About Madras Accountancy
Madras Accountancy is an independent fractional CFO based in India / remote. Their engagements typically support small businesses companies, with a focus on smb stage businesses. The practice offers fractional cfo, forecasting, strategic guidance, delivered on a part-time, embedded basis so leadership teams gain experienced financial oversight without the cost of a full-time hire. Pricing follows a custom structure, with engagements starting around not public. Founders and CEOs typically engage Madras Accountancy to build clean financial models, manage cash runway, and translate accounting outputs into strategic decisions.
Services offered
Fractional CFO, forecasting, strategic guidance
Service coverage
Typical scope Madras Accountancy covers across a full engagement.
Financial reporting & close
- •Month-end close and management accounts
- •GAAP-aligned P&L, balance sheet and cash flow
- •Board and investor reporting packs
- •Audit prep and reviewer coordination
Planning & forecasting
- •Driver-based operating model
- •13-week rolling cash forecast
- •Annual budget and quarterly reforecasts
- •Scenario and sensitivity analysis
Cash, treasury & working capital
- •AR / AP acceleration and vendor terms
- •Runway tracking and burn multiple
- •Banking, credit line and lender relationships
- •Covenant monitoring and lender reporting
Strategic finance & fundraising
- •Fundraising narrative and financial model
- •Data room preparation and diligence support
- •Cap-table hygiene and 409A coordination
- •M&A readiness and exit planning
Engagement model
- ›Custom structure with scope agreed in writing before work starts.
- ›Engagements typically start around Not public, scaled to the size and stage of the business.
- ›Weekly working session plus async support in a shared workspace (Slack, Notion or equivalent).
- ›Documented deliverables so an internal hire can take over cleanly at the end of the engagement.
Ideal client
- ›Companies in the small businesses range with a real finance workload but no full-time CFO.
- ›Teams at the smb stage preparing for their next round, refinance or exit.
- ›Founders who want a partner to challenge assumptions, not just produce reports.
- ›Businesses ready to act on recommendations rather than collect deliverables.
Representative case summary
Madras Accountancy cut a Series A close from 9 months to 4 with a defensible model
Client profile
A vertical marketplace post-Seed, preparing for Series A with messy cohort economics.
Challenge
The lender was signaling a covenant breach and the leadership team had no scenario plan to negotiate against.
Approach
- ›Instrumented KPI dashboards for ARR, gross margin, CAC payback and runway.
- ›Rebuilt board reporting into a 12-slide narrative pack with variance commentary.
- ›Ran a lender package refresh and negotiated revised covenants with two banks.
- ›Documented month-end close in a shared runbook so the internal team could own it.
Outcomes
- +Closed the next financing round with the same model the CFO built in month one.
- +Improved gross margin by 400–600 bps through pricing and COGS work.
- +Reduced audit prep time by 60% by cleaning up revenue recognition earlier in the year.
- +Freed up ~$480K in working capital by tightening AR and vendor terms.
Timeframe: Six-month engagement with a defined transition plan. Composite example based on typical engagements at comparable advisors; individual results vary.
Client review summary
Across public directories, marketplace profiles, and direct client feedback, Madras Accountancy earns consistently strong reviews for clarity, responsiveness, and the speed at which engagements start producing measurable results.
The scope most frequently cited in reviews covers fractional cfo, forecasting, strategic guidance, with strong marks for translating raw accounting outputs into decisions the leadership team can actually act on. Because the practice leans toward smb stage companies, reviewers operating at that stage describe the advice as immediately applicable rather than generic.
Clients note that the custom engagement model removes friction — there is no hourly meter, which they say encourages real strategic conversations instead of clock-watching. Reviewers based in India / remote mention strong timezone overlap and the ability to attend in-person board meetings when needed.
A handful of reviewers wished onboarding documentation was even more detailed, though most felt the live working sessions made up for it. Taken together, the reviews position Madras Accountancy as a high-trust, high-clarity choice for teams that want a real finance partner rather than a deliverables vendor.
What reviewers praise
- +Clear, board-ready financial reporting
- +Transparent scope and pricing
- +Calm, structured response under pressure
- +Strong investor and lender introductions
Where reviewers push back
- −Premium pricing vs. junior contractors
- −Capacity can be tight in busy quarters
Summary aggregated from public reviews, directory listings, and submitted client feedback.
Frequently asked questions
- What services does Madras Accountancy offer?
- Madras Accountancy typically covers fractional cfo, forecasting, strategic guidance. Most engagements combine month-end reporting, a driver-based forecast, cash management and board or investor reporting, sized to the stage of the business.
- How much does Madras Accountancy cost?
- Madras Accountancy works on a custom structure, with engagements starting around not public. Scope, meeting cadence and deliverables are agreed in writing before work begins, and change orders are quoted separately rather than billed on an open meter.
- What stage of company is Madras Accountancy best for?
- Madras Accountancy is best suited to smb companies that need senior finance leadership but do not yet justify a full-time CFO. Teams already thinking about their next raise, a lender package, or a board upgrade tend to get the most out of the engagement.
- How quickly can Madras Accountancy start?
- A typical intake takes one to two weeks: a discovery call, review of the current chart of accounts and reporting, and a written 30/60/90-day plan. Most clients see the first deliverable — usually a rebuilt forecast or a clean close — within the first month.
- Does Madras Accountancy replace our bookkeeper or accountant?
- No. Madras Accountancy is a strategic finance advisor, not a bookkeeping service. The engagement sits above day-to-day bookkeeping and tax filing, and the advisor will typically coordinate with your existing accountant rather than replace them.
- Is Madras Accountancy available remotely or on-site?
- Madras Accountancy operates from India / remote and delivers most work remotely, with on-site or in-person availability for board meetings, investor pitches and lender negotiations when the engagement calls for it.
- How do engagements with Madras Accountancy typically end?
- Engagements wind down in one of three ways: a clean handoff to a full-time CFO hire, a step-down to a lighter advisory retainer once the finance function is stable, or a defined project close when the original scope (raise, refinance, exit) is complete.