Fractional CFO.

Definition

What is a
fractional CFO?

Triggers

When to hire
a fractional CFO.

Six recurring triggers. Any one is sufficient. Most companies meet three simultaneously by the time they engage.

Included

What's included
in the engagement.

A complete finance function — strategic, operational, and reporting — delivered under one price.

Engagement

The Standard
Engagement.

FAQ

Fractional CFO,
answered.

The questions we are asked most often, answered directly.

• What is a fractional CFO?Close

  A fractional CFO is a senior finance executive who leads a company's finance function on a part-time or retained basis, rather than as a full-time employee. The role delivers the same strategic responsibilities as a full-time CFO — capital allocation, financial planning, board reporting, fundraising, and risk management — at a fraction of the cost and commitment. Fractional CFOs are typically engaged by companies with $2M to $75M in revenue that require executive financial leadership but do not yet need, or cannot yet justify, a permanent hire.

• What does a fractional CFO do?Read

  A fractional CFO owns the strategic and operational leadership of a company's finance function. Responsibilities include long-range financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, board and investor reporting, capital raising, pricing and unit economics, and oversight of the controller, accounting, and FP&A teams. In practice, the fractional CFO joins the executive team, attends leadership meetings, and represents finance to the board and investors.

• What does a fractional CFO cost?Read

  Fractional CFO pricing generally falls into three ranges. Hourly consultants typically charge $250 – $600 per hour. Monthly retainers range from $5,000 for advisory-only engagements to $15,000 – $25,000 for a working CFO with a supporting team. Enterprise-grade engagements, such as the STANDARD Engagement, are priced at $20,000 per month and include the CFO, controller, financial analyst, and finance operations lead — a complete finance function under one price.

• How many hours per week does a fractional CFO work?Read

  Most fractional CFO engagements are structured around approximately one day per week of executive time — roughly eight to twelve hours — with additional support from the underlying finance team. The cadence typically includes a weekly executive meeting, ongoing asynchronous communication, monthly board and reporting cycles, and additional intensive time during fundraising, audit, or strategic events.

• When should you hire a fractional CFO?Read

  The most common triggers are: approaching or exceeding $2M – $5M in annual revenue, preparing for a priced funding round, adding a board of directors, closing a first institutional customer, hitting cash flow complexity that bookkeeping cannot answer, acquiring or being acquired, or entering a period of intentional growth that requires financial planning discipline. If any of these apply, a fractional CFO is the correct next hire.

• Fractional CFO vs full-time CFO — how do they compare?Read

  A full-time CFO is a permanent executive hire: four to nine months of search, first-year all-in cost of $500,000 to $900,000 or more, meaningful equity, and a long-term employment relationship. A fractional CFO delivers the same strategic function on a quarterly commitment at roughly one-third to one-half the cost, and is operational within one to two weeks. Full-time is correct at scale — typically $75M+ revenue or in the twelve months preceding an IPO. Fractional is correct in every stage before that.

• How is a fractional CFO different from a bookkeeper?Read

  A bookkeeper records historical transactions — categorizing expenses, reconciling accounts, and maintaining the general ledger. A fractional CFO is a forward-looking executive who uses that clean historical data to plan the future of the business: forecasting, capital strategy, pricing, board reporting, and executive decision-making. The two roles are complementary, not substitutable.

• How is a fractional CFO different from a controller?Read

  A controller owns the accounting function — monthly close, GAAP compliance, audit readiness, and internal controls. A fractional CFO owns the strategic finance function — planning, capital, growth, and executive representation. In a fully staffed finance function, the controller reports to the CFO. STANDARD includes both, so companies receive strategic and operational finance leadership under a single engagement.

• Can a startup hire a fractional CFO?Read

  Yes. Fractional CFOs are the most common form of CFO for early- and growth-stage startups because full-time CFO economics rarely make sense before Series B. A fractional CFO gives a startup board-ready reporting, a defensible financial model, fundraising materials, and executive representation without the equity dilution and cash burn of a permanent hire.

• Can a fractional CFO help raise capital?Read

  Yes. Fundraising is one of the most common reasons companies engage a fractional CFO. A fractional CFO builds the financial model, assembles the data room, prepares investor materials, participates in diligence calls, and represents the finance function to prospective investors. For most venture and growth equity raises, having an experienced CFO on the executive team materially increases the odds of a successful round.

• Do I still need a CPA if I hire a fractional CFO?Read

  Yes. A CPA firm files taxes and, when required, conducts audits or reviews. A fractional CFO does not replace this. STANDARD is engineered to integrate with the CPA firm you already work with — our CFO leads the finance function; your CPA continues tax and attest work.

• Do I still need bookkeeping if I hire a fractional CFO?Read

  Yes. Bookkeeping is the foundation the finance function is built on. A fractional CFO relies on clean, timely books to plan and report accurately. STANDARD works alongside your existing bookkeeper or bookkeeping firm; where books are not yet reliable, the STANDARD controller establishes the discipline required.

• How is STANDARD priced?Read

  STANDARD is priced at $20,000 per month, billed quarterly at $60,000 per engagement. The price is fixed and includes the senior CFO, controller, financial analyst, and finance operations lead — no hourly billing, no scope changes, no proposals. Minimum engagement is one quarter; engagements continue on a quarterly cadence for as long as the executive coverage is useful.

• Why is STANDARD priced quarterly?Read

  A quarter is the natural unit of financial planning. It is long enough to complete meaningful work — a close cycle, a forecast refresh, a board meeting — and short enough to remain flexible. Quarterly billing removes the friction of long-term contracts while giving both parties enough time to produce outcomes worth measuring.

• How quickly can we start?Read

  Five business days from engagement to operational. Day one is engagement. Days two through four are onboarding, systems access, and financial deep dive. Day five, the CFO joins the executive team and begins operating.

• Who is my CFO?Read

  A senior CFO with two decades of executive finance experience across venture-backed and founder-led growth companies. You are introduced within the first week of the engagement and work with them directly for its duration. There is no rotating pool of associates.

• What size company is STANDARD for?Read

  STANDARD is designed for companies between $2M and $75M in annual revenue that need executive financial leadership. This includes venture-backed startups after Seed or Series A, founder-led businesses that have outgrown a bookkeeper, and growth-stage companies preparing for an institutional round, an acquisition, or an audit.

• What industries do you serve?Read

  STANDARD serves technology, professional services, healthcare, consumer, manufacturing, and financial services companies. The engagement is industry-agnostic by design — the CFO adapts the framework to the specifics of the business rather than the reverse.

• When should I hire a full-time CFO instead?Read

  A full-time CFO is the correct hire when the company crosses roughly $75M – $100M in revenue, is within twelve months of an IPO, is running a complex multi-entity or international structure, or has a finance team that requires full-time executive management. Below that scale, a fractional CFO delivers equivalent strategic value at materially lower cost.

• Who should not hire a fractional CFO?Read

  Companies below $1M in revenue with a straightforward P&L are usually better served by a bookkeeper and a strong outsourced accounting firm. Companies with a highly regulated, treasury-intensive, or capital-markets-facing finance function may require a full-time CFO earlier. Companies unwilling to give an outside executive a real seat at the leadership table will not extract the value the engagement is designed to deliver.

• Do you replace our accounting team?Read

  No. STANDARD leads the finance function and integrates with your existing accounting, bookkeeping, and tax partners. Where you have gaps, we operate as the finance team. Where you have existing people, our CFO leads them.

• Can STANDARD attend our board meetings?Read

  Yes. Board representation is a standard element of the engagement. Your CFO prepares the board materials, attends board meetings, and answers directly to investors and directors on behalf of the finance function.

• What happens after the first quarter?Read

  The engagement continues on a quarterly cadence at the same fixed investment. Companies remain engaged for as long as the executive coverage is useful. There is no long-term contract, no renegotiation, and no offboarding fee.

• How is STANDARD different from a fractional CFO marketplace?Read

  Marketplaces match independent consultants to companies on a project basis. STANDARD is a firm, not a marketplace. You engage the firm; a senior CFO and a supporting finance team are assigned. There is no bidding, no rotating consultants, and no per-hour billing.