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Financial consulting for business: what it is, what it solves and how to choose a consultant
What financial consulting is, what it solves for businesses in Kazakhstan, how fees work and how to choose a reliable financial consultant: what to look for and which warning signs to watch.
Dala Capital · updated 12 October 2026 · 7 min read
A business owner usually knows their production, customers and market well. But when it comes to a large loan, a state program or talks with an investor, questions come up that there is no time to research alone. That is what financial consulting is for — outside specialists working on the company’s money.
At a glance
- Financial consulting is outside expertise on a business’s money: where to get financing, how to structure it, how to manage debt and cash flow.
- The most common tasks in Kazakhstan are loans under state programs, a business plan and financial model for the bank, and refinancing expensive loans.
- A consultant does not lend money or decide for the bank. They prepare the project so that it passes the review.
- Choose a consultant by the contract, a clear fee structure and real experience — not by promises.
What financial consulting is
Financial consulting covers managing a business’s money and raising capital. A consultant looks at the company through its money: how much it earns, how much it can borrow, where to get cheaper financing and how to avoid a cash gap.
It is not bookkeeping or audit. An accountant handles records and taxes, an auditor checks the statements. A financial consultant works with the future: the plans, deals and decisions that determine how much money the business will have a year from now.
What a financial consultant does
- Raising finance
- What the consultant doesChooses the program and bank, prepares the project, sees it through to the bank’s decision
- When you need itYou need a loan, leasing or an investor
- Financial model and business plan
- What the consultant doesCalculates revenue, costs, cash flow and payback
- When you need itA new project, expansion, talks with a bank or investor
- Refinancing and restructuring
- What the consultant doesReworks current loans, looks for cheaper money, prepares talks on the repayment schedule
- When you need itA high rate, a cash gap, a heavy repayment schedule
- Outsourced finance director
- What the consultant doesBuilds management reporting, budgets and a payment calendar
- When you need itThe business is growing, but the owner sees the numbers once a quarter
- Business valuation and deals
- What the consultant doesValues the business, prepares the sale or purchase of a stake
- When you need itA partner coming in, selling the business, buying a company
| Area | What the consultant does | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Raising finance | Chooses the program and bank, prepares the project, sees it through to the bank’s decision | You need a loan, leasing or an investor |
| Financial model and business plan | Calculates revenue, costs, cash flow and payback | A new project, expansion, talks with a bank or investor |
| Refinancing and restructuring | Reworks current loans, looks for cheaper money, prepares talks on the repayment schedule | A high rate, a cash gap, a heavy repayment schedule |
| Outsourced finance director | Builds management reporting, budgets and a payment calendar | The business is growing, but the owner sees the numbers once a quarter |
| Business valuation and deals | Values the business, prepares the sale or purchase of a stake | A partner coming in, selling the business, buying a company |
Tax advice and audit are separate fields handled by accounting and audit firms.
When a business needs a financial consultant
- You are planning a major purchase — equipment, a workshop, a warehouse — and do not know which financing will be cheapest.
- The bank declined and did not explain why. We covered the common reasons in Why banks decline concessional loans.
- You pay 20–24% a year on loans, while state programs at around 12.6% may be available to your business. The difference is easy to work out in the loan calculator.
- You need to present the project to an investor or a foreign partner — for example, to raise capital from China.
- There is no time to work through dozens of programs, requirements and bank procedures.
How capital-raising advisory works
This is the most in-demand area of financial consulting in Kazakhstan. The work usually goes in six steps:
- Diagnosis. The consultant reviews the business: turnover, financial statements, current loans, collateral, the purpose of financing.
- Choosing the program and bank. Compares state programs and commercial offers — for example, a Damu loan, Orleu or Isker Aimak — and the banks with a limit under the right program.
- Financial model and business plan. Works out from actual figures where the business will find the money to repay.
- Document package. Collects and checks the documents before submission so the figures match the financial statements.
- Submission and bank questions. Submits the project and prepares answers to the credit analyst’s follow-up questions.
- Support through to the decision. Sees the project through to the bank’s decision and disbursement, including work on collateral and a Damu Fund guarantee.
The lending decision is always made by the bank or development institution. The consultant’s job is to get the project through their review the first time.
What the services cost and how fees are paid
There are three fee structures on the market:
- Fixed fee — for a specific piece of work: a business plan, a financial model, a loan portfolio review.
- Percentage of the financing — the consultant is paid only after the bank’s decision. Their interest is aligned with yours.
- Mixed — a small fixed part plus a percentage after the result.
We work with no upfront payment: our fee is a percentage of the approved amount, fixed in the contract, and document preparation is included. Whatever the structure, the payment terms should be written into the contract before work begins.
How to choose a financial consultant
- Legal entity and contract. The company is registered, can be checked by its BIN in public registers, and works under a contract with a clear scope.
- Transparent fees. You know in advance what you pay for and when, and it is in the contract.
- Experience with similar projects. The consultant shows cases in your sector and at comparable amounts.
- An honest view of the odds. A good consultant explains why a program fits and names the risks up front — including when the project is not ready yet.
- Work with several banks and programs. Then you get the best option, not the only one available.
Warning signs
- They promise 100% approval. Only the bank decides.
- They ask for a large upfront payment “for the bank” or “for approval”.
- They offer to “arrange things” with bank staff or adjust the financial statements.
- They refuse to sign a contract or leave the fee out of it.
- They suggest taking the loan out in someone else’s name.
Why not go to the bank directly
You can, and sometimes that is enough. But a bank assesses an application rather than preparing it, and offers its own products rather than the best on the market. If the project fails, the bank rarely explains why. A consultant compares programs and banks, prepares the project to the requirements of a specific program and removes the reasons for rejection before submission.
Questions about financial consulting
What do financial consulting services include?
Usually raising finance, a financial model and business plan, refinancing and restructuring debt, management accounting, business valuation and deal support. The exact scope is set in the contract.
How is a financial consultant different from an accountant?
An accountant keeps records and files statements for the past period. A financial consultant works with plans and decisions: where to get money, how much the business can borrow and how to sustain the payments.
Can a consultant guarantee loan approval?
No. The decision is made by the bank or development institution. An honest consultant assesses the odds, names the risks and prepares the project so that it passes the review.
How much do financial consultants charge?
It depends on the structure: a fixed fee for a specific piece of work, a percentage of the financing after the bank’s decision, or a mix. The terms should be written into the contract before work begins.
What projects do you work on?
Projects from ₸50 million: concessional loans under state programs, buying commercial property, yuan loans and capital from China, and large investment projects. We work across Kazakhstan.
We are a consulting company and do not issue loans. Financing decisions are made by the bank or development institution.