CFO Advisory
How Much Does a Fractional CFO Cost?
A fractional CFO is priced as a fixed monthly fee for a defined scope: cash flow forecasting, budgeting and modelling, margin analysis, executive reporting, and a standing strategy call. The fee is set by the size and complexity of the business and how often you meet, and it is a fraction of a full-time executive salary because the role is part-time by design.
This guide is part of our cfo advisory in Wilmette, IL. Book a free consultation or call (847) 644-2288.
01What are you paying for?
Forward-looking financial leadership. A rolling cash flow forecast so the next quarter is planned rather than survived. A budget and the models behind decisions that are expensive to reverse. Margin analysis by product, service, or customer. Reporting written for an owner or a board rather than a bookkeeper. And a strategy call every week or every other week, where those numbers meet the decisions.
The CFO package also includes everything in Growth and Starter: the controller close, the statements, the bookkeeping, and tax preparation. Advisory on top of unreliable books is not advisory, so the levels stack. Our CFO advisory page sets out the full scope.
02What sets the fee?
The size of the business, first. Forecasting for a company with one revenue line and ten staff is a different job from one with three divisions and a hundred. Then the number of entities, the complexity of the model you need, the frequency of the strategy calls, and whether there is a specific project in front of you, such as a financing round, an acquisition, or a new location.
The state of the underlying books matters too. If the controller work is not yet in place, that is built first, and the fee reflects the whole.
03How does it compare with a full-time CFO?
A full-time CFO is a senior executive salary plus benefits, plus the months it takes to recruit one. For a business in the low millions of revenue that is rarely justified, because the work that needs a CFO's judgment does not fill a week. A fractional engagement buys the judgment for the hours it is needed.
Full-time becomes the right answer when the finance function itself needs managing every day: a team, a treasury, investors on the phone. Until then, fractional is usually the honest fit.
04How is the fee agreed?
After a free 30-minute call and a look at the business, we quote a fixed figure in writing. There is no rate card and no hourly billing. The number covers the scope we have agreed, and it changes only if the scope does. Do you need a CFO yet is worth reading first if you are not sure the level fits.
05Is it worth it?
Put a value on the decision you are about to make without a forecast. A hire made a quarter early, a lease signed on a hunch, a loan sized by guesswork. If a fractional CFO would change that decision, the fee is small next to it. If your questions are still about last month rather than next year, you need a controller first, and we will say so. Book the call or phone (847) 644-2288.
Common questions
Do you charge hourly for CFO work?
No. The engagement is quoted individually and confirmed as a fixed monthly figure in writing before it starts.
What size of business is the CFO package for?
Established businesses that need strategic financial leadership, in the range of about two million to one hundred million in revenue.
Can I get CFO advice without the bookkeeping?
The CFO package includes the controller and bookkeeping levels, because advice built on unreliable statements is not worth paying for.
Have a question about your situation?
Book a free 30-minute consultation and we'll walk through it together.
Schedule a ConsultationThis article is general information, not individualized tax, legal, or financial advice. Every situation is different. Reach out and we'll look at yours directly.