What a fractional CFO actually does
A bookkeeper records what happened. A CFO tells you what it means and what to do next. The work is forward looking and it is specific to the decisions in front of you: whether to hire, whether to take the line of credit, whether the new product line is actually profitable once you load it with its real costs.
- 13-week rolling cash forecast, updated weekly
- Annual budget and quarterly reforecast, built bottom up
- Unit economics by product, channel, location or matter
- Pricing analysis and margin defence
- Board and investor reporting packages
- Lender and bank covenant management
- Financial modelling for hiring, expansion and capital raises
- Buy-side and sell-side support on acquisitions
The cash forecast is the core deliverable
Most companies that fail are profitable on paper at the time they run out of money. A 13-week cash forecast built from actual receivable timing, actual payable terms and actual payroll dates catches the squeeze eight weeks before it arrives, which is enough time to do something about it.
We rebuild the forecast every week against actuals, so the variance itself becomes the early warning signal. When collections slip, you see it in the model before you feel it in the bank account.
Working with your existing team
If you already have a bookkeeper or an in-house controller, the CFO engagement sits above them. We review their output, tighten the close, and take on the analytical and strategic work. Nobody has to be replaced for this to work.
If you have nobody, we run the full stack: bookkeeping underneath, CFO on top, one point of contact for both.
Engagement shape
Monthly retainer, fixed fee, scoped to a defined set of deliverables and a defined cadence. Typically a weekly working call, a monthly reporting package and review, and a quarterly deeper session on strategy. No hourly billing and no surprise invoices for picking up the phone.
Frequently asked questions
At what revenue does outsourced CFO make sense?
Usually between $2M and $50M in revenue. Below that, good bookkeeping plus quarterly advisory tends to be enough. Above $50M, most companies want someone in house full time, and we help hire and hand over.
How is this different from a controller?
A controller owns accuracy and controls. A CFO owns the forward view: cash, capital, pricing and strategy. Many growing companies need both, and the controller function is usually the cheaper one to outsource first.
Will you talk to our bank and investors directly?
Yes. Sitting in lender meetings, defending the forecast and handling diligence requests is part of the engagement.