Fractional CFO
A CFO who has sat in the seat,
without the full-time cost.
Board-ready reporting, cash you can see coming, and a finance function that earns the trust of your bank, board, and buyers. Embedded in your business, led start to finish by a senior operator.
Who it's for
For companies that have outgrown the books
but don't need a full-time CFO.
Most businesses between $5M and $100M in revenue don't need a full-time CFO. What they need is someone who can build financial infrastructure, produce board-ready reporting, and manage cash with the discipline of a much larger finance team, without the $300K salary and benefits package.
We embed into your business on a part-time or project basis and take ownership of the financial function. We build the reporting your board, lender, or sponsor needs to see, manage cash so you're never surprised, and make sure the numbers tell a story that drives better decisions.
It's especially critical for PE-backed companies navigating their first institutional reporting cycle, founder-led businesses outgrowing their bookkeeper, or any company preparing for a transaction where financial credibility is the difference between a deal and a missed opportunity.
$5M–$100M
Revenue range where a fractional CFO creates outsized impact
13-week
Cash flow visibility, rebuilt and maintained
Senior-led
The operator you meet does the work, no junior handoff
Board-ready
Reporting your sponsor, lender, and board actually trust
What we deliver
The finance function, owned.
- Monthly and quarterly board reporting packages
- 13-week cash flow forecasting and cash management
- Budget development, variance analysis, and reforecasting
- Banking and lender relationship management
- Investor and sponsor reporting
- Exit readiness and due diligence preparation
- Financial systems selection and implementation oversight
- Audit and tax coordination
Free 2-minute assessment
Would your business survive a buyer's diligence?
Ten questions show where EBITDA and value are leaking, and how deal-ready your numbers really are. Your answers stay private.
Questions
Frequently asked.
What does a fractional CFO actually do?
A fractional CFO owns the strategic financial function of your business on a part-time or project basis, board and lender reporting, cash flow forecasting, budgeting and variance analysis, banking relationships, and transaction or exit preparation. It is senior financial leadership and judgment, not bookkeeping or data entry.
Is a fractional CFO the same as an outsourced CFO?
They describe the same thing. Fractional, outsourced, and virtual CFO all mean senior financial leadership on a part-time or project basis instead of a full-time hire. The label matters less than who does the work. At Helm, every engagement is led and delivered by a senior operator, not handed to a junior.
When should a company hire a fractional CFO?
Common triggers are: you can't confidently answer how much cash you'll have in eight weeks; a bank, board, or buyer is now asking for reporting you don't have; you're preparing for a financing, acquisition, or exit; or you've effectively become your own CFO at night and it's pulling you off the work only you can do.
How is a fractional CFO different from a bookkeeper or controller?
A bookkeeper records what happened and a controller keeps the books accurate and compliant. A CFO is forward-looking, building the forecast, shaping the strategy, and translating the numbers into decisions for owners, boards, and lenders. Most growing companies need both layers; we sit above the bookkeeping, not in place of it.
How much does a fractional CFO cost?
It depends far more on scope than on an hourly rate, a monthly retainer for ongoing reporting and cash management is different from a one-time exit-readiness project. We scope every engagement to the specific outcome you need, with no retainer lock-ins. See our full breakdown in the Insights article on fractional CFO cost.
Let's get the numbers working for you.
No retainer lock-ins. No junior consultants. Just senior-level work.