Levelhead Partner · Retainer
The funding side of a CFO, on call.
For businesses that want their banking watched, planned and negotiated every month, not just when a loan is due. Tailored to your business and quoted in writing.
The problem
By then the options are narrower: a covenant is close, a balloon is weeks away, or the bank has changed its appetite. A CFO would have seen it coming. Most SMEs don’t have one, so we give you that part of the role.
What’s included
You choose the mix. A business with one bank and a growth plan needs something different from a group with five lenders and quarterly covenant reporting.
- Banking relationship strategy: who you bank with, why, and when to test the market
- Covenant monitoring and reporting, with early warning before a breach
- Capital structure across the business and the owner
- A refinancing calendar: maturities, reviews, balloons and asset end-dates
- Funding reports for owners or the board
- A rolling cashflow forecast and quarterly facility review
- Preparation for an acquisition, premises purchase, expansion or sale
- Lender management on your behalf, from renewals to credit requests
How it runs
A rhythm, not a scramble.
- 01Every monthCovenants checked against the latest management accounts, the rolling cashflow forecast updated, and anything urgent flagged.
- 02Every quarterA facility review: pricing against the market, headroom, upcoming dates, and a short funding report for owners or the board.
- 03Every yearA full business finance review and a refinancing calendar for the next 12 to 24 months.
- 04When it mattersAcquisitions, premises, expansion, a lender problem or a sale: we prepare the case and run the lenders for you.
Fees
We don’t publish a Partner fee, because no two businesses need the same thing. After a scoping call we look at your facilities, lenders and plans, and send a monthly fee in writing before anything starts.
One-off work, like a forecast, business plan or credit paper, has fixed published fees on the business services page.
Questions
What does Levelhead Partner cost?
It is tailored to the business: how many facilities and lenders you have, how often you report, and what is coming up. After a scoping call we quote a monthly fee in writing. The term and notice period are set out in the engagement letter.
Is this a replacement for my accountant or CFO?
No. Your accountant keeps tax, BAS and compliance. If you have a CFO or financial controller, we sit alongside them on the funding side: lenders, covenants, structure and the next facility. If you don't, we give you that part of the role without a full-time hire.
Do we have to refinance with you?
No. Partner is about getting the most from the facilities you have and planning the next ones. If a refinance makes sense we will show you why, and you decide.
Who is it for?
Businesses with more than one facility or lender, covenants to report against, growth or an acquisition on the horizon, or owners who simply want someone watching the banking every month.
A short call about your facilities and what's coming up. If Partner fits, you'll get a monthly fee in writing.