JD2E delivers innovative training solutions to industry and military customers using a blended approach to reinforce theory with dynamic simulated environments. Following a period of growth, and with ambitions to scale, they engaged a fractional CFO from The CFO Centre.
JD2E was founded in 2016 and grew organically before Founder and Managing Director, Jonathan Bramley felt staff numbers, volume of work and financial complexity meant he needed more strategic support to formalise the management accounting processes and enable the business to scale in the future.
In particular, Jonathan needed more management information in relation to cash flow, budgeting and forecasting to assist with decision making and help him use his time for efficiently.
We matched Jonathan with a CFO who had public sector experience, reflecting that the majority ofJD2E’s work is with military clients. The initial focus was on what Jonathan describes as ‘horizon-scanning’, gaining an overview of the business in order to determine what was needed to add structure and rigour to the finances and reporting processes. This set JD2E up for growth and enabled Jonathan to look ahead and focus on the sales pipeline as well as delivery. Importantly, The CFO Centre’s involvement added accountability and financial due diligence to the way Jonathan was able to run the business. This work reflects one stage on a business journey and has also enabled a focus on the future and potential for investment or exit as and when that becomes relevant.
This period of growth for JD2E is all about creating a structure for future growth and scaling and The CFO Centre’s work has been an integral part of that. Along with the rigour brought by the financial reporting and management information, they have appointed a leadership team and now feel better equipped to grow, whether organically or through investment.
We initially provided JD2E with monthly support days per month, during which time the various reports and processes were implemented as a priority.
Despite a relatively small number of days, the value added was tangible because there was a clear focus on the priorities of the business.
Regular meetings with Jonathan would cover performance and issues as well as investigating matters such as research and development, and tax credits and liabilities, all of which added huge value to Jonathan’s view of the business and facilitated decision making.
One important achievement involved some errors in the accounts that were being carried forward and needing resolving. The experience and eye for detail that comes with having a fractional CFO meant these were spotted and rectified.
Having a fractional CFO has enabled JD2E to gain peace of mind and ensure the business is attractive to potential investors. This represents a critical step forward in their growth journey.
Jonathan also talks of the huge value brought by the wider CFO Centre team.
This included connections and support including opportunities to network and meet potential customers or collaborators which have yielded lots of possible opportunities.
The relationships that are built, even outside of the actual CFO, have added a great deal of value and, as a result, Jonathan says he would advise any business to try working with a fractional CFO.
The advice we received from The CFO Centre easily justified the investment in our fractional CFO. As a small business, we didn’t have a load of cash to commit to a CFO, so the initial small-start, try-before-you-buy, was really helpful.”
Jonathan Bramley – Managing Director, JD2E
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