About

FinStra was founded by Dawn Watson in 2009, to provide business advice and Interim Finance Director services to small businesses and start-ups.

Dawn worked with Ernst & Young for 8 years in many different areas of the business having qualified as a CA with them in 1992. Her experience in Ernst & Young includes business services, corporate finance and a secondment to Dunbartonshire Enterprise where she was involved in business development.

Following this Dawn has held senior positions within many businesses – steel distributor (supplier to the oil industry), transport, equipment hire, manufacturing, construction and technology companies. Her focus has mainly been on start up companies and SMEs, although she also has some PLC experience.

The experiences learned during these assignments apply to all companies, regardless of sector, and include:

• The right team of people is paramount to growing and developing a business – you need the right people in the right position.
• Cash management is critical at all stages of a company's growth & development.
• Good, solid and relevant management information allows informed decisions to be made on the next stage of the life of a company.