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Fractional CFO services for small businesses. From what happened to what now.

Our fractional CFO services help small businesses use clean books to decide what comes next: a rolling cash-flow forecast, a budget, pricing and margin analysis, and the numbers behind big decisions. It comes with the Scale plan, from $650 a month, built on books we reconcile every month.

Part of Scale, from $650/month

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Every month
  • A rolling cash-flow forecast, updated with real numbers
  • Your budget set against actual results
  • A review call and a short list of what to do next

Built on your own reconciled books

Books, then reporting. Then advice.

Bookkeeping tells you what happened. Reporting explains it. Advisory turns it into what to do next.

It is fractional: CFO-style guidance scoped to what you need, built on the monthly books we already keep, without the cost of a full-time finance hire. The work is practical: what you can afford, what to charge, which products or clients earn their keep, and when to hire.

Where it stops. Advice is only as good as the numbers behind it, so if your books are behind or messy, we catch up or clean up first. It is guidance on running the business, not fundraising, valuations or deal work.

Who it is for

  • Growing owner-run businesses
  • Brands selling on several channels
  • Seasonal swings in cash
  • Hiring or pricing calls ahead

Probably not the right fit if you need a full-time finance leader in the building, or are in the middle of a fundraising round or a sale.

  1. Fractional CFO supportThis serviceWhat to do nextForecast, budget, pricing and the big calls.
  2. Accounting and reportingWhat it meansProfit and loss, balance sheet and cash-flow view each month.
  3. Monthly bookkeepingWhat happenedEvery transaction coded, every account reconciled.

Each layer rests on the one below it.

What CFO support includes. And what it does not.

CFO-style support, built on the monthly books and reporting you already have with us.

Included in fractional CFO support

  • Cash-flow forecasting: see what is coming before it arrives
  • Budgeting and planning: targets you can manage against
  • Pricing and margin analysis: what earns, what leaks, what to change
  • Hiring and growth decisions: the numbers behind the big calls
  • Cash-flow reporting: where the money went last month
  • Regular review meetings: a recurring conversation about the business

Not included, or for a specialist

  • A full-time finance leader: this is fractional support, not an executive in your office
  • Fundraising, valuations or selling the business: specialist work, and we tell you when to bring one in
  • Audited or reviewed statements: those come from a CPA firm, and clean monthly books make that work quicker
  • Books that are behind: we start with a catch-up or cleanup, quoted first

Tools we work with for CFO support

  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Wise
  • ADP
  • Reporting is built in your QuickBooks Online or Xero.

Fractional CFO vs a full-time CFO.

Most small businesses need a forecast and a second opinion on big decisions long before they need a finance executive.

Bookkeeping and reports only, fractional CFO support and a full-time CFO compared
What you getBookkeeping and reports onlyFractional CFO supportA full-time CFO
Books reconciled every monthYesYesPartlyUsually through a team they manage
Rolling cash-flow forecastNoYesYes
Budget set against actual resultsNoYesYes
Pricing and margin analysisPartlyMargins show in the reportsYesYes
A review call each monthPartlyIn the Growth planYesYesDay to day
Leads a finance team in your officeNoNoYes
Fundraising and deal workNoNoWe tell you when to bring in a specialistYesUsually part of the role
CostFrom $150/monthPart of Scale, from $650/monthA full-time executive salary
Best whenDecisions are still simple, and you mainly need accurate numbersDecisions are getting bigger, and you want a forecast and someone to think them through withYou have a finance team to lead, investors to manage, or a raise or sale coming

How a month works.

  1. Books closed

    Your month is reconciled and reported by the 5th, so the forecast starts from real numbers.

  2. Forecast updated

    The rolling cash-flow forecast and budget updated with what actually happened.

  3. Review call

    We go through the numbers with you on your monthly review call.

  4. Next steps

    You leave with a short list of what to do next, not just what happened.

What we need from you

A little of your time, and the plans in your head. Between calls, email your named contact any time.

  • The decisions you are weighing: hires, purchases, price changes
  • Time for the monthly review call
  • Answers to our monthly question list, so the books close on time
  • A heads-up when something big changes in the business

Questions we help you answer.

Real decisions, worked through with your own numbers. A forecast is not a promise: it is a plan that updates as each month comes in.

  • Can I afford another hire?

    What a new salary does to cash and profit, month by month, before you commit.

  • How much cash do we need for the slow months?

    A rolling cash-flow forecast that shows the gaps before they arrive.

  • Which products, channels or clients make money?

    Margin line by line, so you know what earns and what leaks.

  • Should we raise our prices?

    What a price change does to your margin, with the numbers laid out side by side.

  • Can the business carry this loan or purchase?

    The repayments set against your forecast cash, before you sign anything.

  • Are we on track this year?

    A budget you can manage against, and a monthly look at where actual results differ.

Fractional CFO pricing. Part of Scale, from $650.

Fractional CFO support comes with the Scale plan, on top of the monthly books it is built on, with payroll, tax preparation, inventory and cash-flow reporting included. We confirm one fixed monthly fee after a short look, and any later change is agreed with you first.

What sets your fee

  • Your transaction volume and number of sales channels
  • Inventory to track, if you hold stock
  • How much payroll and tax work comes with it
See Scale plan pricing

  1. Starter

    Not included

    from $150/month

    Monthly bookkeeping and reports.

  2. Growth

    Not included

    from $350/month

    Adds payroll, sales-tax filing, tax preparation and a monthly review call.

  3. Scale

    Starts here

    from $650/month

    Fractional CFO support and cash-flow reporting, with inventory and multi-channel work.

“From” is the fixed monthly fee for a typical business in that plan. The exact number is confirmed after a short look at your volume and complexity, and any later change is agreed with you first.

Fractional CFO for construction, restaurants, ecommerce, agencies and real estate.

All industries

CFO support questions.

Is this a full-time CFO?

No. It is fractional: CFO-style guidance scoped to what you need, built on your monthly books, without a full-time salary. You get a forecast, a budget, margin analysis and a monthly review call, not an executive in your office.

What is the difference between a fractional CFO, a controller and a bookkeeper?

A bookkeeper records and reconciles what happened. A controller runs the accounting: the monthly close, the controls and the reports. A CFO looks forward: cash, planning, pricing and the big decisions. Here, monthly bookkeeping and reporting cover the first two, and fractional CFO support adds the forward view. Our guide to bookkeeper vs accountant vs CPA explains the other roles.

Is hiring a fractional CFO worth it?

It is worth it when the decisions in front of you cost more to get wrong than the support costs: a hire, a large inventory buy, a price change, a loan or a lease. If your books are not reliable yet, or the business is simple and steady, it is not worth it yet. Start with clean monthly books, and add CFO support when the decisions get bigger.

How much does a fractional CFO cost?

Here it is part of Scale, from $650/month, alongside your bookkeeping, payroll, tax preparation, inventory and cash-flow reporting. It is a fixed monthly fee, not billed by the hour. We confirm the exact fee after a short look at your volume and complexity. If your volume grows a lot, we talk first, and any change is agreed with you in advance and is usually small.

Do I need clean books first?

Yes. CFO support sits on top of accurate monthly bookkeeping and reporting. If your books are behind or messy, we catch up or clean up first, quoted as a fixed price before any work starts.

How often do we meet?

Scale includes a monthly review call with your named point of contact, who knows your file from your monthly books. Between calls, email any time and you will hear back within one business day.

Can I get CFO support without moving my bookkeeping to you?

CFO support is built on books we keep and reconcile each month, so it comes with the Scale plan. If you only want advice on top of someone else’s books, tell us and we will give you a straight answer.

Can you help me raise money or sell the business?

That is specialist work. We make sure your numbers are clean and clearly reported, and tell you when it is time to bring in a specialist.

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