Skip to main content

Fractional CFO Services

Get experienced financial leadership without the full-time cost. A fractional CFO helps you manage cash flow, raise capital, and build financial infrastructure for scale.

What a Fractional CFO Does

Financial Strategy & Planning
Fundraising & Investor Relations
Cash Flow Management
Financial Modeling & Forecasting
Board & Investor Reporting
Budget Development
KPI Dashboard Creation
Accounting Team Oversight
M&A Due Diligence
Compliance & Risk Management
Tax Strategy
Financial Systems Implementation

Signs You Need a Fractional CFO

  • Preparing to raise capital - You need someone to build financial models, create investor decks, and lead fundraising.
  • Rapid growth challenges - Your financial systems and processes cannot keep up with company growth.
  • Cash flow concerns - You lack visibility into cash runway and need better financial controls.
  • Board requests are overwhelming - You need professional financial reporting and board deck preparation.
  • Making major decisions - Strategic decisions like M&A, expansion, or restructuring require financial expertise.

How Much Does a Fractional CFO Cost?

Fractional CFO Cost

Low End
$5K/mo
Typical
$12K/mo
High End
$20K/mo

Rates vary based on company complexity, transaction work, and time commitment (typically 10-25 hrs/week).

On these figures: these are rates commonly advertised by fractional executives, not survey data. No authoritative survey of fractional rates exists, so treat every published range — ours included — as an estimate rather than a measurement.

Fractional Controller vs Fractional CFO

A controller makes sure your numbers are right. A CFO decides what to do with them. Many growing companies need a controller before they need a CFO, and some need both.

Fractional controller

  • Runs the monthly close and gets it done on time
  • Makes sure the books, payroll and revenue figures are accurate
  • Sets up controls over payments, approvals and reconciliations
  • Prepares the company for its tax filings and audit
  • Manages the bookkeeper or accounting team

Fractional CFO

  • Builds the forecast and the financial model
  • Plans cash and runway
  • Leads fundraising and investor reporting
  • Advises on pricing, hiring plans and big decisions
  • Reports to the board

Start with a controller if your month-end takes weeks, your numbers keep changing after you have seen them, or an audit or due diligence is coming and the books are not ready. Start with a CFO if the books are clean but nobody is planning ahead: you are about to raise money, cash is tight, or the board wants a forecast.

On full-time pay: BLS has no separate CFO occupation. Controllers fall under Financial Managers (SOC 11-3031), the same occupation we use as the full-time reference for CFOs: median salary $166,570 a year in May 2025. It is one figure for both roles, not a measured salary for either.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find Your Fractional CFO

Take our free 2-minute assessment to get personalised recommendations, or use our cost calculator to estimate your investment.