Sound familiar?
"I'm making money, but I never seem to have any."
"I don't really understand my numbers, or what they're telling me."
"I don't know if I can afford to grow."
Most business owners can tell you what's in the bank. Far fewer can tell you why. That gap is where the stress lives — and it's what we exist to close.
What we do
We're not a firm that files your accounts and disappears for a year. We work with a small number of businesses closely, using a structured framework called C.A.L.M.S — Clarity, Alignment, Leverage, Momentum, Support.
It's a way of understanding your numbers well enough to make better decisions, and then making sure those decisions actually happen. The statutory work — accounts, tax, payroll, VAT — comes as part of the relationship.
We're not for everyone
We work best with owners who want to build something. If these are true, we'll probably get on:
- You've got a destination in mind — scale, sale, or a business that runs without you
- You're willing to look at the numbers openly, including the uncomfortable ones
- You'll meet regularly and act on what's agreed
- You want a finance partner, not just a filing service
If that's not where you are right now, we'll say so — and point you somewhere better suited.
Results
Award-winning hospitality venue
Margins improved, loans restructured, and management information arriving in ten days instead of forty-five.
Read case studiesVeterinary practice
Duplicate transactions unwound, VAT recovered, and corporation tax reduced through forward planning.
Read case studies
About Steve Read ACCA FMAAT — The Calm Behind the Numbers
I've never liked wasted potential. Even as a kid, I would step in when things felt messy, confusing, or avoidable. Whether that meant setting up new tech for my grandparents or organising my football team when no one else would, I've always been wired the same way:
When there's chaos, I bring clarity.
When people drift, I create direction.
Where others fear complexity, I build structure.
I carried that into my career. But it wasn't until I saved a company from unknowingly running out of cash that everything clicked.
They had no plan, no structure, and no idea of what was coming. After analysing their situation, I projected that they were nine months from running out of cash. Through restructuring debt and improving margins, we gave the business the breathing room and clarity it needed to survive — and it still exists, and thrives, today.
That moment changed me. I realised I wasn't here to "do accounting." I was here to lead, to bring calm, and to help business owners move confidently toward their future.
Today, I run Arthur Francis Accountancy, specialising in Virtual FD Services, where my mission is simple:
Eliminate financial chaos and replace it with clarity, structure, and confident decision-making.
I partner with ambitious founders who want direction, understanding, and the peace of knowing exactly where their business is heading.
No surprises. No firefighting.
Just calm, clarity, control and peace.
Let's Grow Your Business
Ready to take your £100k+ turnover business to the next level? Connect with our strategic advisors to discuss how we can help improve your profitability, tax efficiency, and prepare your company for successful growth and future exit.
Address
Howe Street, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 1BA, United Kingdom
Phone
01245 922 025
info@arthurfrancisaccountancy.co.uk
Business Hours
Monday - Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday - Sunday: Closed