Fractional CFO
A finance lead for the decisions, without the full-time hire.
Most growing businesses do not need a CFO on payroll. They need someone who knows the numbers to sit down with them before the decision, not after it.
What you get
- A cash flow forecast you can actually plan against, kept current
- An annual budget, and a regular check of where you are against it
- The numbers behind a specific decision: a hire, a lease, equipment, a price change
- Scenario work, so you can see what a slow quarter or a big contract would do
- Figures and context prepared for a lender or investor conversation
- A standing monthly or quarterly session to work through what is coming
Who we work with
- Owners making decisions on instinct because nobody is putting numbers to them
- Businesses that have grown past the point where the owner can hold it all in their head
- Anyone preparing for a loan, a lease or an investor conversation
- Owners who are profitable on paper and still short on cash, and want to know why
What to expect
- Start from records that hold up. We confirm the books are current before building anything on them, and say plainly if they are not.
- Get the shape of the year. A forecast and a budget, built from your actual numbers rather than a template.
- Bring decisions to the table before you make them. The point of the standing session is that the big ones stop being made alone and in a hurry.
- Revisit as things change. A forecast written once and filed away is not worth much. This one gets updated.
Common questions
Is this the same as accounting?
No. Accounting states what has already happened, correctly. Fractional CFO work looks forward: planning, forecasting and the decisions you have not made yet. Accounting is the record those decisions get made from.
How much of a CFO do I actually get?
As much as the business needs, which for most owners is a standing monthly or quarterly rhythm rather than someone on payroll. The scope is agreed up front and changes when the business does.
Do my books need to be in order first?
They need to be current and reconciled, because a forecast built on unreliable records is guesswork. If we keep your books that is already handled. If someone else does, we work from theirs, and we will say so if catch-up work is needed before the numbers can carry any weight.
How is this priced?
Per case, because it depends on how often we meet and how much analysis is involved. The consultation is free and we quote before you commit.
Related: Accounting · Bookkeeping · Tax Preparation · Business Formation & Compliance
Based in Bel Air, Maryland, working with clients wherever they are. Book a free consultation →
This page describes services we offer. It is not tax advice, and nothing here predicts what any particular business or individual will owe or save; that depends on your circumstances, which is what the consultation is for.