidence and care.
Keep the support joined up
Julia works alongside existing advisers rather than disrupting the client’s trusted team.
Bring Leask in when the client’s finance questions move into CFO territory.
The client is profitable, but cash feels tight
The accounts may look healthy, but the owner is worried about the bank balance.
Cashflow clarity, working capital insight, forecasting and practical action planning.
The business is growing quickly
More people, systems, customers or complexity are stretching the finance setup.
Fractional CFO support, finance routines, reporting structure and stronger controls.
The client is preparing for investment
Forecasts, assumptions and reporting need to stand up to scrutiny.
Investment readiness, due diligence preparation and investor-facing financial information.
Management or board reporting needs to mature
Existing reports are useful, but not yet strong enough for bigger decisions.
Board packs, management information, commercial interpretation and action planning.
The owner wants to step back, sell or hand over
Too much knowledge, control or decision-making still sits with the owner.
Business value review, exit readiness and owner-dependence reduction.
The client is internationally owned or entering the UK
UK reporting, governance and adviser coordination need clearer oversight.
International finance support, UK reporting and practical finance-led coordination.
The finance function feels messy or stretched
Processes, systems, controls or responsibilities are no longer robust enough.
Finance systems, reporting and controls support.
Leask builds on the finance work already being done.
This partnership works best when everyone plays to their strengths.
The accountant, bookkeeper or finance provider remains central to the client’s support team. Leask adds senior finance judgement where the client needs forward-looking insight, challenge and decision support.
Accounts, tax, bookkeeping, payroll or VAT support
CFO-level insight around decisions, cashflow, growth and business value.
Management accounts or regular reporting
Board-level interpretation, commercial challenge and action planning.
Cloud accounting or outsourced finance delivery
Finance systems, controls, reporting rhythm and strategic oversight.
Tax, compliance or year-end planning
Forward-looking forecasts, scenarios, investment readiness and exit preparation.
Client advisory already being provided
Additional senior finance capacity for complex, specialist or time-sensitive situations.
Clear roles. Careful introductions. No stepping on toes.
A good partnership should make the client feel better supported, not confused about who does what.
Leask works best where everyone has a clear role and the client understands how the support fits together.
You identify the need
You notice the client needs strategic finance support beyond the current scope.
You and Julia discuss fit
The client situation, existing adviser setup and possible support are discussed confidentially.
The client is introduced carefully
The introduction is positioned in a way that protects trust and keeps roles clear.
Leask adds the senior finance layer
Julia supports the client with insight, reporting, challenge, planning or Fractional CFO input while you remain involved where appropriate.
Partners bring Julia in when clients need senior finance support.
“If there was a client purely after advisory or a fractional FD… Julia would be the one. Julia comes along and makes sense of the numbers for the management board.”
Jane Capel
Managing Director, Think Smart Accounts
Advisory referrals, Fractional CFO support and board-level interpretation
“She’s not a bookkeeper. She’s not a financial accountant. She’s not a tax accountant. She’s so much more — and very good at looking beyond the obvious.”
Samantha Heynes
Director, Cloud Bookkeeping Warwick
Clear differentiation from bookkeeping, tax and compliance
“Julia was acting CFO for the company… she handled the reporting to the board and to the C-suite for the entire company.”
Rachel Fuller
Head of Diversified and International, Escalon Services
Strategic finance leadership above outsourced finance delivery
Common situations where Leask can support your client.
Needs senior finance leadership but not a full-time FD
Fractional CFO & Strategic Finance Partner
Wants to understand what is strengthening or weakening business value
Business Value Review
Profitable but cash feels tight
Cashflow & Profitability Improvement
Preparing for funding, investor conversations or due diligence
Investment Readiness
Owner wants to sell, step back or hand over one day
Exit & Succession Readiness
Overseas-owned business needs better UK financial visibility
International Finance Support
Needs responsible UK governance or company secretarial support
UK Director & Company Secretary Support
Board, investor or management reporting needs to mature
Governance, Reporting & Board Support
Finance systems, processes or controls are messy
Finance Systems, Reporting & Controls
Leask is right for clients who want to understand and improve the business, not just receive reports.
Strong Fit
- Established owner-managed, growth or international business
- Client has real cashflow, reporting, investment, exit or value questions
- Owner wants clearer numbers and better decisions
- Finance has become too complex for basic support alone
- Client values specialist input from the right adviser
- Existing adviser wants to protect the relationship while adding value
Not the Right Fit
- Client only wants the cheapest finance admin
- Client only wants bookkeeping, payroll, VAT or year-end accounts
- Owner wants reassurance without challenge
- No appetite to improve reporting, controls or processes
- Client expects one provider to solve everything cheaply
- Adviser wants to keep the client away from any external expertise
Referring well can strengthen trust.
Clients remember the adviser who helped them get the right support at the right time.
Introducing Leask is not an admission that you cannot help. It is a sign that you understand exactly what kind of help the client now needs.
That builds confidence.
It allows you to stay focused on your core work while the client gets the strategic finance support their situation now requires.
And because Julia is used to working alongside accountants, bookkeepers, outsourced finance providers and wider advisers, the client does not feel passed around.
They feel properly supported.
Some client situations need more than one specialist.
Investment, exit, succession, international growth, governance, tax, employment, funding, systems or operational change may require several trusted specialists working together.
Leask can collaborate with wider professional advisers where needed, including lawyers, tax advisers, funding specialists, HR consultants, technology partners and operations advisers.
The aim is not to complicate the client relationship.
It is to make sure the right expertise is around the table, with clear roles and a joined-up view of what the client is trying to achieve.
Useful resources for spotting when a client needs more.
When Your Client Needs a Fractional CFO
Identify signs that a client has outgrown regular finance support and may need senior strategic input.
Adviser Referral Checklist
Understand when to introduce Leask and what information is useful before a conversation.
Cashflow Clarity Assessment
Help clients identify where cashflow pressure may be coming from.
Business Value Assessment
Help clients understand what may be strengthening or weakening business value.
Investment Readiness Checklist
Help clients assess whether their numbers are ready for investor scrutiny.
Frequently asked questions
Will Leask take over our client?
No. Leask is not a replacement for the client’s accountant, bookkeeper, payroll provider or finance team. Julia adds senior strategic finance support where the client needs advisory, reporting, cashflow, investment, business value or Fractional CFO input.
Can we speak to Julia before introducing the client?
Yes. A confidential partner conversation is often the best first step. It allows you to discuss the client situation, whether Leask is the right fit and how best to position the introduction.
Can Leask work alongside our firm?
Yes. Leask works alongside accountants, bookkeepers, outsourced finance providers and specialist advisers. Clear roles and communication are central to the partnership.
What kind of clients should we refer?
Established owner-managed, growth or international businesses that need more strategic finance support than day-to-day finance delivery alone can provide.
What if the client already has management accounts?
That can be a useful starting point. Leask’s role is to help the client assess whether the reporting is decision-ready, whether it explains cashflow and profitability clearly, and whether it supports growth, investment, succession or exit.
Is this a formal referral scheme?
The priority is professional fit and client value. Referral arrangements can be discussed, but the relationship should be built around trust, clear roles and doing the right thing for the client.
Have a client whose finance questions have moved beyond the usual scope?
When a client needs strategic finance insight, Leask can help them understand the bigger finance picture, make better decisions and strengthen the business — while working alongside the finance team they already trust.
You protect the relationship.
The client gets the right specialist support.
And your firm stays focused on the work it does best.