Fractional CFO services have moved from a stopgap to a strategic lever. In this Consero webinar, we cover why on-demand senior finance talent helps venture- and PE-backed companies navigate fundraising, systems scale-up, transactions, and tighter cash discipline without locking in a full-time cost before the business is ready.
Why (and When) a Fractional CFO Makes Sense
“Bring in a senior financial mind for the hours you can afford.”
Rapid shifts in the market—post-2021 valuation resets, inflation, and evolving capital availability—have increased CFO turnover and widened talent gaps. At the same time, distributed work has normalized remote, part-time executive support.
A fractional CFO gives you day-one access to seasoned judgment at a flexible cadence. It’s ideal when you’re between full-time hires, facing pivotal decisions, or need to complement a capable controller/VP Finance with strategic firepower.
- Flex for need: Engage a few hours/week to half-time during inflection points or executive transitions.
- Remote-ready: Distributed work makes fractional leadership seamless across geographies.
- Bridge & complement: Cover gaps while hiring a full-time CFO or augment a strong controller/VP Finance with strategic firepower.
- Day-one value: Expect immediate insight on cash, metrics, and decision cadence—not a months-long ramp.
Stage-by-Stage Value: Seed to Series B and Beyond
“Set up initial systems, controls, and KPIs—and ‘dress for the job’ as you raise.”
At Seed and early Series A, the mandate is foundational: stand up cloud accounting (e.g., QuickBooks, Xero, etc.), close cleanly, and define metrics that actually run the business.
A fractional CFO also helps founders “translate” the story for investors—aligning unit economics, dashboards, and a capital plan with the pitch.
Seed / Early A:
- Stand up cloud accounting (QuickBooks, Xero, etc.), clean closes, and actionable KPIs.
- Translate the founder story into unit economics, a capital plan, and investor-ready materials.
By Series A, expectations harden: investors want a line of sight to a profitable model, not just a promising idea.
The fractional CFO “dresses the company for the job it wants,” upgrading governance, reporting cadence, hiring plans, and compensation structures while guiding tax planning, cap-table cleanup, and (where appropriate) secondary opportunities for founders.
Series A:
- Upgrade governance, reporting cadence, and hiring/comp strategy; plan tax and cap-table cleanup.
- Prepare for sophisticated investors (Enterprise customers, pricing, repeatability) and, when appropriate, founder secondaries.
At Series B and growth stages, focus shifts to scale economics: gross margin expansion, sales efficiency, cohort behavior, and scenario planning. The right fractional leader helps operationalize KPI ownership across teams so the model holds at size.
Series B / Growth:
- Drive scale economics: margin expansion, sales efficiency, cohort behavior, scenario planning.
- Push KPI ownership across teams so the model holds at size.
Transactions and High-Impact Projects
“A fractional CFO can lead M&A, debt refinances, or equity raises—and wind down after the deal.”
Transactional windows consume a company: banker selection, diligence readiness, data rooms, working-capital mechanics, and covenant modeling. Fractional support concentrates senior attention exactly when stakes spike, then tapers after close.
Outside of deals, these CFOs unblock priority projects your full-time team can’t absorb: compressing month-end from 20 days to a week, attacking DSO, or re-architecting entity structures after new investors join.
The litmus test is measurable results: faster closes, better collections, smoother audits, and cleaner boards-ready reporting.
- Deal leadership: Banker selection, diligence readiness, data rooms, working capital and covenant modeling.
- Measurable wins: Faster closes (e.g., 20 days → ~7), improved DSO, smoother audits, cleaner board reporting.
- Project muscle: Reorgs after new investors, entity simplification, transfer pricing, revenue ops alignment.
- Elastic cost: Scale support up during transactions; taper after close without legacy overhead.
Choosing (and Managing) the Right Partner
“Their value should be evident day to day.”
Demand has drawn many candidates into the market—some outstanding, some not. Vet rigorously. Go beyond provided references: speak with bankers on debt deals, investment bankers on M&A, and existing investors on equity raises the candidate has led.
Expect clear goals before kickoff and a working rhythm after: weekly cash and KPI reviews, monthly close governance, quarterly model updates. Even at one day per week, availability must flex “when it matters,” with defined escalation via email, text, Zoom, or Slack.
Start with an agile, retainer-style engagement you can scale up or sunset as needs change; avoid long, rigid commitments.
Vetting beyond resumes:
- Verify with bankers (debt), investment bankers (M&A), and investors (equity) tied to past work.
- Prioritize stage fit (seed vs. growth) and transaction experience aligned to your roadmap.
Engagement design:
- Start with an agile retainer; avoid rigid, long-term lockups.
- Define goals pre-kickoff; set OKRs tied to cash, close speed, KPIs, and runway.
Operating rhythm:
- Weekly cash & KPI reviews; monthly close governance; quarterly model refresh.
- Be “one-day-a-week but seven-days-available” with clear escalation (email/text/Zoom/Slack).
Systems, Automation, and Security
“World-class ERPs like NetSuite or Sage Intacct are now accessible earlier and more cost-effectively.”
Finance as a Service models make enterprise-grade stacks accessible sooner: dimensional GLs, native integrations, and automation pipelines that eliminate manual reconciliations.
A fractional CFO steers sequencing (ERP, billing, revenue recognition, FP&A) so the stack supports growth instead of throttling it. Security stays paramount: role-based access, least-privilege data sharing, and tight control over artifacts and channels.
The same seniority that speeds decisions should also surface risks early, before they become findings in diligence.
- Stack sequencing: GL → billing → revenue recognition → FP&A; integrate to kill manual reconciliations.
- Automation focus: AR/AP workflows, close checklists, and dashboarding that scale with volume.
- Security first: Role-based access, least-privilege data sharing, disciplined artifact control.
- Forward-looking: Evaluate how AI can streamline drafting (e.g., MD&A), variance narratives, and reconciliations.
Consero Advisory Services: Your Trusted Growth Partner
Fractional CFO services are a force multiplier: immediate expertise, targeted to your stage and priorities, with the flexibility to expand during peaks and scale back when the mission is complete.
If you’re preparing to raise, pursuing a transaction, wrestling with runway, or upgrading systems for the next phase, schedule a call and we will pair you with a fractional leader who creates visible value in weeks – tightening execution today while building the finance foundation your investors will trust tomorrow.
