FEATURE
Here to help – Atom Financial founders Matthew Fannan , left , and Matt Herrell .
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
How Atom Financial ’ s finance director function can help firms through tough times
WORDS : DAVE ROBSON PICTURE : CHRIS BOOTH
It ’ s challenging enough to run and grow a business without throwing an impending recession into the mix . But Stockton financial and HR consultancy Atom Financial is here to help , working with clients to understand the pinch points and help resolve the issues that can keep business owners up at night .
With more than 40 years ’ experience between them , including more than half in senior roles , Atom founders Matt Herrell and Matthew Fannan help firms understand where they ’ re at and navigate through their challenges .
A key part of Atom ’ s offering centres on its finance director function – where either Matt or Matthew become an extension of a firm ’ s senior leadership team .
As with the firm ’ s managed finance function , Atom becomes part of that business , rather than a distant number cruncher that doesn ’ t get a “ feel ” for the firm it ’ s helping .
Matt explained : “ For us , it ’ s about getting involved in the company and seeing how it works .
“ It ’ s the key component that sits alongside our finance function as a service . Where a business has maybe got the bones of a finance function , or has the structure of a finance team but has reached a stage where it needs strategic involvement and challenge , that ’ s where we come in .”
Matthew added : “ We can help businesses navigate through the challenges they may have coming . They may be on a growth journey , but they might hit a dead end in the short term with the economy the way it is . We can help businesses with pricing , the overhead base , head counts and using our experience to provide key support .
“ Our offering , we feel , is different to what ’ s on the market . It ’ s our hands-on approach – we ’ re not just sitting in the background providing business owners with financial reports .”
And with so much experience behind them , both agree there are few scenarios they haven ’ t dealt with in the world of business finance .
Matt said : “ We know the potential pitfalls and the barriers , but you can push those aside before they arrive if you manage things properly .
“ It ’ s about having the right principles and structures in place and the foresight – that ’ s where it helps that we ’ ve seen it and dealt with it more than once .”
With times tight and getting tighter , some might question whether it ’ s worth outsourcing a finance director rather than just doing it yourself .
Matt said : “ It ’ s dead simple – we don ’ t see it as a cost , it ’ s about the value we can add .
Visit atomfinancial . co . uk .
“ Most people look at and concentrate on the top line – can I generate new business and new customers – and the cash number . If the cash number ’ s okay , they ’ re tempted to leave the rest until later but , actually , businesses need to be a bit more grown-up on that journey .
“ There are a number of operational and commercial levers to pull to ensure that , ultimately , they get what every business owner wants – to see as much of that top line drop through into the bottom line of cash . That old saying of cash is king is a little bit corny but it ’ s true . Understanding that cycle of how to turn your top line into cash is key .”
It ’ s been a whirlwind year of growth for Atom since setting up last summer , with Matt and Matthew now joined by new recruit Claire Dove and , as head of the HR offshoot Atom People , Nathan Raine .
But what message does Atom want to give SMEs in these tough economic times ?
Matt said : “ That they ’ re not on their own . We don ’ t just give them numbers and leave them to their own devices . We are hands-on , we get involved . Lots of people can produce numbers , but it ’ s about , ‘ Right , what are we doing about it ?’.”
Matthew added : “ We are part of the business ’ s journey . We ’ re very passionate about helping our clients get to where they want to go .”
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