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Launch a Virtual CFO LinePracticeGuru Learnings

PracticeGuru Learnings · Course

Launch a Virtual CFO Line

Your best business clients already ask you about cash, margins and growth. Turn those conversations into a monthly advisory retainer with clear scope, an independence check and a simple monthly routine.

New courseFirst lesson freeCertificate
Rules and sources last checked: 19 Oct 2026 · next check due April 2027. Checked against ICAI Code of Ethics 13th edition (from 1 Apr 2026), Guidelines for Corporate Form of Practice, Guidelines on Ethical Issues 2026 and section 144 of the Companies Act, 2013. Each lesson lists its official sources; rules can change, so check the latest before you act.
Update log
  • 19 Oct 2026: Course published.

✓ Your implementation checklist: 6 outputs to build in your office. Tick them off as you go and earn the Implementation Complete badge.

  • 13 short lessons12 to 15 minutes each
  • About 3.1 hours of readingat your own pace
  • Bonus filesVirtual CFO starter kit: package sheet, pricing worksheet, scope letter and MIS pack (Word)
  • Who it is forfor practising CAs and senior staff

What you need before you start

Who it is for: Practising CAs. CMAs and accountants offering monthly finance support can use the method too. Written in a CA office. Not a CA? The methods work the same in any tax or accounts office; the ICAI rule boxes apply only to CAs.

Device: A laptop

  • Free optionExcel or Google SheetsFor the cash view, KPI dashboard and MIS pack tools.Google Sheets · Microsoft Excel
  • Free optionWord and Excel, or free Google Docs and SheetsTo open and fill the course kit.Google Sheets

What you will do

Each lesson ends with a "Do this today" box. By the last lesson you have packages, a retainer price, a scope letter, an onboarding checklist, an MIS pack layout and a monthly meeting agenda.

  1. Free What MSME owners really want from a CFOThe five worries of a business owner, and which of your clients fit a monthly retainer. · 12 min
  2. 01 Two or three packages, and what is not includedDesign your packages with volume limits and a firm "not included" list. · 15 min 🔒 Paid
  3. 02 Pricing the monthly retainerBuild the fee from hours by level and your cost per hour, then set terms. · 15 min 🔒 Paid
  4. 03 The independence check when you also audit the clientWhich clients you cannot or should not take on, and a one-page check. · 15 min 🔒 Paid
  5. 04 Offering it to clients within ICAI rulesRespond to needs as they come up, and know what you may publish. · 12 min 🔒 Paid
  6. 05 The scope letter for a virtual CFO retainerThe clauses a CFO retainer needs on top of your normal engagement letter. · 15 min 🔒 Paid
  7. 06 Onboarding: access, data and a clean chart of accountsThe first 30 days: safe access, a clean ledger map and a baseline. · 15 min 🔒 Paid
  8. 07 The monthly calendar and who does whatOne calendar from data-in to action list, and a clear role split. · 15 min 🔒 Paid
  9. 08 The MIS pack and a simple KPI dashboardEight pages an owner will read, and ten KPIs in Excel, Sheets or ICAI's free tools. · 15 min 🔒 Paid
  10. 09 The 13-week cash view and collectionsA rolling cash view, a minimum cash line and a collections review. · 15 min 🔒 Paid
  11. 10 The monthly meeting and bank readinessA meeting agenda, an action list that gets done, and a bank-ready file. · 15 min 🔒 Paid
  12. 11 A separate consultancy company: when it is worth itICAI's corporate form of practice, what it allows, and a decision test. · 15 min 🔒 Paid
  13. 12 Measuring, renewing and your 30-day launch planTrack each retainer's health, renew it yearly, and launch with three clients. · 12 min 🔒 Paid

Who made this

The PracticeGuru team, who run OneClick Branding for thousands of tax professionals. Built within the ICAI Code of Ethics: independence checks for audit clients, no management responsibility, and every rule cited to ICAI.