A fractional CFO helps your company focus on the future. He works with you as a strategic partner. In addition to short-term needs and weekly analysis, a fractional CFO provides long-term planning to keep your business healthy and growing. A fractional CFO takes a strategic approach, using current and historical data to anticipate the future. A controller, on the other hand, focuses more on historical data and is busier with day-to-day accounting and reporting. In general, he does not propose new ideas to boost the company's overall success. 

An important sign is when you have trouble making decisions because of the following:

• Lack of accurate, timely and useful data.
• Weak financial processes/lack of discipline.
• Inaccurate/inadequate analysis of current business.
• Lack of future vision - planning and projecting the future to eliminate surprises.
• Absence of a competent, objective contact for strategic planning.

Common signs that a company might need a fractional CFO:

• Planning and cash flow management problems.
• Indecision and uncertainty.
• A company that underperforms.
• Fluctuating financial results.
• A company that has outgrown the expertise of its financial staff.

This will depend on the needs and the agreed action plan. The timing, skills and capacity of your existing staff will also determine the level of support required. In general, the typical commitment is one day a week, with exceptions. In most cases, there is more effort at the outset, followed by a reduced workload to maintain improved processes and initiatives.

A fractional CFO does everything a full-time CFO does, but on a part-time basis. Financial reporting, forecasting, cash flow planning and financial leadership can all be part of a CFO's job.

Common examples of what a fractional CFO will do for your company:

• Ensure that company reports are accurate and contain useful data.
• Focus on the key elements that have the greatest impact on profitability.
• Implement financial discipline and control.
• Develop projections to identify future risks and opportunities.​
• Help with external relations (bankers, suppliers, customers, accountants, etc.).
• Provide leadership, training and supervision to the company's accounting staff.
• Question existing processes and procedures ("This is the way we've always done it").
• Perform in-depth financial analyses to make effective business decisions (e.g., determine what type of cost should be included in your rates).
• Help executives make crucial business decisions.
• Act as a leader, teacher and challenger.

We'll arrange a combination of on-site support, recurring phone calls and video meetings to interact with your team. Typically, we'll have a recurring call/meeting with your company's internal accounting manager each week, a monthly financial review with the management team, and other follow-up meetings with the owner/CEO for status updates and action tracking.

In a large company, responsibilities are clear. In a smaller company, roles tend to be blurred, and frequently titles do not correspond to the work the person actually does (for example, calling an accountant a controller etc.).

Whatever the title, someone qualified should perform the following tasks in every company:

• The production of financial reports and analyses that are both accurate and useful for decision-making (e.g. profitability by product/customer/location, market segment, etc.).
• Bring the company into line with the main measures having the greatest impact on profitability and cashflow.
• Cash management and cash planning.
• Balance organizational health and growth by establishing basic financial rules and controls.
• Develop projections to identify future risks and opportunities.​
• Provide leadership and training to the company's accounting staff.
• Question and challenge the status quo (e.g. don't settle for "That's the way we've always done it").
• Help the owner make difficult decisions.

If some or all of the above are not taken into account in your business and you can't afford a full-time CFO, then a fractional CFO may be a cost-effective solution for you.

The profession of chartered accountant is regulated and focuses on compliance with accounting, tax and social obligations. Their focus is on historical data, and they work to deadlines for many clients at the same time. A CFO, whether full-time or part-time, is much more forward-looking, not just using numbers to fill out a tax form. A CFO is versatile. A good CFO has extensive hands-on experience in many areas, including administration, management accounting, production, purchasing, human resources, facilities, contracts and negotiations, in addition to strong financial skills. Above all, a good small-business CFO must have good business acumen.

The need for good financial management is not a question of size. Almost any company can benefit from the activities of a CFO. In general, we work with companies with annual sales ranging from €1 million to €20 million, although some are smaller and some larger.

We have fixed-fee programs that allow you to choose one based on your needs/budget and the priorities we discussed during the diagnostic phase. The fixed pricing structure eliminates billing surprises and encourages open dialogue without fear of being billed for phone calls, e-mails and other time-related charges. In some cases, when tasks fall outside the scope of existing programs, they are considered project work and we work with a very reasonable hourly rate depending on the content of the task (e.g. accounting review).

Over 98% of private companies fail within 10 years. Thousands of small businesses fail every year. Virtually all of these businesses had an accountant. Often, these businesses fail not because of a fundamental weakness in the business itself, or even because of the changing economics of their sector, but because of the very lack of basic financial management and planning. What happened yesterday is not as important as what's going to happen tomorrow, next month and next quarter. By anticipating the future and recognizing both the risks and opportunities ahead, you can make better decisions today.

After the start-up period, during which we install the accesses and gather all the necessary information, we will prepare the CFO's monthly report as agreed. In addition to this, the fractional CFO will follow the priorities according to the agreed action plan. However, as the fractional CFO becomes more involved in the details of the business, it is possible that other potential problems will be uncovered, which could alter the list of priorities. These issues will be submitted to the CEO for (re)prioritization.

We work closely with our customers, and as business needs evolve, so do we. We can help arrange an interview for the permanent CFO, and once hired, we'll ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities for as long as necessary. If the customer still requires occasional consultancy services, or a point of contact for the CEO afterwards, we can help in this area too.