The Fractional CFO Show with Adam Cooper

Why is revenue forecasting so difficult in agencies and project-based businesses?In this episode of The Fractional CFO Show, Adam Cooper speaks with Julia Longo, Group Finance Director at SAENTYS, about the operational and financial realities of forecasting revenue in a fast-moving creative consultancy environment.SAENTYS operates across the UK, France and Switzerland, supporting clients in the real estate, hospitality and destination sectors. Julia oversees finance across multiple entities and shares a practical, experience-led view of how forecasting, reporting and operational planning work inside an international agency business.The discussion explores the difference between billing forecasting and revenue forecasting, and why many businesses have strong visibility over invoicing and pipeline activity but still struggle to understand future profitability and utilisation properly.Adam and Julia discuss the challenges of managing constantly shifting project scopes, changing client deadlines, freelancer requirements and resource allocation, all while trying to maintain accurate financial reporting and forward-looking visibility.The episode also covers the importance of management accounts, KPI reporting, operational finance processes and cross-functional collaboration between finance, client services, operations and creative teams.Other topics covered include:Revenue forecasting vs billing forecastingFinancial planning in project-based businessesProfitability management for agenciesCash flow forecasting and pipeline visibilityResource planning and utilisation managementPSA systems and operational reportingFinance leadership in creative businessesInternational reporting and multi-entity finance operationsForecasting challenges in professional services firmsImproving financial visibility through better systems and processesTime tracking, project profitability and operational accountabilityManagement reporting for growing agenciesFinance transformation and process improvementForecasting uncertainty and decision-making with incomplete dataThe role of finance in supporting operational performanceJulia also shares insights from her non-traditional route into finance leadership, moving from a background in chemistry and operations into senior finance roles within the agency world. The conversation highlights why strong finance leaders in creative and professional services businesses need commercial awareness, operational understanding and the ability to work closely with non-finance teams.This is a practical conversation for agency founders, finance directors, COOs, management accountants, project-based businesses and professional services firms looking to improve forecasting accuracy, profitability, financial visibility and operational decision-making.Guest:Julia Longo - Group Finance Director at SAENTYSHosted by:Adam Cooper - ACC Finance SolutionsListen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.#FinancialForecasting #RevenueForecasting #ManagementAccounts #CashFlowForecasting #Profitability #AgencyFinance #FinanceLeadership #OperationalFinance #ProfessionalServices #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of The Fractional CFO Show, Adam Cooper is joined by Callum Lockwood (Re:signal) to explore how SEO and marketing decisions translate into real commercial outcomes.Too many businesses still measure success through traffic, rankings, and vanity metrics. But as Callum explains, those numbers don’t always lead to what actually matters, revenue growth, profitability, and cash flow.This conversation takes a more commercial and CFO-led view of SEO, reframing it as a long-term growth investment rather than a standalone marketing channel.Together, Adam and Callum break down how founders and operators should think about return on investment (ROI), payback periods, and contribution margin when evaluating SEO and digital marketing spend.They also explore how AI is changing the economics of marketing in 2026, from reducing the cost of content production to increasing competition and shifting where real value is created.Key themes from the episode include: Why traffic alone is a poor indicator of business performance How to connect SEO activity to revenue, margin, and commercial outcomes The role of SEO within a broader growth strategy and marketing mix Common areas where businesses misallocate marketing budget and resources Why many “SEO problems” are actually issues with pricing, positioning, or conversion How to think about SEO in terms of customer acquisition cost (CAC) and lifetime value (LTV) The impact of AI on search, content, and digital competition What CFOs and founders should be asking before investing further in marketing This is a practical, experience-led discussion designed to help founders, CEOs, and operators make better decisions about where to invest for sustainable growth.If you’re spending on marketing, or questioning whether your current strategy is really delivering a return, this episode will help you rethink how SEO fits into your wider commercial model.

In this episode of The Fractional CFO Show, Adam Cooper is joined by Elliott King, agency founder, digital marketing expert, and Managing Partner at FINN Partners, to explore the real journey from startup to exit.Elliott shares honest insights on managing cash flow through growth, the shift from project to retainer revenue, and the financial discipline required to build a sellable agency.They also dive into the realities of M&A, including due diligence, valuation drivers, and what actually changes after a sale.Plus, a look at how AI, SEO, and owned media are reshaping digital marketing, and what agency founders should be doing now to stay competitive.A must-listen for agency owners focused on growth, profitability, and long-term exit strategy.

Thinking about raising debt finance for growth, refinancing, acquisitions or working capital?In this episode of The Fractional CFO Show, Adam Cooper speaks with Steve Cockell, Founder of Obica Business Funding and experienced commercial debt advisor, about how the SME funding landscape has changed, and what founders must do before approaching lenders.They discuss:The decline of traditional relationship bankingThe SME funding gap between £500k - £2mInvoice finance vs unsecured cash flow lending vs asset-backed facilitiesHow to craft a compelling funding narrativeWhen to use a debt advisorWhat lenders really look for in today’s credit environmentIf you’re planning business growth and want to use debt finance strategically, this episode will help you approach funding with clarity and confidence.

Jesse P. Gilmore, system strategist and founder of Niche and Control who helps agencies scale profitably. He explains how tracking time builds awareness and the EADT framework: eliminate, automate, delegate, time-block. Talks value-based pricing over hourly, using reclaimed hours to document processes, and where AI fits into systems and agency specialization.

In this episode of The Fractional CFO Show, Adam Cooper sits down with Dean McKenna, Co-Founder of Cassia Digital Agency, to unpack how digital strategy should actually connect to business performance, not just aesthetics.This is a practical, experience-led conversation for founders, operators, and business owners who know their online presence matters, but aren’t always clear on where to invest, what good looks like, or how to make it pay back.Dean brings a refreshing, structured perspective to a space that often feels vague or overly technical. He talks through his GROW model, a simple but powerful way of linking business goals to digital execution, and explains why so many companies end up spending money on websites, SEO, or marketing activity that never really delivers a return.A big theme throughout the conversation is credibility. Many businesses build strong reputations offline through relationships, referrals, and delivery, but lose momentum when a prospective client checks them out online and the website doesn’t reflect that same level of quality. That gap, what Dean describes as “website shame”, can quietly erode trust and cost real opportunities.We also get into the numbers behind digital performance. Not vanity metrics, but the ones that actually matter from a commercial perspective, traffic quality, conversion rates, SEO visibility, and cost of acquisition, and how these link back to revenue, profitability, and long-term business value.Along the way, we explore: Why a strong offline business can still lose deals due to poor digital credibility  The hidden cost of misaligned messaging, branding, and user experience  How to approach website and digital investment with a clear ROI mindset  Why strategy should always come before design, development, or paid traffic  The role of structure and accountability when founders are spinning multiple plates  How AI is starting to reshape search, discoverability, and how customers find businesses  The difference between a “brochure website” and a revenue-generating digital asset  Practical ways to sense-check whether your current website is helping or hurting growth This isn’t a technical deep dive, it’s a grounded conversation about making better decisions, avoiding wasted spend, and treating your digital presence as a core part of your business strategy.If you’re thinking about investing in your website, improving your online presence, or simply trying to understand what “good” looks like in 2026, this episode will give you a clearer, more commercial way of looking at it.

This week I’m joined by Michael Henderson, Founder of RiskBox Ltd, a man on a mission to help creative businesses understand what insurance they really need.Michael brings a refreshingly honest take on one of the more confusing of running a businesses. He shares real stories, practical guidance, and insights that could save your business time, money and headaches when things go wrong.🌟 Some of my favourite parts of our conversation include:✅ Legal must-haves vs. nice-to-haves: What’s actually required when starting out.✅ Overinsured or underinsured? Why many founders get this balance wrong.✅ Contracts and cover: How to handle insurance clauses in big client agreements.✅ Cyber and ransomware: What protection looks like in a digital-first world.✅ “Mitigation of loss”: The little-known insurance clause that could save you thousands.

On this week’s episode, I had a brilliant conversation with Harv Nagra, Head of Brand Communications at Scoro and host of The Handbook: The Operations Podcast. Harv brings a unique mix of insight from marketing, operations, and systems design, particularly for growing agencies and professional service firms.If you’ve ever felt like your business is spinning too many plates, this one’s for you.🌟 Some of the highlights we dig into:✅ Collaborating with finance: How operations + CFOs can lead smarter system rollouts.✅ The Business Maturity Model: 5 stages of growth from “chaotic era” to “innovation era.”✅ Burnout warning signs: Why broken internal systems silently sabotage leadership teams.✅ The reality of accidental founders: Growing beyond creative chaos without losing identity.✅ Infrastructure for scale: Getting the right tech, people and processes in place to grow cleanly.

This week, I’m joined by Oliver Tuffney, Founder & Head Coach at Sales Velocity, a framework designed to bring discipline, structure, and predictability to SME sales teams.Some of my favourite takeaways from our conversation: ✅ How to avoid sales teams getting stuck in boom and bust cycles; ✅ How EOS can guide sales, but why Ollie feels it still needs a deeper “sales layer”; ✅ What great compensation plans actually look like, and how to build them without risking your cashflow; ✅ Why sales and finance leaders must collaborate on modelling if growth is going to be sustainable; ✅ And, the Charlie Munger quote that Ollie swears by when building out sales compensation structures. 

This week, I sat down with @Kat Wellum-Kent, Founder & CEO of @The Fractionals Group who left Practice to launch her business with just one client and a plan.Some of my favourite takeaways from our conversation were:✅ Recruiting “on the curve” vs hiring ahead of the work✅ Building something that’s more than just you as a solo operator✅ Making use of EOS and managing her own utilisation as a founder✅ Why not every startup needs a full-time CFO, and how to spot when they do ✅ And growing a team without losing sight of what made the work fun in the first placeKat’s honest about the challenges as well as the opportunities that she faced and is still facing, and I think anyone building a business, or just trying to shift towards having a more entrepreneurial mindset in business, will get something from this.