CASE STUDY:

Building financial structure and confidence at Arcania Apothecary

Arcania is a UK-based manufacturer of luxury skincare and cosmetic products, supplying high-end cosmetic and amenity ranges to luxury spas, hotels, high-street retailers and emerging brands. Known for its commitment to natural formulations and ethical sourcing, the business combines scientific expertise with a deep respect for nature.

Founded by Richard Howard, Arcania grew from a lifelong passion for fragrance, plants and holistic wellbeing.

Richard’s early experiences blending natural ingredients in Sri Lanka, alongside years working with essential oils and botanical materials, shaped Arcania’s distinctive philosophy: creating effective, plant-based products that work in harmony with the body and the natural world.

Today, the business operates with a strong focus on quality, sustainability and craftsmanship, maintaining a clear commitment to responsible manufacturing and longterm thinking.

As Arcania has grown, it has remained values-led – balancing creativity and product excellence with the practical demands of scaling a successful manufacturing business.

“…Not because people didn’t care, but because the basics weren’t being done in the right way, and that makes everything else far more difficult.” – Shane Costelloe, COO

Before Anna became involved, Arcania’s finance function was set up in a way that had worked well for an earlier stage of the business, but it hadn’t yet caught up with the pace and complexity of growth.

External accountants were supporting bookkeeping and compliance, but the business didn’t yet have the internal infrastructure, processes or embedded ownership needed to support a scaling manufacturer.

As Arcania expanded, the limitations of an external setup became more noticeable. Without finance being embedded in the organisation, it was harder to build consistent routines, create clear accountability, and maintain the level of day-to-day visibility and understanding the leadership team needed – particularly across invoicing, payments, reconciliations, funding and reporting.

At the same time, the business was working to implement a new ERP system. This was a significant step forward, but also a complex, finance-driven project that required dedicated attention and experienced leadership. Without the right internal structure in place, progress on the system had stalled…

The business had reached a point where it needed stronger financial structure and processes to support growth, reduce risk and help with better decision-making.

When Anna was first brought into Arcania, her role was focused specifically on supporting the financial elements of a complex ERP implementation. At that stage, the business already had a CFO in place, and Anna’s involvement was intended to provide additional expertise on a project that required detailed financial oversight.

As the ERP work progressed, however, it became clear that the challenges facing the business extended beyond systems alone. The process of working through data structures, reporting requirements and controls highlighted wider opportunities to strengthen the finance function and bring greater clarity to how the business was being supported financially.

What Arcania needed was experienced finance leadership, but in a way that was realistic and flexible for the stage the business was at. They needed someone who could stabilise the situation, develop the right structure and support the business through change, without creating long-term dependency. Fractional FD support provided that balance.

Anna helped the leadership team understand what resource and capability would be required and the associated costs. With that context, the business was able to make an informed decision about the most appropriate route forward – a model that combined senior fractional leadership with internal capacity.

“We’re not experts in finance. We felt comfortable being guided. Once we understood what a permanent CFO would realistically cost, we decided that wasn’t the right route for us.” – Shane Costelloe, COO

Anna was recommended through Arcania’s professional network and quickly stood out for her clarity and practical approach. Rather than offering a single, fixed solution, she worked closely with the leadership team to understand what the business actually needed — both immediately and longer term.

Although her initial remit focused on the ERP project, the value she brought during that phase made a wider impact visible. Her ability to analyse the detail, challenge assumptions and connect systems with real business outcomes highlighted how much senior financial leadership the organisation was missing.

As a result, Anna’s involvement increased to two days a week for a set period, and her role expanded beyond the ERP project to cover the wider finance function. This shift enabled Arcania to benefit from experienced, hands-on leadership across all aspects of finance, without committing to a full-time hire. It also gave Anna time to address other priority areas, including a focused piece of work on customer credit control to strengthen cash collection and improve day-to-day cashflow confidence.

Her breadth of experience across different sectors reassured the team that she could adapt quickly to Arcania’s evolving and complex environment.

“She analysed everything, challenged assumptions, and wasn’t afraid to say when something wasn’t viable.” – Tina Yarde, Finance

Anna worked closely with Richard Howard, Shane Costelloe and Tina Yarde to strengthen and restructure the finance function. Her involvement was initially hands-on and focused on stabilisation, before evolving as clarity and structure were established.

Her work included:

Reviewing and restructuring the overall finance function
Separating processing activities from senior financial oversight
Rebuilding core processes around invoicing, payments, reconciliations and funding
Addressing historical issues and ensuring year-end accounts and claims were completed accurately
Supporting and driving the financial elements of a complex ERP implementation that had stalled for nearly two years
Ensuring systems were configured to properly support the business going forward
Implementing credit control procedures and reducing overdue debt by over 50%

“She has the difficult conversations that people tend to step around. It’s uncomfortable at first, but then you work through it, and that’s when you start to see the light at the end.“ – Shane Costelloe, COO

As the finance function stabilised, the impact across the business was clear.

Financial processes became structured, repeatable and reliable, giving the leadership team a much clearer understanding of where the business stood and what decisions were needed. Tasks that previously caused stress or delay were now handled consistently, reducing risk and pressure across the organisation.

At the same time, improvements to customer credit control strengthened cash collection, reduced pressure on cashflow, and gave the team greater confidence in forecasting and day-to-day decision-making. The ERP system, which had previously been a major source of uncertainty, was successfully implemented with Anna leading the financial elements. Although migrating mid-financial year added complexity, the transition was completed with clarity and control, providing Arcania with a system that genuinely supported its operations.

With clearer roles and stronger processes in place, the finance team was able to operate more effectively. Senior finance time could be focused on oversight, funding and supplier management, rather than resolving basic issues.

“For a long time, we didn’t have enough finance capacity in the right places. Now the team works really well – everyone knows their role and things flow properly day to day.” – Tina Yarde, Finance

Importantly, Anna’s approach also delivered strong value for money. She remained highly conscious of cost, ensuring that her involvement delivered tangible improvements and reduced risk.

“She always makes sure her cost is outweighed by the value she brings.” – Tina Yarde, Finance

Today, Arcania has a structured and capable finance team with clear responsibilities and strong oversight. The business operates with far greater confidence in its numbers, systems and decision-making.

Anna continues to support the team one day a week, providing senior input on month-end reporting, budgets and complex financial matters, while the internal team manages day-today operations.

“When the basics aren’t being done properly, businesses get into real trouble. Having someone come in with fresh eyes made all the difference.” – Shane Costelloe, COO

“Before Anna came along, we’d tried so many different ways of financially supporting the business and nothing quite worked.

What she did was remarkable – she brought skill, professionalism and an excellent ability to communicate. Step by step, she brought light to the situation and helped us work through it.

I am extremely grateful for Anna and I would highly recommend her services, her expertise, her kindness and most of all her interest in making a difference to a business that she believes in.”

– Richard Howard, Founder, Arcania

If your organisation would benefit from clearer financial visibility or flexible senior finance support, I’d love to have a conversation.