What does a Virtual CFO do for a startup?

A Virtual CFO provides strategic financial leadership without the cost of a full-time CFO. Services include monthly MIS reports, cash flow planning, financial modelling, investor-ready decks and data rooms, board reporting, compliance calendar management, audit coordination, banking relationships, and guidance on funding rounds. Ideal for startups between Seed and Series B stages.

How is a Virtual CFO different from an accountant?

An accountant handles day-to-day bookkeeping, GST returns, and tax filing — compliance tasks. A Virtual CFO works at the strategic level: financial planning and analysis, unit economics, runway management, scenario modelling, investor relations, and business decision support. The two roles are complementary — many businesses need both.

What is the cost of Virtual CFO services in India?

Virtual CFO engagement models vary by scope — monthly retainers are common for ongoing work. The right structure depends on your stage, transaction volume, reporting complexity, and investor requirements. Our team assesses your needs and proposes an engagement scope that delivers CFO-level oversight without the overhead of a full-time hire.

📈 Advisory · Virtual CFO

Virtual CFO Services for Startups & SMEs

Senior CA-led financial leadership without a full-time hire. We serve as your outsourced CFO — handling financial reporting, investor decks, compliance oversight, cash flow management, and board-level advisory on a retainer basis.

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What We Cover

Our Services

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Monthly MIS & Management Reporting

Profit & loss, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and key metrics dashboard delivered monthly. Actuals vs. budget variance analysis. Board-ready presentations.

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Cash Flow Management

13-week rolling cash flow forecast, receivables and payables monitoring, working capital optimisation, and early identification of liquidity stress points.

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Financial Modelling & Projections

3-statement integrated financial model, revenue projections, unit economics analysis, and scenario modelling for fundraising, expansion, or restructuring decisions.

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Investor Reporting & Board Decks

Monthly and quarterly investor updates, board presentations, financial section of pitch decks, and due diligence data room preparation for funding rounds.

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Compliance Oversight

Coordination and oversight of all statutory compliance — income tax, GST, TDS, ROC filings, PF/ESIC, and any sector-specific regulatory requirements. Nothing falls through the gaps.

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Fundraising Support

Financial documentation for angel rounds, seed funding, and Series A — cap table management, term sheet analysis, ESOP scheme design, and FEMA/RBI compliance for foreign investment.

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Accounts Payable & Receivable

Vendor payment scheduling, customer invoicing, collections monitoring, and DSO/DPO analysis. Ageing reports and approval workflows aligned with your processes.

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Audit Readiness

Books maintained in audit-ready condition throughout the year. We coordinate with your statutory auditor to ensure a clean, efficient audit process with no last-minute scramble.

How We Work

Simple Process

Onboarding

We review your current books, accounting software, existing compliance status, and team structure to understand the gaps.

Month 1 Setup

Chart of accounts review, reporting template design, compliance calendar setup, and historical data clean-up if required.

Monthly Cadence

Books closed by the 10th of each month. MIS delivered by 15th. Compliance calendar managed proactively throughout the month.

Quarterly Review

Quarterly business review with founders/management — financial performance, compliance status, and strategic financial planning discussion.

Annual Coordination

Annual audit coordination, tax planning, ITR filing, and financial statements preparation for statutory purposes.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

A regular CA typically handles compliance — return filing, audit, tax computation. A Virtual CFO provides ongoing financial leadership: building financial models, preparing investor reports, managing cash flow, overseeing the entire compliance calendar, and advising management on financial strategy. For startups and SMEs that need CFO-level thinking but cannot justify a full-time hire at Rs.30–80 lakh per year, a Virtual CFO on retainer delivers the same capabilities at a fraction of the cost.

Typically from the time you have raised seed funding or have revenues above Rs.50 lakh annually. Before that stage, a good bookkeeper and CA for annual compliance is sufficient. After funding or scale, investors expect monthly MIS, burn rate tracking, and board-ready financials — which require CFO-level capability. Pre-Series A is the ideal time to bring in a Virtual CFO so that financial systems are investor-ready before the due diligence process begins.

We work with Tally Prime, Zoho Books, QuickBooks, and Excel-based systems depending on your existing setup and team preferences. For startups scaling rapidly, we recommend Zoho Books for its GST integration, automated bank reconciliation, and multi-user access. We can also assist with migration from one system to another.

A typical Virtual CFO retainer includes: monthly bookkeeping and bank reconciliation, MIS report preparation, compliance calendar management and coordination (GST, TDS, ROC, PT), monthly management call, quarterly board presentation preparation, and annual audit coordination. Specific deliverables are customised based on the business stage, complexity, and team structure. Fees are typically on a fixed monthly retainer.

Yes. Virtual CFO support for fundraising includes building the financial model (3-statement with assumptions), preparing the financial section of the pitch deck, building the data room (historical financials, cap table, compliance certificates, bank statements), and supporting due diligence queries from investors and their advisors. We have experience supporting fundraising from angel investors, family offices, and institutional VCs.

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Related Services & Guides

Complete Guide

Virtual CFO Services for Start-ups & SMEs in India

A Virtual CFO (Chief Financial Officer) provides the financial leadership and strategic advisory that growing businesses need — without the cost of a full-time C-suite hire. For start-ups and SMEs in India, a Virtual CFO bridges the gap between a basic accountant (who records transactions) and a full-time CFO (who shapes financial strategy). The Virtual CFO function includes financial planning & analysis (FP&A), cash flow management, investor-ready MIS reporting, fundraising support, working capital optimisation, and compliance oversight.

For start-ups in the pre-revenue to Series A stage, a Virtual CFO from Shahi & Co. helps structure the financial architecture — chart of accounts, accounting software setup (Tally/QuickBooks/Zoho), expense classification policies, and a compliance calendar covering GST, TDS, PF, ESI, and MCA. As the company grows to Series B and beyond, the Virtual CFO manages board reporting, investor data requests, unit economics analysis, and preparation for statutory audit.

For SMEs and family businesses, a Virtual CFO provides the financial discipline that unlocks growth — monthly P&L analysis, cost centre reporting, debtor and creditor management, banking relationship management, and preparation of CMA data for working capital loans. Many SMEs are surprised to find that a Virtual CFO engagement quickly pays for itself through reduced tax liability, better vendor negotiation (with accurate cost data), and lower bank charges (through improved credit profile).

Shahi & Co.'s Virtual CFO service is available on a monthly retainer basis with no long-term contract. Engagements are tailored to each business's stage and complexity. Contact us to discuss a customised Virtual CFO package for your business.

Get in Touch

Engage a Virtual CFO Today

Tell us your stage, team size, and current financial setup. We will propose a retainer structure that delivers CFO-level value for your business.

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📞 +91-9999 361 351

✉ info@shahiandco.in

📍 Pushp Vihar, New Delhi – 110 062