Margin
–
extra profit a year from a 1 percentage-point margin improvement, for example net margin moving from 6% to 7% through pricing, scheme control and cost reduction
Founder-led Virtual CFO
Stronger Margins. Better Cash Flow. Clearer Business Decisions.
Founder-led Virtual CFO support for manufacturing, FMCG and distribution businesses. We help business owners understand product profitability, control costs, improve working capital and plan growth, with practical financial analysis, automated reporting and regular management reviews.
The first conversation is free. We work alongside your existing accountant, CA and management team.
20+ yrsin FMCG and manufacturing finance
₹1,000 Crlargest business handled
ISO 9001certified firm
Five-year business model₹ crore · illustrative
| FY26 | FY27 | FY28 | FY29 | FY30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | |||||
| EBITDA % | |||||
| Free cash |
Revenue CAGR–
FY30 EBITDA–
5-yr free cash–
Illustrative model, not client data
- ISO 9001:2015 certified
- GST registered firm
- 20+ years in FMCG and manufacturing finance
- Businesses up to ₹1,000 Cr turnover
- Microsoft Certified Power BI
Tech-enabled CFO
Less manual work. Faster, cleaner numbers.
Reporting is automated wherever your systems allow, so review time goes into decisions, not spreadsheets.
- Automated MISMonthly reports built from Tally, SAP or ERP exports, refreshed instead of rebuilt
- Live Power BI dashboardsSales, margin, collections and cash on phone and laptop
- Workflow automationReminders, approvals and data pulls with tools like n8n and Excel automation
The value we add
Small changes in finance, big changes in growth.
Owners do not pay for reports. They pay for more profit, more cash and the confidence to expand. Set your turnover and assumptions to see what two common improvements are worth.
Cash
–
cash released one time by collecting faster from customers. Calculated as annual turnover ÷ 365 × days faster, assuming sales are on credit and spread evenly through the year
Interest
–
saved every year if the released cash is used to reduce working capital borrowings at the interest rate you set above
Illustrative arithmetic on the figures you set, not a promise of results. Actual gains depend on your business and are discussed with you after the first diagnostic review.
What you receive every month
Specific deliverables, not just a service name.
Every engagement runs on a monthly rhythm. The exact scope is agreed with you after the first diagnostic.
| What you receive | How it helps your business |
|---|---|
| Management P&L and budget variance analysis | Understand why profit changed, line by line |
| SKU, customer and channel profitability, as per agreed scope | See where pricing or product mix needs to change |
| 13-week cash flow forecast | Spot cash shortages weeks in advance |
| Collection and inventory review | Find cash stuck in overdue debtors and slow stock |
| Owner and CFO review meeting | Discuss important decisions with the numbers in front of you |
| Action tracker with owner, deadline and status | Follow every decision through to implementation |
How we fix the leak
The action tracker
Advice is easy. Implementation is where margins are won. Every action agreed in the monthly review goes into a shared tracker with an owner, a deadline and a status, and is reviewed again the next month until it is closed.
| Action | Owner | Due | Status | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revise price list for the top-selling product range | Sales head | 15 Oct | Done | Margin |
| Stop scheme on two loss-making SKUs | Sales head | 20 Oct | In progress | Margin |
| Collect overdue from three distributors above 90 days | Accounts | 31 Oct | In progress | Cash |
| Clear slow-moving inventory older than 180 days | Purchase | 15 Nov | Not started | Cash |
| Introduce discount approval limits as per DOA | Owner and CFO | 30 Nov | Not started | Control |
Illustrative sample, not client data
Profit leak check
Most businesses already earn the profit. Some of it leaks away.
These are the leaks we find most often in manufacturing, trading and distribution businesses. A free first review shows which ones are costing you, and roughly how much.
- Stale price listRaw material went up months ago, your price list did not.
- Scheme and discount leakageTrade schemes paid on sales that never qualified.
- Loss-making SKUsProducts that sell well but lose money after freight and schemes.
- Slow customersDistributors who take 90 days while you pay suppliers in 30.
- Dead and slow stockInventory that blocks cash and quietly loses value.
- Yield and wastageProcess losses above standard that nobody tracks monthly.
- Freight and logisticsUnrecovered freight, half-filled trucks and wrong routes.
- Costly borrowingHigh-interest limits that cleaner MIS could renegotiate.
We do not stop at advice. We work with your sales, purchase and accounts teams on each fix, and every agreed action goes into the action tracker until it shows in your monthly MIS.
Book a free profit leak checkWhat a virtual CFO does for you
Finance that helps you decide and grow.
We work alongside your existing accountant, CA and management team, bringing dedicated attention to profitability, cash flow, planning and business decisions.
CFOCore service
Strategic CFO reviews and decision support
Regular financial reviews with business owners, supported by scenario analysis for pricing, expansion, make-or-buy and investment decisions. Each review ends with clear actions, responsibilities and timelines.
Clear decisions with measurable follow-through
PROFIT
Business profitability and performance improvement
Analyse profitability by plant, product, customer and sales channel. Identify the impact of discounts, freight, wastage and capacity utilisation, and track agreed improvement actions.
Know where profit is earned, and where action is needed
CTRL
Financial controls and process improvement
Design practical SOPs, approval limits and financial controls across purchases, payments, customer credit and inventory, with a structured month-end closing process.
Stronger controls and clear accountability
MIS
Monthly MIS report
Budget vs actual P&L, product and customer margins, with a written note on what changed and why.
Delivered on an agreed monthly timeline once books are closed
COST
Costing and pricing
Product-wise cost sheets and price revision models that track raw material movements and support informed pricing decisions.
Identify margin pressure early
CASH
Cash flow and working capital
13-week cash forecast, debtor and creditor ageing, and stock days targets that free up money.
Frees cash locked in debtors and stock
PLAN
Budgets, capex and forecasts
Annual budget, quarterly reforecast, capex feasibility and scenario models for expansion, new products or new plants.
Budget, forecast and scenarios in one model
DASH
Power BI dashboards
Sales, collections, stock and cash on one screen, built from Tally, SAP or your ERP, on phone and laptop.
Refresh frequency set by your data access and agreed scope
BANK
Bank and lender readiness
CMA data, projections and project reports for working capital and term loan proposals.
Lender-ready financial information and proposal support
ACCTSNew
Accounts, finalisation and compliance
Accurate books every month, year-end final accounts and on-time statutory filings, handled by the same team that prepares your MIS. Your numbers stay clean, current and ready for decisions.
One team for books, compliance and CFO insight
- Books of accounts in Tally or your ERP
- Bank, party and stock reconciliations
- Inventory accounting and valuation (AS 2)
- Year-end finalisation: P&L and Balance Sheet
- GST returns: GSTR-1, 3B, 9 and ITC matching
- TDS payments, quarterly returns and Form 16/16A
- Income tax returns and advance tax
- Audit-ready schedules for your CA
Free sample report
See what a monthly CFO review actually looks like
A 10-page review for a fictional manufacturer, showing the format and depth of a FinPlace monthly review.
Discuss
A free conversation about your business, goals and the questions you cannot answer today.
Diagnose
After a confidentiality agreement, a review of your books and reports, with scope and timelines agreed in writing.
Set up
Chart of accounts clean-up, cost centres, MIS format and dashboards, on the agreed timeline.
Review and act
Monthly review with the owner, decisions logged in the action tracker and followed through.
How the first engagement typically unfolds
Phase 1
Clarity. Books aligned, first MIS and dashboard. You see your true margin by product and customer.
Phase 2
Control. Price list corrected, loss-making SKUs and schemes addressed, collection plan running with your sales team.
Phase 3
Growth plan. Annual budget, cash forecast and a funded plan for the next expansion, ready to discuss with your bank.
Phase timelines depend on the condition of your books and data access, and are agreed after the first diagnostic.
Case examples
Examples from the founder’s previous corporate roles.
These examples come from Samrat Das’s earlier employment in corporate finance teams. They are not FinPlace client results. Company names are withheld, and team contributions are shown separately from his own role.
FILL: industry, e.g. FMCG manufacturer, ₹___ Cr turnover
FILL: short title
- Business problem
- FILL
- Founder’s role
- FILL: what Samrat personally did
- Team contribution
- FILL: what other teams did
- Action taken
- FILL
- Measured outcome
- FILL: number and how it was measured
- Time period
- FILL
FILL
FILL
- Business problem
- FILL
- Founder’s role
- FILL
- Team contribution
- FILL
- Action taken
- FILL
- Measured outcome
- FILL
- Time period
- FILL
Engagement plans
Start with the numbers, grow into strategy.
Monthly retainer, no long lock-in. Fees depend on the size of your business and the number of entities.
Essential MIS
For businesses up to ₹10 Cr turnover that want monthly clarity.
- Monthly MIS and P&L analysis
- Sales and collections dashboard
- Debtor ageing and follow-up list
- Monthly 30-minute review call
Fixed monthly fee · quote on call
Growth CFO
For ₹10 to 50 Cr manufacturers and distributors.
- Everything in Essential MIS
- Power BI dashboard suite
- Product costing and price revision
- Annual budget and 13-week cash forecast
- Monthly in-person or video review
Fixed monthly fee · quote on call
Strategic CFO
For ₹50 Cr+ businesses, expansions and funding rounds.
- Everything in Growth CFO
- Financial controls, SOP and DOA design
- Scenario and capex models
- Bank, investor and board reporting
- CMA data and project reports
- Priority access on call
Custom scope · quote on call
Standalone or add-on
Complete Finance Back-office
For businesses that want their accounts and compliance fully handled, with or without a CFO plan.
- Monthly books of accounts and reconciliations
- Inventory accounting and valuation
- GST, TDS and income tax filings on time
- Year-end finalisation and audit-ready schedules
- Compliance calendar and monthly status update
- Basic monthly MIS included
Fixed monthly fee · quote on call · audits by your CA
Manufacturers
Edible oil, food processing, packaging, engineering units where raw material swings decide the margin.
Traders and distributors
Businesses with thin margins and heavy credit where collections and stock days matter most.
Growing startups and MSMEs
Founders preparing for a bank loan, an investor or their first finance hire.
Founder
Samrat Das
Founder | Virtual CFO & Commercial Finance Partner
20+ Years of Experience in FMCG & Manufacturing Industry
I have spent twenty years inside the finance teams of FMCG and manufacturing companies, handling businesses as large as ₹1,000 crore. FinPlace exists so that a ₹20 crore company can get the same quality of numbers.
His career covers finance and accounts roles at CG Foods India, ETG Agro Processing, Emami Ltd, Pernod Ricard India, CavinKare and Ennore Coke (Shriram Group), across plant finance, product costing, annual operating plans, commercial finance and executive MIS for leadership teams.
Education
- MBA Finance, Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad
- CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), London: Management Level completed
- Strategic Management, IIM Bangalore (online)
- B.Com, University of Calcutta
Expertise
- P&L ownership, AOP, budgeting and rolling forecasts
- Value chain and cost structure analysis
- Product pricing, SKU and customer profitability
- Capital budgeting and capex investment feasibility
- Bank funding: CMA data, project reports, term loans and working capital limits
- Working capital and cash flow forecasting
- SOP and DOA (delegation of authority) design
- Risk control, internal financial controls and audits
- Plant finance, IFRS and US GAAP reporting
Tools
- SAP S/4HANA
- Microsoft Certified: Power BI
- Advanced Excel and financial modelling
- AI tools and n8n automation
- Six Sigma Green Belt
Questions owners ask
Before you call us.
Do you also handle accounts, GST, TDS and income tax?
Yes. We maintain books of accounts, value inventory, prepare year-end final accounts and file GST, TDS and income tax returns. Where an audit is required by law, your Chartered Accountant audits and signs the accounts, and we hand over clean, audit-ready schedules.
Is this only for loss-making companies?
No. Most businesses we work with are profitable and want higher margins, better cash flow and a plan to grow. A loss-making business gets a turnaround plan first.
How is this different from what my accountant or CA does?
We work alongside your existing accountant, CA and management team. Our role is dedicated attention to profitability, cash flow, planning and business decisions, so the owner has a finance partner for every major call.
What happens in the first consultation?
We start with a conversation about your business, goals and concerns. No data is needed at that stage. If we both want to go ahead, we sign a confidentiality agreement before any financial data is shared, and then agree the scope for a diagnostic review.
How soon will we see results?
Timelines depend on the condition of your books, data access and how quickly changes are implemented. We agree a realistic timeline with you after the first diagnostic, and track progress every month.
Do you work on-site or remotely?
Both. Most monthly work is remote using exports from Tally, SAP or Excel, with on-site visits in Kolkata and nearby for reviews and plant walk-throughs.
Which software do you work with?
Tally, SAP, Busy, Zoho and Excel. Dashboards are built in Power BI. How often they refresh depends on the data access your systems allow.
Is our data kept confidential?
Yes. A confidentiality agreement is signed before we see any numbers, and your data is used only for your engagement.
Will you give us stock tips or investment advice?
No. Our CFO work is about your business. Equity research is a separate service with its own SEBI disclosures and terms.
Also from FinPlace
Research and resources.
Equity research
Fundamental research on listed Indian companies by a SEBI Registered Research Analyst. Run as a separate division with its own disclosures.
Visit the research page →Free resources
Business calculators and practical Excel templates for MIS, cash flow and product costing.
Open resources →Free first conversation
Start with a conversation about your business.
Tell us what you sell, how you sell it and what worries you about margins, cash or growth. No data is needed for the first call. Financial information is shared only after a confidentiality agreement is signed.
Message on WhatsAppPhone / WhatsApp+91 62904 60220
OfficeBaksara National Place, Howrah 711110