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Fractional CFO Services for Minnesota Small Businesses
Senior financial leadership on a part-time basis — cash-flow forecasting, budgets, KPIs and financing prep from a CPA-trained partner, at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CFO.
What a fractional CFO does
The forward-looking half of your finances
Your bookkeeper records what happened. Your CPA files what happened. A fractional CFO helps you decide what happens next — looking ahead at cash, margins, pricing and growth, and turning a stack of financial statements into a plan you can actually run the business on.
Most Minnesota small businesses can't justify a full-time CFO, and don't need one. What they need is a few hours a month of senior financial judgment from someone who already knows their numbers cold. That's what our fractional CFO service provides, built on top of accurate, reconciled books.
What's included
- 13-week and 12-month cash-flow forecasts, updated as reality changes
- Annual budget and quarterly re-forecast
- KPI design and a dashboard built around your business
- Pricing, margin and job-profitability analysis
- Loan packages, lender reporting and bank relationships
- Scenario planning: hiring, equipment, a second location, a new line of work
- A monthly strategy meeting — in plain language, no jargon
Is it time?
Signs your business is ready for a fractional CFO
Profitable on paper, but cash is always tight
Growth eats cash. A rolling forecast shows where it's going and when you'll need a line of credit — before the crunch, not during it.
Big decisions are coming
Buying equipment, hiring a key role, taking on debt, opening a location or buying a competitor. You want the numbers before you commit.
Your bank or investors want more
Lenders ask for projections, covenant reporting and clean financials. We prepare them and speak their language.
You can't see which work makes money
Job costing and margin analysis show which customers, projects and service lines actually earn — and which need different pricing.
You're planning an exit or bringing on a partner
Buyers and partners pay for clean historicals and credible projections. We get both in order well before the conversation starts.
You've outgrown gut feel
The business is past the point where one person can hold every number in their head. Decisions need data, not guesses.
How it fits together
Built on clean books — yours or ours
Fractional CFO work is only as good as the books underneath it. If we handle your monthly bookkeeping and month-end close, the forecast and KPIs update automatically each month. If you already have a bookkeeper you like, we'll work with them and review the close before we build on it.
| Bookkeeper | Controller | Fractional CFO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Recording transactions accurately | Accuracy, reconciliation and reporting | Strategy, cash and the road ahead |
| Question it answers | "What happened?" | "Are the numbers right, and what do they say?" | "What should we do next?" |
| Typical deliverables | Coded transactions, AP & AR, reconciliations | Month-end close, financial statements, budget vs. actual, job costing | Cash-flow forecast, budget, KPIs, financing and scenario plans |
| Cadence | Weekly and monthly | Monthly close | Monthly strategy meeting, plus as decisions come up |
| Learn more | Bookkeeping services | Controller services | Fractional CFO |
Common questions
Fractional CFO questions we hear most
What's the difference between a fractional CFO, a controller and a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records what happened: transactions coded, bills paid, invoices sent, accounts reconciled. A controller makes sure the whole picture is right and turns it into reliable financial statements each month. A fractional CFO uses those numbers to look forward: cash-flow forecasts, budgets, pricing, financing and the decisions ahead. Many of our clients use all three from one team — see bookkeeping and controller services.
How much does a fractional CFO cost?
Far less than a full-time CFO, because you're buying a few hours of senior financial time each month rather than a salaried position. We scope the engagement around what you actually need — forecast, budget, monthly meeting, lender work — and quote a monthly fee before we start. Tell us about your business and we'll put a number to it.
Do I need a fractional CFO if I already have a CPA?
Your CPA looks backward — taxes, compliance and the year that just ended — and is usually busiest during the months you most need advice. A fractional CFO looks forward and works alongside your CPA, not instead of them. Clean books and a credible forecast also make your CPA's job easier and cheaper.
How often will we meet?
Most clients meet monthly, right after the month-end close, with a short check-in whenever a decision comes up in between. The forecast and your dashboard are there for you to look at any time.
Do you work in QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise?
Yes. Forecasts, budgets and KPIs are built from your QuickBooks data, and we work in both versions. See the accounting, AP/AR and payroll tools we connect to on our integrations page.
Where are you located?
We're based in Minnesota and work with small businesses across the state, including Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding Twin Cities metro. Most of the work happens in your accounting platform and on a monthly call, so distance is rarely an issue.
Ready for a clearer view of what's ahead?
Tell us about your business and we'll suggest the right level of support — and what the first 90 days would look like.