Budgets and forecasts that catch a problem before it becomes one.
An annual budget and rolling forecast that keeps spending disciplined and gives you an early warning the moment actuals start drifting from plan.
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A budget you actually track against, not a document you file away
Most budgets are built once a year, filed away, and never revisited until the following year's exercise. That misses the entire point — a budget's value is in the ongoing comparison against actuals, which is where you catch a spending pattern going off-plan while there's still time to correct it.
We build your annual budget grounded in realistic assumptions, then maintain a rolling forecast that's updated against actuals every month — so variances are caught early, and the forecast stays a living, useful tool rather than a static document.
A budget is your annual plan, set once. A forecast is a living projection, updated regularly against actuals. Both matter — the budget gives you a target to manage against, the forecast tells you where you're actually headed.
What's included
A standard budgeting & forecasting engagement includes:
Annual budget build
Revenue and expense budget built from realistic, defensible assumptions by department or category.
Rolling forecast
A forecast updated monthly against actuals, so it stays current, not a stale annual snapshot.
Variance analysis
Actuals compared against budget every month, with drivers of any gap explained.
Departmental budgets
Budget ownership broken down by department or team where relevant.
Scenario planning
Alternative budget scenarios modelled for different growth or spending assumptions.
Early warning flags
Significant variances flagged early, before they compound into a larger problem.
Spending drifting from plan and not sure why?
Let's build a budget you'll actually track against, not just file away.
How we build and run your budget
1. Budget build
We work with you to set realistic revenue and expense assumptions by department, grounded in historical actuals.
2. Monthly variance review
Actuals are compared against budget every month, with significant deviations explained and discussed.
3. Rolling updates
The forecast is refreshed monthly, so you always have a current view of where the year is actually heading.
Initial budget build typically takes 2–3 weeks; ongoing variance tracking then runs monthly alongside your financial close.
Get a clear, itemised quote.
Tell us about your business and we'll size up exactly what this service costs for you — no obligation.
Pricing
This is usually delivered as part of a broader Virtual CFO retainer, priced against organisational complexity. See our pricing page for indicative ranges, or get an exact, itemised quote in one call.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from just having a target revenue number?+
What if actuals are consistently off from budget?+
Can different department heads own their own budget lines?+
How often is the forecast updated?+
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A living budget you track against, with early warning built in.