Romesh Jeyaseelanayaham, of The FD Consultant, is looking forward to a busy February!

As February dawns and Valentine’s Day approaches, February is known as the month of love – or historically a month of ‘new beginnings’. It’s also the 3rd month of winter and 2024 is a Leap Year so February has an extra day.

This month we’re talking to Romesh Jeyaseelanayaham Founder and CFO Consultant of The FD Consultant. They are a collective of part time Finance Directors who help growing businesses thrive by improving management information to enhance decision making by implementing strong controls and processes.

What do you love about running your own business or your role?
I love the freedom I have to make my own decisions when running my own business. 

I am free to follow my own values and business instincts.

Running my own business has hugely developed me as a person – it has made me more resilient, more open to change, built my confidence and increased my skillset.

The wins are so much more satisfying when it is your own project, as opposed to being just a cog in bigger a machine and serving a purpose which isn’t fully driven by you.

What do you love about your business community/sector/or where you live?
My business community is hugely supportive and often provides me with helpful insights and guidance, as well as support during challenging periods. I have a large pool of highly experienced, incredible people who add variety and value to my thinking and strategy. I strongly believe in surrounding yourself with good people who have your best interests at heart – in business as well as your personal life.

We have an extra day this month. How will you be using your ‘extra’ day?
Good question! I never think of the 29th of Feb as a ‘bonus’ day, but I shall from now on. You’ve inspired me to book in that day to do something meaningful and different. Previously, I’ve tried to set aside a day each quarter to do something I’m passionate about and outside of my usual routine. I’ve not been very good at sticking to it, so perhaps this is the nudge I need. To perform well professionally, you need to look after your own wellbeing.

February 4 is World Cancer Day – does this mean anything to you?
All of us know someone who we’ve lost or who has gone through really tough treatment due to cancer. It’s deeply stressful, upsetting, and often tragic. It touches all of us, and I’ve found it personally very difficult as you feel so helpless. I do believe that it is a time to step up to support someone or their family where you can, and also a reminder that life and good health is so precious – a reminder to all of us to make the most of every moment.

February 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day – has anyone shown you, or your business, a random act of kindness over the last year?
I have learnt to embrace the power of networking as I’ve grown my business. One message that I’ve never forgotten was to help others wherever you can, and don’t expect anything back. Individuals I’ve met in the past year have gone out of their way to give me good advice or make beneficial introductions, where they had nothing to gain. I always remember these people and very much try and do the same myself. It’s inspiring.

Are there any key moments or events within your business that you’d like to share during February?
This February is the first anniversary of our initial group meeting as a collective of Finance Director consultants. As well as growing the business by supporting clients effectively and building long term relationships, I am driven to create a community of FD Consultants who support each other and learn together.

Being a consultant can be a lonely place and I’ve gained huge satisfaction from bringing together fantastic, talented people to grow and thrive professionally as a group. Our group sessions regularly involve invited outside experts who present seminars to keep us informed and updated on new developments which are relevant to us. We also present to each other on selected topics.

We are all highly experienced but want to keep learning. This benefits us as individuals and, of course, ultimately our clients.

Have you got any special offers for February or March that you’d like to mention?
We tend to believe in our value, so we don’t discount our services. However, I am always happy to have an initial meeting at no cost with any business leader to offer high level advice and guidance.  Please do get in touch if you feel I could help you in this way.

For more information visit www.thefdconsultant.com