Fractional CFO
A CFO in your corner, without the full-time salary.
Know your cash runway, price with confidence, and walk into every bank meeting prepared. Senior financial leadership, sized to your business.
Last updated October 2026 · Reviewed by the AccuLedger Services team
In short
A fractional CFO is a senior finance executive who works with your business part-time, typically for a set number of hours or days each month. They lead cash flow forecasting, budgeting, KPI reporting, pricing and margin analysis, and lender or investor conversations. AccuLedger’s fractional CFO services give growing companies in Greater Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, Ventura County and the Conejo Valley CFO-level strategy at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.
Who it’s for
Is fractional cfo right for you?
CFO-level strategy without the full-time salary: cash flow forecasting, budgets, KPIs, pricing and financing support.
- Businesses growing faster than their cashSee shortfalls weeks ahead and plan around them.
- Owners raising capital or a credit lineLender-ready financials, forecasts and a clear story.
- Companies with margin pressureFind out which services, jobs and customers actually make money.
- Leaders planning a sale or successionClean numbers and a valuation-minded plan years in advance.
What’s included
What our fractional cfo services include.
13-week cash flow forecasting
A rolling, week-by-week view of cash in and cash out, so you can see a shortfall coming and act early.
Budgets & rolling forecasts
An annual budget built with you, then re-forecast monthly against actual results.
KPI dashboards & reporting
The handful of metrics that drive your business, reported monthly in a format you’ll actually read.
Pricing, margin & profitability
Profitability by service line, job, location or customer, and pricing decisions grounded in real costs.
Financing & investor readiness
Lender packages, covenant tracking, investor models and support in bank and investor meetings.
Strategic planning & scenarios
Hiring plans, expansion, new locations and "what-if" models before you commit capital.
Our process
How it works.
Diagnose
A financial review of cash, margins, reporting and goals.
Build
Forecast, budget and KPI dashboard tailored to your business.
Advise
Monthly strategy meetings and on-call support between them.
Execute
Support for financing, pricing, hiring and growth decisions.
| Fractional CFO | Full-time CFO | Bookkeeper | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Strategy, cash, forecasting, financing | Strategy, finance team, capital markets | Recording and reconciling transactions |
| Time commitment | Part-time: hours or days per month | Full-time, in-house | Part- or full-time |
| Typical cost (industry ranges) | About $3,000–$12,000+ per month, by scope | Often $200,000–$400,000+ per year plus benefits | Hourly or monthly, by volume |
| Best for | Roughly $1M–$50M revenue businesses | Larger or venture-scale companies | Every business, as the foundation |
FAQ
Fractional CFO questions, answered.
What is a fractional CFO?
A fractional CFO is an experienced chief financial officer who works with a company part-time or on a retainer instead of as a full-time employee. They provide the same strategic work, such as cash flow forecasting, budgeting, financial analysis, KPI reporting and financing strategy, for a set number of hours or days each month.
When does a business need a fractional CFO?
Common signs include frequent cash surprises, rapid growth, plans to raise capital or take on a loan, shrinking margins, preparing for an acquisition or sale, or an owner spending too much time on finance. Many businesses bring in a fractional CFO somewhere between $1 million and $50 million in annual revenue, when they need strategy but not a full-time executive.
How much does a fractional CFO cost?
Across the industry, fractional CFO engagements commonly range from about $3,000 to $12,000 or more per month depending on scope, complexity and time commitment, compared with $200,000 to $400,000 or more per year for a full-time CFO. AccuLedger provides a fixed monthly proposal after a free consultation.
How many hours does a fractional CFO work each month?
It depends on your needs and stage. Many engagements start at a few days per month, with more time during budgeting, fundraising or major decisions. Your fractional CFO is reachable between meetings and attends key lender, investor or leadership meetings with you.
What is the difference between a fractional CFO and a controller?
A controller makes sure the numbers are accurate, complete and on time: they own the month-end close, accounting policies and internal controls. A CFO uses those numbers to look forward, through forecasting, strategy, capital and growth decisions. Many growing businesses need both, which is why AccuLedger offers fractional controller and fractional CFO services together.
Will you work with my existing bookkeeper or CPA?
Yes. We often work alongside an in-house bookkeeper or an outside CPA firm. If your books need to be stronger to support forecasting, we can provide bookkeeping and controller services too, so everything comes from a single source of truth.
Related services
Works well with.
Serving businesses in Conejo Valley, Ventura County, Santa Clarita Valley, Greater Los Angeles.
Talk to us about fractional cfo.
Book a free, no-pressure consultation. We’ll review where things stand and send a fixed-fee proposal within two business days.