The ieBusiness Podcast meets Ciaran O’Donnell, founder of Virtual FD
The ieBusiness Podcast meets Ciaran O’Donnell, founder of Virtual FD
Armed with an accounting qualification, Ciaran O’Donnell moved to London shortly after graduation, embarking on a varied corporate career that spanned 15 years. Eventually, he took the leap to set up his own business, working as a Virtual Financial Director (FD) for start-ups and early-stage companies navigating their first steps.
In this week’s ieBusiness Podcast, Ciaran shares insights from his corporate journey and his transition to the dynamic world of start-ups. He reflects on the challenges early-stage businesses face, from managing cash flow to identifying their customer base, and offers practical strategies to overcome these hurdles. Now based on the Isle of Wight, he also highlights how running his own business has allowed him to balance work with family life.
Ciaran emphasises the importance of taking action, even when conditions aren’t perfect, a philosophy he believes is key for start-ups.
“As long as you have an awareness as a founder or if you are starting your own business that you can’t just have a great plan, you have actually got to go and do something,” he explains.
“I would much prefer an average business with a great execution as opposed to a great business or idea with an average execution.”
