Specialist accountants
Ecommerce: accountant or part-time finance director?
A growing online seller can find that sales are rising while the bank balance is not, because cash goes into stock before it comes back as sales. This page helps you work out what kind of help fits that problem.
The short answer
If you mainly need to see your profit, cash and stock each month, ask your accountant for monthly figures and a cash flow forecast first. That may be enough. A part-time finance director may help if you are borrowing or raising money to buy stock, planning big orders for busy seasons, or need someone to own the forecast and talk to lenders.
Which kind of help fits which problem
This table is our judgement, not a rule. Some accountants do the work in the right-hand column too, and some businesses use both.
| Problem | Better figures from your accountant may be enough | A part-time finance director may help |
|---|---|---|
| Cash tied up in stock | You want to see each month how much cash is in stock and how fast it sells | You need a plan for how much stock to buy, when, and how to pay for it |
| Busy seasons | You want last year's monthly sales and costs to plan from | You are placing large orders months ahead and need to test whether the cash will last |
| Which products make money | You want profit by product or channel after fees, delivery and refunds | You are deciding which ranges or channels to drop or grow |
| Funding | A lender wants your latest accounts and some monthly figures | You are raising money or using stock or invoice finance and need forecasts and someone to manage the lender |
| Selling abroad | You need VAT and returns handled in the right places | You are deciding whether to open in a new country and what it would cost in stock and cash |
Start with what your accountant can give you
Accountants do more than yearly accounts. ICAEW says an ICAEW Chartered Accountant will help with cash flow management.1 Before paying for a finance director, ask your accountant whether they can give you monthly figures that show stock, cash and profit by channel, and a cash flow forecast that includes your stock orders. If they can, and the figures arrive soon enough to act on, that may cover what you need. See Management accounts: what good looks like and Cash flow forecasts: what good looks like.
When a part-time finance director may be worth it
A part-time finance director works with you for an agreed number of days on plans, budgets, funding and decisions. For an online seller, that may mean owning the stock plan and the forecast, and dealing with lenders. It is one option, not the next step for every growing seller. More on the role: Part-time finance director. The general comparison, not specific to online sellers, is in Accountant or part-time finance director?
What it costs
We have not found a reliable published source for what part-time finance directors charge, so we give no figure. Ask for a written quote that says how many days are included and what you will have at the end of the first three months.
Sources
- ICAEW, "Managing your business" (Find a Chartered Accountant, help with your business). icaew.com. Checked 12 October 2026.