CPA-led fractional CFO, every month
Fractional CFO services that turn clean books into decisions.
A rolling 13-week cash forecast, a budget you measure against and a monthly working session on the numbers, without a full-time CFO salary. Built for businesses with $1M to $50M in revenue and backed by a licensed CPA team.
30 minutes with a licensed CPA · No card · No contract
The layer that plans what comes next
What does a fractional CFO do?
A fractional CFO, sometimes called an outsourced CFO, is a part-time chief financial officer. We build a rolling 13-week cash forecast, set a budget and explain every variance against it. We track margin by product, project or customer and prepare reports for lenders, investors and your board. You get a monthly working session and help before big decisions.
AceCPAs covers all four, so your forecast is built on books our team keeps or reviews.
What changes
Four decisions that go differently with a forecast.
Pick a moment to see what usually happens, and what happens when a 13-week forecast is already in place.
Our call: fix week 11 first, then start the hire in week 13.
A $60K supplier payment moves from week 11 to week 13 by agreement. Week 11 clears the $150K floor.
Plan around $18,400 a month, not $27,900. The refund will not repeat and the ad savings are timing.
Fractional vs full-time
Fractional CFO or full-time CFO: which one fits?
A full-time CFO makes sense once you have a full finance team to run. Before that, most of the value comes from the forecast, the budget and the monthly session.
| Topic | Full-time CFO | Fractional CFO from AceCPAs |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Salary, benefits and often equity, plus a recruiting fee | One fixed monthly fee, quoted after a free review |
| Who does the work | One person who depends on whoever keeps the books | A CPA team with bookkeeping, controller and tax in one firm |
| Getting started | Months to recruit and onboard | Assessment starts after the first call |
| Commitment | Full-time employment | Monthly, or a project with an end date |
| Best fit | Larger companies with a finance team to manage | $1M to $50M businesses that need CFO judgment now |
Forecast, budget review, margin analysis and a working session every month, on books our team keeps or reviews.
A funding raise, a sale of the business or a turnaround. Fixed scope, a clear end date and the same CPA team behind it.
Reports every month
See what a fractional CFO puts on your desk.
Cash, 13 weeks out.
Rolled forward every week from the bank balance, with each large payment and collection placed in the week it actually lands.
Every variance, explained.
The month against the budget, line by line, with the reason for each gap in plain words.
Where the profit really sits.
Margin by the dimension your business runs on: product line, project or customer segment.
Ready before the bank asks.
Statements, forecast and covenant figures in one package that lenders and investors accept without follow-up questions.
Blended margin 35.2% on $652,000 of revenue. Rush orders carry the freight cost and earn the least.
How onboarding works
From first review to a monthly plan you trust.
- Assess. We review two to three years of results, your cost structure and your cash cycle, then tell you which numbers in your books you can rely on today.
- Build. Forecast, budget and reporting models built around how your business earns. If the books need work first, we fix that before we forecast.
- Run it monthly. A working session on the results every month, and a CPA on hand when a big decision needs numbers.
- Every weekCash forecast rolled forward
- By the 15thBooks closed and CPA reviewed
- After closeBudget vs actual and margin memo
- MonthlyWorking session with your CFO
- As neededBoard or lender package sent
See your cash 13 weeks out.
From the blog
Latest guides on Fractional CFO
Fractional CFO·
When Is the Right Time to Hire a Fractional CFO?
Not sure if you need a fractional CFO? Learn the revenue milestones, cash flow signs & growth triggers that signal it's time. Read now.
Fractional CFO·
Do You Need a Fractional CFO or Just a Bookkeeper? A Clear Breakdown for SMBs
Bookkeeper or fractional CFO: which does your business actually need? Compare roles, cost & when to hire each. Get expert guidance today.
Fractional CFO·
How Fractional CFOs Help Founders Make Better Decisions
Discover how fractional CFOs help founders improve cash flow, manage finances, plan for growth, and make smarter, data-driven business decisions.
Questions
Fractional CFO questions, answered.
Still have a question? Call (336) 203-7399 or email info@acecpas.com. Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM ET.
Reviewed by Mubarak Shah, CPA · Updated November 2026
Ask a CPA directlyWhat does a fractional CFO do?
A fractional CFO, sometimes called an outsourced CFO, is a part-time chief financial officer. We build a rolling 13-week cash forecast, set a budget and explain every variance against it. We track margin by product, project or customer and prepare reports for lenders, investors and your board. You get a monthly working session and help before big decisions.
What is the difference between a fractional CFO and a controller?
A controller makes sure the current month is correct: payables, collections, costing and the close. A fractional CFO looks forward, with cash forecasts, budgets, financing and board reporting. Most businesses need the controller layer first, because a forecast is only as good as the books under it.
When does a business need a fractional CFO?
Common signs: cash feels tight even when the business is profitable, you are planning a hire or a large purchase, a lender or investor asks for a forecast, the board wants monthly reporting or you are preparing to raise money or sell.
What is a 13-week cash forecast?
A week-by-week plan of the cash coming in and going out over the next quarter, starting from your actual bank balance. We roll it forward every week, so a tight week shows up early enough to move a payment, speed up a collection or arrange financing.
Do my books need to be clean before we start?
No. During the assessment we tell you which numbers in your books you can rely on. If they need work, our bookkeeping or controller team fixes that first, because we do not forecast on numbers we cannot trust.
Can you help with a bank loan, a funding raise or a sale?
Yes. Besides the ongoing monthly engagement, we take on projects with a clear end date: a funding raise, a sale of the business or a turnaround. Before a sale, a Quality of Earnings report tests the earnings buyers will price on. You get the forecast, the lender or investor package and a CPA in the room.
Which accounting software do you work in?
We keep books in QuickBooks Online. If you are on QuickBooks Desktop, we move you to QuickBooks Online at no extra charge.
How much do fractional CFO services cost?
It depends on the size of the business, the number of entities and how much of the bookkeeping and controller work we also run. After a free 30-minute review you get a fixed-fee proposal with one monthly fee, before any work starts. No hourly billing.
Other services
One firm for every layer of your finances.
Free 30-minute CPA review
Bring three months of statements. Leave with your first fix.
Thirty minutes with a licensed CPA. We tell you the first thing we would change, whether or not you hire us.
- 1Book a 30-minute callPick a time that works for you.
- 2Share three months of statementsOr read-only ledger access.
- 3Get a fixed feeOne price for the agreed scope, set before any work starts.
No card, no contract. If we are not the right fit, we say so.