Fractional CFOs

Want to Hire A Fractional CFO?

Every business should have a CFO, but the reality is that many companies don’t need a full-time executive (or the commitment & financial implications that come along with it).

At Ascent CFO Solutions, we enable companies of all sizes to acquire the talent, know-how, and strategic guidance of a highly experienced CFO – but for a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. That means any business can achieve world-class financial excellence working with a CFO who is in the prime of their career.

From early-stage startups to established companies, our Fractional CFO service ensures you get exactly the financial and accounting support you need. Whether it’s a long-term, part-time position, or short-term interim guidance, your Fractional CFO at Ascent CFO Solutions delivers the strategic insights & practical implementation that move your company upward.

Contact us today for a free consultation – or learn more about our Fractional CFO solutions below.

How Our Fractional CFO Services Can Help

At Ascent CFO Solutions, we deliver sophisticated financial leadership tailored to your business‘s unique challenges and growth stage. From M&A guidance to financial modeling and scenario planning, you can eliminate the guesswork, mitigate risk, and ensure growth with data-driven decision-making.

Whether you’re scaling operations, preparing for investment, or navigating a complex transition, our CFOs provide immediate value while building long-term capabilities within your organization that survive far beyond our engagement.

We offer the ideal balance of strategic guidance and practical implementation, ensuring tangible execution of financial initiatives.

CFO engagements include providing supporting fractional financial professionals (Controllers, Financial Analysts, Accounting Managers, Senior Accountants, and others) as needed. Our fractional financial professionals assist with the execution of the financial strategy without taking resources away from your company.

Your Fractional CFO can help with:

Financial Modeling – Create formula-driven models with updatable assumptions for scenario planning
Custom Financial Dashboards – Develop key performance indicators that align with your business objectives
Cash Flow Forecasting – Implement rolling forecasts to optimize liquidity and decision-making
Funding/Capital Strategy – Build compelling financial narratives for investors and lenders
Equity and Debt Fundraising – Structure and support capital raises that align with your growth plans
Risk Management – Identify and mitigate financial risks before they impact your business
Buy-Side and Sell-Side M&A – Navigate complex transactions with expert financial guidance
Financial Reporting – Establish strong financial reporting processes and systems to communicate financial data with confidence
Systems Review and Implementation – Support company-wide system upgrades, including accounting software and ERP systems
Quality of Earnings Preparation & Support – Prepare for the financial deep-dive and be the company’s advocate until it is complete
Mentoring, Hiring & Training – Uplevel the financial team by helping employees grow into more senior and strategic roles and identifying & vetting external top talent to hire
Exit Preparation – Evaluate options to choose the right type of exit and maximize the value of the sale

Who Our Fractional CFOs Help

Businesses come to Ascent CFO Solutions for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s to support a specific project, such as a merger or acquisition. Other times, it may be an immediate interim need while seeking a replacement for a full-time position. Some businesses choose to outsource their CFO position to Ascent CFO Solutions, while others look to bring in a “full-stack” accounting department too. We are often the first CFO a company will hire until their needs justify bringing a full-time CFO on board, typically when a business reaches three or more days per week with their Fractional CFO.

Our experience spans a wide variety of sectors, markets, and industries. Some engagements remain completely remote, while others include on-site meetings throughout the United States. Whatever your situation, we always recommend you schedule a call to see if a Fractional CFO at Ascent CFO Solutions is the right fit for your business. Every business is unique, so every engagement is completely custom.

The businesses we serve often include:

Our services are particularly valuable for:

Startups (<$2m) – Whether you’re a funded or bootstrapped business, both cash flow and risk management are critical in early stages. Fractional CFOs can enable sound financial planning with the least financial burden.
Growth-Stage Companies ($5-70M) – You’ve built a successful business through entrepreneurial hustle but have hit an inflection point where informal systems and founder-centric leadership are limiting further growth
Investment-Ready Businesses ($3-30M) – Your company has secured funding or is preparing for your next capital raise and needs sophisticated financial expertise to optimize burn rate and build investor credibility
Organizations in Transition ($10-500M) – Your established company is facing significant change requiring specialized financial leadership—whether due to a CFO departure, M&A activity, or system implementation

The First 90 Days With Ascent CFO

What to Expect When You Partner With Our Fractional CFOs

By engaging with Ascent CFO Solutions, companies get immediate access to an experienced CFO who looks at your company holistically, serves as your CEO & leadership team’s strategic sounding board, and provides a fresh perspective from someone who has successfully navigated similar challenges before.

While each engagement is tailored to your business, here are the core components that typically comprise our Fractional CFO services.

We begin engagements with:

Strategic Discovery & Assessment

Comprehensive Business Review – We take the time to understand your goals, vision, and the unique drivers of your business success
Systems & Process Evaluation – We assess your current financial systems, team capabilities, and operational workflows to identify strengths and opportunities
Gap Analysis – We pinpoint critical areas for improvement and help prioritize initiatives for maximum impact

Then, depending on the companies’ needs and priorities, we will tackle:

Financial Visibility & Planning

Cash Flow Mastery – We give you visibility into your current and future cash flows
Dynamic Financial Modeling & Forecasting – We develop a comprehensive financial model that adapts to your changing business conditions and provides reliable projections with the ability to show multiple future scenarios

Operational Excellence

Monthly Close Optimization – We establish or enhance a reliable month-end close process that delivers timely insights
Process Automation – We identify and implement technology solutions that reduce manual work and increase accuracy
Role Clarification – We help define clear financial responsibilities across your team

Strategic Risk Management

Risk Assessment – We identify and help mitigate potential financial threats to your business
Scenario Planning & Strategic Analysis – We develop contingency strategies for various market conditions and incorporate macroeconomic factors into your planning process
Decision Support – We provide data-driven insights for critical business decisions

The Ascent CFO Difference

Your Ascent CFO becomes an integral part of your leadership team—accessible, responsive, and fully invested in your success. We don’t just deliver reports; we partner with you to interpret insights, implement solutions, and drive meaningful financial improvement.

Pricing

With Ascent CFO Solutions, you can expect flexible monthly pricing with no long-term contracts. Our custom pricing is designed to provide maximum value at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CFO.

All engagements are catered to your specific needs, with pricing based on scope and time commitment. We’re committed to delivering clear ROI through financial expertise that directly impacts your bottom line.

Learn more about our pricing

Frequently Asked Questions About CFO Services

How can a part-time resource truly understand my company?

A Fractional CFO is a part-time resource but we integrate fully into your team. We begin with a deep dive/discovery phase to understand your people, products, services, systems, and processes. Our experienced CFOs establish regular meetings and communication channels, and know how to ask the right questions to quickly grasp what makes your business unique and what financial strategies will drive your success.

Will I lose control of financial decisions?

A Fractional CFO’s role is to advise on a strategic direction that aligns with a company’s goals and lead the execution of that strategy, fully collaborating with your team to do so. It is the responsibility of the company’s CEO or internal leadership team to make the financial decisions, execute transactions, and determine the overall direction of the company. We never request authority to sign checks or authorize transactions on your behalf.

I have a bookkeeper. Why would I hire a Fractional CFO?

A bookkeeper handles the day-to-day financial record keeping. They make sure all transactions (expenses, income, bills, invoices, payroll) are entered correctly into the company’s accounting system. They’re focused on accuracy and organization of past and current financial data.

Companies hire a Fractional CFO when they need more than just good records. A Fractional CFO is more strategic – they look into the future and help make sure you’re prepared for what’s next.

When is it time to hire a Fractional CFO?

Consider bringing in a Fractional CFO when:

You want to grow and need help building a reliable financial plan (revenue goals, cost management, investment strategies)
You’re not sure about your future cash flow — can you cover your financial obligations and invest in growth?
You’re raising money (from banks, VCs or other investors) and need professional-level financial reports or help telling your “money story”
You need better reports — not just “how much we spent” but “what’s profitable, what’s not, what should we change, and what are the key drivers of our business?”
You’re overwhelmed by financial decisions (hiring, expansion, buying equipment, pricing products and services) and want expert advice
You want to protect your business — like setting up better systems, spotting risks early, or planning for downturns

How do you match companies with a Fractional CFO?

We carefully match CFOs with clients based on experience, culture and personality fit, industry, and geography. We always arrange a meeting where you meet your Fractional CFO ahead of signing a service agreement. This is an opportunity to assess personality and culture fit as well as begin to ask your questions to see how the CFO would approach financial decisions for your company.

Are Fractional CFO engagements remote or on-site?

Fractional CFO engagements often effectively take place remotely. However, if your situation can benefit from a Fractional CFO to be in-person, we can arrange for our team members to be on-site on a regular or as-needed basis regardless of location. We do take geography into consideration when matching companies with a Fractional CFO because we value face-to-face connections on a semi-regular basis, if possible.

How do you communicate?

We communicate in your preferred method, which can include regular meetings (on-site or remote), email, Slack, Teams, and more. At a minimum, we have a meeting with the CEO once per month in addition to asynchronous communication. Our most successful engagements are when we are fully integrated into the team and brought into executive and management meetings and board meetings.

What software and systems are you knowledgeable in?

We are experienced in EOS (Entrepreneurs Operating System), ERP systems, accounting systems, CRM systems, and more. Additionally, we specialize in connecting a company’s disparate data sources into one custom dashboard for maximum visibility. Learn more about Data Analytics & Insights

Do you have a long-term contract?

No, we do not tie companies into long-term contracts. We believe in providing value each month for as long (or as briefly) as it benefits your company. We just ask that you give us 30-days notice in advance of when you’d like to end our services so we can ensure a successful handoff.

An Experienced CFO is Within Reach – Start Building Financial Clarity Today

Ready to bring data-driven decision-making & financial excellence to your organization? Get right-sized financial leadership from expert CFOs ready to lead your team.

It all starts with a conversation: Speak with a CFO today