Fractional CFO for FMCG and CPG Brands

A fractional CFO for UK FMCG and CPG brands. We own your numbers, forecast your cash, protect your margin with retailers and suppliers, and tell you what you can afford to do next.

The problem we solve

Two things keep FMCG founders awake. The first is running out of cash — the gap between paying suppliers and getting paid by retailers is where most cash crises happen. The second is not knowing what you can actually afford to do next, whether that is hiring, funding a bigger production run, or taking on a new listing.

Oro is the finance leader who answers both. We own your numbers, show you exactly how much cash you have and where it is going, protect your margin in supplier and retailer deals, and give you a clear monthly read so the big calls stop being guesses.

What is in scope

Full ownership of the numbers. We take ownership of your finances and work alongside your accountant, so one person is accountable for the numbers that matter.
Business and cash forecasting. A clear forecast of where the business is heading and how much cash you have to work with, updated as things change.
Cost optimisation. Finding and fixing the margin — supplier terms, pricing, and the places money is quietly leaking out of the business.
Ad hoc financial analysis for decisions. The one-off questions that need a real answer before you commit — distributor and retailer margins, promotion ROI, new listings, and international expansion.
Monthly investor and board reporting. A monthly pack with clear finance recommendations and observations about the business, not just numbers.

The retailer margin most founders never see

When you sell through a retailer, what you invoice and what you actually keep are very different numbers. List price, retailer margin, promotional discounts, and allowances all sit in between, and the retailer holds most of the data. If you do not know what the retailer is making, you have no leverage on price and no way to tell whether a promotion is profitable. We rebuild that picture from your own data so you negotiate from the same side of the table as the buyer.

Pricing

One simple monthly retainer of £2,000 to £6,000, depending on scope. One-month rolling notice either side — you are never locked into a CFO that is not working.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an FMCG fractional CFO cost?

A simple monthly retainer of £2,000 to £6,000, depending on scope. The driver is how much you need from us, not your revenue.

What does a fractional CFO actually do for an FMCG brand?

We make the gap between what you invoice and what you actually keep clear. Retailer margins, promotions, distributor terms, and the cash cycle behind big production runs. Then we use that to tell you what you can afford to do next.

Do you work with brands moving from D2C into retail?

Yes. That move is the most dangerous moment for cash: bigger orders, longer payment terms, and thinner margin per unit. We model the cash impact before you sign the listing.

Do you help with overseas and international expansion?

Yes. We model the numbers behind any international move — pricing, margins, and the cash impact — so you can decide whether it is worth it before you commit.

Will you negotiate with retailers for us?

We build the numbers and brief you for the meeting. The relationship is yours; the maths is ours.

Written by William Smithwhite, Founder and Fractional CFO.

Last updated 2026-05-28.