Fractional CFOs & growth advisors · DTC & e-commerce

Modern finance for e‑commerce growth.

We help ambitious DTC founders make smarter financial decisions — clean books, CFO-level strategy and commercially tuned e-commerce insight, without the full-time overhead. Our support scales as you do.

Financial clarity Strategic foresight Measurable impact

The e-commerce growth challenge

Scaling breaks finance first.

Rapid growth creates complexity faster than most finance setups can handle — and founders end up firefighting instead of growing.

Cash flow shocks from seasonality, platform fees, ad spend and inventory cycles
Financial data that arrives late, incomplete or unreliable
Stock decisions made on gut feel rather than unit economics
No clear line of sight on runway, margin or the next raise

82%of small businesses fail due to cash flow issues

65%of growing e-commerce businesses cite lack of real-time financial data as their biggest operational challenge

70%of online retailers struggle with inventory management

78%of successful scale-ups attribute their growth to strong financial controls and forecasting

How we deliver success

Solid foundations. Then finance becomes a competitive advantage.

Financial accounting sits at the core of everything we do. With a robust set of accounts in place, we overlay CFO and growth advisory that turns your numbers into decisions.

Clarity

Your numbers, done right

Xero maintained and up to date, so your accounts are an accurate reflection of how the business is really performing.

Control

A fully outsourced finance team

Bookkeeping, reconciliations and reporting handled end to end — cash position and runway visible at all times.

Insight

Reporting that drives action

Monthly CFO report, strategic business planning, financial modelling, fundraising support and commercial review.

Growth

Finance as a competitive advantage

A trusted network of growth partners with track records in accelerating profitable growth — brand, digital, product and operations.

Key services

Everything a finance function should do — on demand.

“We scale our support as you grow.”

Full outsourced finance function
Bookkeeping, reconciliations and reporting, done properly.
Cash flow forecasting & runway planning
Know your cash position — and how long it lasts — at all times.
Monthly board & performance reporting
With insightful commentary that tells you what the numbers mean.
Unit economics & margin analysis
Understand what you actually make on every order, SKU and channel.
Scenario modelling for growth and risk
Stress-test decisions before you make them.
Fundraising preparation & investor reporting
Models, data rooms and reporting that stand up to diligence.

Who we help

Wherever you are on the journey.

Launching

Pre-launch to first traction. Get the accounting foundations, pricing and unit economics right from day one.

Start right →

Scaling fast

Growth is outpacing your finance setup. Real-time visibility, stock and cash planning, and controls that keep pace.

Keep control →

Raising or exiting

Preparing for debt, equity or exit. Financial models, investor reporting and a data room that stands up to scrutiny.

Get investor-ready →

Cash-tight

Runway pressure or turnaround. Forensic cash management, cost control and refinancing to buy time and rebuild profitability.

Protect runway →

Results

Real brands. Real turnarounds.

Case study — turnaround

From 10 weeks of runway to sustained profitability

The challenge: Previous management had chased the growth dream — heavy spend on NPD, headcount, marketing and an expensive 3PL. The growth never materialised, significant debt was taken on, and runway was down to 10 weeks when we were appointed.
Our approach: Detailed cash flow forecasting and management. Forensic review of all spend: stock buys focused on fast-selling, higher-margin lines; selective price increases and reduced discounting; 25% negotiated reduction in 3PL costs; debt refinanced and trade finance introduced to shorten the cash conversion cycle.

Still trading 11 months on, with 5 consecutive months of EBITDA profitability — and a founder who can sleep at night.

Case study — scale-up

Unlocking growth a spreadsheet couldn’t see

The challenge: Incumbent accountants produced cash-accounted management accounts with no insight or guidance. The brand was consistently understocked despite a strong cash runway — driving poor reviews, subscription churn and chargebacks.
Our approach: Implemented detailed stock and cash flow planning, giving the founders the confidence to 4× stock purchases to meet demand. Restructured the supply chain to shorten the working capital cycle, restated accounts on an accrual basis and built a 3-year financial model.

Moving rapidly towards £30m ARR — highly profitable, cash generative, and on the way to an initial 7-figure equity raise.

Who we are

Operators, not observers.

We’ve sat in the CFO seat at the brands you’ve shopped with — building teams, raising money and steering high-velocity consumer businesses through scale.

Nick Cooling

Co-Founder & Partner

Nick is a qualified management accountant (FCMA) whose career spans leading consumer and e-commerce brands including Warburtons, Magnet Kitchens and Boohoo.

As CFO of Online4baby he oversaw growth from £30m to £45m in 18 months, securing a £7.5m HSBC facility. As Finance Director of Cernucci he scaled the team from 12 to 40, raised £4.5m and drove revenue from £8m to £15m in two years.

LinkedIn ↗

Karl Lloyd

Co-Founder & Partner

Karl qualified as a chartered accountant with EY before commercial finance roles at Matalan and The Co-op Group. As FD of ITC Luxury Travel he grew the business from £30m to £80m, completed two MBOs and sold to private equity.

He has been FD of scaling e-commerce brands including In The Style, Club L London, Lullabellz and Edge e-liquids — professionalising teams, implementing controls and building the models behind fundraises and exits.

LinkedIn ↗

Ryan C.

Partner

Ryan built his career in commercial finance at Boohoo Group, one of the UK’s largest online fashion retailers, working at the sharp end of trading, margin and performance analysis across high-velocity DTC brands.

He brings that commercial firepower to Praevo clients — turning trading data into pricing, stock and channel decisions that move the P&L.

LinkedIn ↗

Who we work with

In the trenches with brands like these.

From beauty and fashion to food, drink and consumer health — if it’s sold direct to consumer, we’ve probably steered the numbers behind it.

Our partner network

Backed by specialists.

Alongside our own team, we partner with trusted specialists across accountancy, audit and insurance — so our clients get the right expertise at the right moment.

Accountancy & advisory

Insurance & risk

Next steps

Start with a conversation.

Email Nick or Karl directly — your message comes straight to a partner, and we reply personally.
Get a free financial health check on your current setup.
We build a plan — and scale our support as you grow.

nick@praevopartners.com karl@praevopartners.com