Advisory • Part-time CFO leadership
Fractional CFO Services — Hire a Part-Time CFO for Forecasting & Fundraising
Bring in senior finance leadership on a part-time basis. Forecasting, fundraising support, board reporting, and strategic finance — without the cost of a full-time hire.
Get help with QuickBooks, bookkeeping, payroll, tax planning, controller support, and CFO advisory from professionals who understand your business needs.
Overview
What a fractional CFO actually does
A fractional CFO owns the finance function part-time: cash forecasting, budget vs. actuals, fundraising support, board reporting, KPI design, and pricing strategy. They sit between your bookkeeper and your CEO, turning numbers into decisions.
- 13-week cash flow forecast updated weekly
- Annual budget + monthly variance analysis
- Board deck and investor reporting
- Fundraising support: model, data room, diligence
- Unit economics and pricing analysis
- Finance team hiring and management
Typical pricing
What this service usually costs
Project-based engagements (raise prep, exit prep) often run $15K–$50K fixed. Hourly CFO work is typically $250–$500/hr.
See full CFO pricing guideRight fit
Who should hire this professional
- Seed or Series A startups preparing to raise
- $1M–$30M revenue businesses without a finance leader
- Founders spending too much time on financial decisions
- Companies preparing for an exit or acquisition
- SaaS businesses needing unit economics analysis
- Boards demanding investor-grade reporting
Scope
Services included
Cash flow forecasting
Rolling 13-week model with weekly updates and scenario planning.
Budgeting & FP&A
Annual operating plan with monthly variance reviews.
Board reporting
Monthly board deck with KPIs, financials, and commentary.
Fundraising support
Investor model, data room prep, and diligence Q&A.
Strategic finance
Pricing, packaging, and unit economics analysis.
Team building
Hire and manage your bookkeeper, controller, and analyst.
Need help with bookkeeping, QuickBooks, tax, or CFO support?
Tell us what service you need and where your business is located.
Before you hire
Questions to ask any candidate
- 1What stage and size companies do you typically serve?
- 2Have you supported a raise at our stage?
- 3How many hours per month does the engagement include?
- 4Will you attend board meetings?
- 5How do you work with our existing bookkeeper or controller?
- 6What does your reporting cadence look like?
Get ready
Documents to prepare
- Last 12 months P&L and balance sheet
- Current cash balance and AR/AP aging
- Cap table and current investor list
- Existing budget or forecast (if any)
- Customer/revenue concentration data
- Current org chart and finance team structure
Compare
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Tell us what service you need and where your business is located.
FAQ
Common questions
How much does a fractional CFO cost?
Typical engagements run $3,000–$10,000/month depending on hours and scope. Project work (raise prep, exit) is often $15K–$50K fixed. Hourly rates land $250–$500/hr.
Fractional CFO vs. controller — which do I need?
Controllers own the close, reporting accuracy, and accounting team. CFOs own forecasting, fundraising, and strategy. Most companies under $5M revenue need a controller first; CFO comes when raising or scaling.
How many hours per month?
Common engagements: 10–20 hours/month for early-stage, 30–60 hours/month for fundraising or scaling companies, and full-day-per-week for $10M+ businesses.
Can a fractional CFO replace my accountant?
No. CFOs work alongside your bookkeeper and CPA. They translate the numbers into decisions; the accounting team still owns the data.
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How they compare
Fractional CFO vs Virtual CFO
The terms overlap. In practice, fractional CFOs work part-time with a small portfolio of clients, often onsite. Virtual CFOs work remotely and typically serve more clients across more geographies.
| Consideration | Part-timeFractional CFO | RemoteVirtual CFO |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery | Hybrid — often onsite monthly | Fully remote via video and shared dashboards |
| Time commitment | 20–60 hours/month per client | 5–30 hours/month per client |
| Client load | 2–6 companies | 6–20 companies |
| Pricing | $4k–$12k/month | $1.5k–$6k/month |
| Best deliverables | Fundraising, exit prep, board reporting | KPI dashboards, monthly reviews, forecasting |
| Best for | Companies raising capital, preparing for exit, or in a heavy strategic phase. | Steady-state companies that need ongoing financial visibility on a lean budget. |
Bottom line: Pick fractional for hands-on strategy engagements; pick virtual for lean, recurring financial leadership.
Advisor-grade guides
Downloadable ebooks & templates
CPA-ready playbooks and templates you can use today — instant downloads, no signup required.
The Small Business Tax & Profit Playbook
A CPA-ready guide to deductions, quarterly taxes, S-Corp strategy, owner pay, cash flow, and year-round tax planning.
Business Tax Deduction Checklist
A CPA-curated checklist of 80+ business deductions most owners miss — organized by category so you can sweep it before filing.
The Definitive Bookkeeping Cleanup & Recovery Guide
The CPA's step-by-step playbook for diagnosing messy books, reconstructing missing history, and restoring a clean, audit-ready ledger.
The Freelancer Tax Guide
The practical tax playbook for freelancers, contractors, and solo creatives — deductions, quarterly estimates, and self-employment strategies.
The Year-End Tax Planning Guide
The CPA's December playbook — practical strategies to reduce your tax bill before the year closes.
The Premium Bookkeeping Template Pack
Automated dashboards, multi-account reconciliations, and CPA-ready reporting workbooks for serious owners and bookkeepers.
Tax & Bookkeeping Resource Library
Our complete advisor-grade collection — every premium asset an owner needs to run clean books, lower taxes, and recover messy ledgers, in one bundle.