Butt Miller provides a full suite of accounting outsourced finance functions to help alleviate the administrative burden on your team. You can choose precisely which support you need based on your business size, sector and growth stage.
Welcome to Butt Miller Chartered Accountants, your outsourced finance department
At Butt Miller Chartered Accountants, we can act as your entire finance department, providing the skills, systems and reporting you would expect from a full-time internal finance team.
We also provide specialist support for existing internal finance teams, finance managers and business owners who need additional capacity, stronger controls or more useful financial insight.
Our job, as finance specialists, is to do as much or as little as you require.
What is outsourced finance and accounting, and how does it work?
An outsourced finance department is an external team that manages some or all of your finance operations, from bookkeeping, payroll and credit control to management accounts, cash flow forecasting and monthly reporting.
We work as an extension of your business, using cloud-based accounting software to give you timely access to accurate financial information. Where appropriate, we can also represent your finance function using a company email address and dedicated telephone number when dealing with clients and suppliers.
For owner-managed businesses, outsourcing provides access to a skilled finance team without the cost of building an internal department. You gain the right mix of bookkeeping, payroll, reporting, compliance and oversight, supported by documented processes that provide continuity, holiday cover and room to scale.
You will have a dedicated Account Manager and team assigned to your account. Although we work remotely from UK-based offices, we support UK and overseas businesses, including UK subsidiaries that need reliable local finance support.
Talk to Butt Miller today
Helping you see the bigger financial picture
Whether your requirement is for help with personal accounts or for a full suite of corporate accounting services, every relationship should start with a chat.
What are the benefits of outsourced finance services?
| Access to skilled professionals | Easier compliance | Improved visibility |
|---|---|---|
| Better processes, fewer errors and improved efficiency. | Stay up to date with tax laws, deadlines and reporting requirements. | Accurate, real-time finances and timely reporting to aid decisions. |
| Scalable support | Business continuity | Time back in your day |
|---|---|---|
| Scale support up or down as required, without the HR overhead. | Uninterrupted financial support with documented processes. | Outsourcing finance allows you to focus more on sales and core operations. |
Our accounting outsourced finance department services
Our service includes everyday financial tasks such as bookkeeping and payroll service, along with more strategic oversight and management reporting. Your business needs dictate the focus of our work so you never pay for services you don’t need.
What can Butt Miller manage?
| Area | What Butt Miller can manage |
|---|---|
| Bookkeeping and financial administration | Bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and transaction processing |
| Accounts payable | Supplier invoices, approval processes and supplier payments |
| Accounts receivable | Customer collections, debtor management and credit control |
| Payroll and VAT | Payroll processing and pension administration, along with VAT reporting and compliance |
| Management reporting | Management accounts, KPIs, financial analysis and budget variance reporting |
| Forecasting and planning | Cash flow forecasts, budgets, projections and scenario modelling |
| Strategic finance support | Business advisory, strategic planning and outsourced Finance Director support |
Bookkeeping & financial administration
Accurate financial records are the foundation of every successful business. We can manage your day-to-day bookkeeping using cloud-based accounting software that allows for daily data capture and shared management of financial operations. We can handle reconciliations and transaction processing to ensure your accounts remain organised and up to date at all times.
Payroll and VAT services
Managing payroll and remaining compliant is time-consuming and complex. We can take responsibility for payroll processing, pension administration and VAT reporting to save you time and ensure you meet your obligations as an employer.
Credit control & supplier management
Healthy cash flow depends on getting paid promptly while maintaining strong supplier relationships. We can manage credit control, customer collections, supplier payments and accounts payable processes to improve efficiency and support working capital.
Management reporting
Management reporting shows you what is happening in the business and why. We provide tailored management accounts, KPI reporting and financial analysis that help you understand performance, margins, costs and trends, so decisions are based on evidence rather than instinct.
Cash flow forecasting and budgeting
Cash flow forecasting and budgeting look ahead, helping you plan for what comes next. We can help you understand future cash requirements, prepare for pressure points and make informed decisions around spending, investment and growth.
Business advisory and strategic planning
Once the finance function is running smoothly, the next step is using the numbers to shape better decisions. We can help you review performance, test assumptions and plan around pricing, profitability, investment and growth, with practical advice grounded in your financial data.
Where more strategic input is required, our dedicated outsourced finance director service provides senior financial leadership, commercial insight and long-term planning support.
How we integrate with your business
Outsourcing your finance function should make life easier, not create additional layers of complexity. Whether we are acting as your entire finance department or supporting an existing team, our aim is to become a seamless extension of your business, providing reliable support, clear communication and continuity from day one.
1. Understanding your current finance function
The first stage is to understand how your business currently works. We review:
- Existing finance systems and processes
- Reporting deadlines and management information requirements
- Supplier and purchase approval procedures
- Payroll requirements
- Internal controls and approval workflows
- The financial information your board or management team needs to see
2. Defining roles and responsibilities
Once we understand your requirements, we agree the right division of responsibilities. For some clients, we operate as their fully outsourced finance department. Others already have internal finance teams who we work alongside, after clearly defining ownership of tasks, reporting lines and decision-making responsibilities.
3. Implementing and improving systems
We then implement or refine the systems needed to run the department effectively. This may include:
- Introducing new finance systems and improving cloud accounting processes
- Tightening approval procedures and controls
- Defining key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor performance
4. Strengthening security and risk management
We put the right controls around your financial information, so sensitive data is protected, and responsibilities are clear. This may include secure systems, controlled user access, documented approval processes and procedures designed to support GDPR compliance.
These measures help reduce the risk of errors, unauthorised activity and missed responsibilities. They also create a more resilient finance function, with clear processes that can be followed consistently by the wider team.
5. Ongoing collaboration and oversight
Outsourcing your finance function doesn’t mean relinquishing control or losing sight of what is happening. We keep communication regular and practical, so you know what has been done, what needs attention and where decisions are required.
We take responsibility for the finance work agreed, while you retain oversight of the information that matters to your business. This keeps the finance function useful, responsive and aligned with your priorities.
Outsourced finance services in action
In our work with Runway Logistics, Butt Miller supported the move to an outsourced finance department and implemented a cloud-based finance system that provided the managing director real-time visibility and dependable monthly management figures.
The result was stronger financial control, better reporting and a finance function that could support the company’s continued growth with less day-to-day pressure on the leadership team.
Why outsource your finance department and accounting services to Butt Miller?
At Butt Miller Chartered Accountants, we provide reliable outsourced accounting services that give business owners better control, stronger reporting and more time to focus on running the business.
Our outsourced services are led by experienced chartered accountants, supported by documented processes and delivered using secure, cloud-based systems. This gives you continuity, technical knowledge and practical oversight without the cost or complexity of a full internal team.
We have helped businesses grow from start-ups into multi-million-pound organisations, supporting them with the financial systems, reporting and controls needed at each stage. Whether you need full departmental support or specialist input alongside your existing team, we can provide a service that is structured, scalable and commercially useful.
Contact us to discuss how an outsourced finance department could support your business.
Frequently asked questions about outsourced finance department services
When should I outsource accounting?
You can outsource your accounting at any point during the business cycle.
At Butt Miller, we help businesses of all shapes and sizes, including those that:
have just set up for the first time;
are struggling to recruit and retain members of their internal finance function;
are unhappy with the quality or timeliness of financial information;
are growing quickly and need additional finance support;
find that managing the finance department is taking too much management time;
need more in-depth information about what is working well and what needs improvement.
In our experience, the right time to outsource is usually when the current finance setup is holding the business back. That might be because reports arrive too late, the managing director is too involved in routine finance tasks, or better information is needed before the next stage of growth.
Does having an outsourced finance department replace the need for an in-house finance team?
It can, but it doesn’t have to. An outsourced finance department can replace or complement an in-house accounting team. Some clients ask us to run the entire function, from bookkeeping and payroll to management reporting. Others use us to support existing staff, provide holiday cover, introduce better systems or bring in specialist knowledge that is not available internally.
Does an outsourced finance department include a finance director?
Your outsourced finance department can include a combination of any services, including finance director support if required. Our senior FDs can help interpret your numbers, challenge assumptions, improve forecasting, advise on pricing, support risk management and bring commercial discipline to board-level decisions. We also provide outsourced financial directors as a stand-alone service.
