Retainers · Finance and month-end retainers
Practice management for fractional CFOs and finance consultants
For fractional CFOs and FDs, finance consultants and bookkeepers. Recurring close, reporting and the decisions that come out of it. Ambital gives the cadence a home: the schedule, the sign-off on the pack, and a record of what the board decided.
Needs Business or above
How it's soldSold as a monthly retainer, often from a packaged monthly board pack on the services menu.
What you get
Pick “Finance or month-end retainer” and this is set up for you
When you create a project, Ambital asks what it's for. The answer sets the billing model, the phases and the tabs. Change any of it, or save your own version as a template.
How project setup works →Finance or month-end retainer
Recurring close, reporting and the decisions that come out of it.
Tabs switched on
- Overview
- Financials
- Tasks
- Time
- Schedule
- Calendar
- Decisions
- Approvals
The setup also asks how the client signs off: in the portal, or by emailed link for clients who'd rather not log in.
How it runs
Finance and month-end retainers, run through Ambital
A schedule that repeats
Month-end tasks scheduled across your week, meetings included, so the close for three clients doesn't land on the same day.
- My ScheduleEvery plan
- Recurring tasksEvery plan
- One calendar across every clientEvery plan
The pack signed off, the decisions on record
Send the board pack for approval. The client signs off in the portal or from an emailed link, and the version they approved is the one on file. What the board decided is logged with who decided and why.
- Approvals by portal or emailFrom Business
- Versions on recordFrom Business
- Decision recordsEvery plan
Your own numbers, live
Revenue by client, utilisation, outstanding invoices and forward revenue for your practice, from the same data.
- Business dashboardEvery plan
- ForecastFrom Business
- Accounting software syncFrom Business
Start to finish
Three clients' month-ends, without the clash
- Working day 1The close startsRecurring close tasks appear on My Schedule, spread across the week for each client.
- Working day 5Pack draftedThe management accounts go to the client as an approval, with the version on file.
- Working day 8Board meetingThe meeting's notes file to the client and the decisions are logged with who made them.
- Working day 10Signed offThe pack is approved in the portal or by email link. The approved version is the record.
- Month endInvoicedThe retainer invoice goes out and syncs to your accounting software.
Client names are fictional, from Ambital's demo organisation.
Everything it uses
The features, and the plan each needs
Each links to a step-by-step guide in the help centre.
- Retainers and recurring invoicesEvery plan
- DecisionsEvery plan
- My Schedule and calendarEvery plan
- Companies House lookupEvery plan
- Approvals by portal or emailFrom Business
- Accounting software sync (Xero today)From Business
- ForecastingFrom Business
Works with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Xero, Fireflies.ai, Companies House. Every integration →
Finance and month-end retainers questions
Straight answers
- Does it sync with my accounting software?
- Yes. Invoices sync to your accounting software: Xero today, with FreeAgent and QuickBooks coming.
- Can the board sign off the pack without logging in?
- Yes. Approvals can be given in the portal or from an emailed link, and the approved version is kept.
- Can I look up a client on Companies House?
- Yes, on every plan. Company details fill in from Companies House when you add a client.
- Which plan do I need?
- It needs Business (£59 a month) or above. Prices exclude VAT.
Often run alongside
Who runs finance and month-end retainers
Be first in when we launch
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Free plan · No card required · Built in the UK