Advisory & fractional CFO
CFO-level strategy, built on books you can trust.
Fractional CFO and strategic advisory for growing businesses, integrated with the same team that runs your accounting and controller oversight.
AccountingDepartment.com pairs CFO-level strategic guidance with the accounting and controller infrastructure underneath it, so every financial model, capital raise, and board report is built on clean, accurate numbers.
Founded in 2004, we're a 2025 Inc. Power Partner, a Woodard Top 50 Accounting Services Practice, an Inc. Best Workplace five years running, and a Military Spouse Employment Partner.
Schedule a CFO advisory consult
See how CFO-level support can strengthen your next stage of growth.
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When you need a CFO, not just a controller
A controller answers the question, “What happened?” A CFO answers, “What should we do next?” Controller work focuses on the past and present: accurate statements, a timely close, budgets against actuals, and internal controls. CFO work focuses on the future: capital strategy, growth planning, banking relationships, and acquisitions. AccountingDepartment.com delivers both, integrated in one engagement.
| Comparison | Full-time CFO hire | AccountingDepartment.com |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | An executive salary, plus benefits, equity, and recruiting | Included in one fixed monthly fee (Complete and Pinnacle tiers) |
| Getting started | A search and onboarding that can take months | Your team starts right away |
| Accounting team | A separate hire or vendor | The same team, in one engagement |
| Controller oversight | Not included | Included |
| Capital raise support | Limited to one person's capacity | A full team: models, lender packages, bank selection, due diligence |
| M&A support | Case by case | Due diligence, QOE support, acquisition modeling, integration planning |
| Scalability | Fixed headcount | Scales with your complexity |
Signs you're ready for CFO-level advisory
- A capital raise is underway. You need investor-grade projections and lender-ready financial packages.
- Revenue is outpacing your finance team. Financial complexity is growing faster than your accounting function.
- You answer to a board or investors. They expect formal board packages, KPI dashboards, and executive reporting.
- An acquisition is on the table. You're evaluating a strategic acquisition or add-on target.
- Cash flow is getting complicated. Multiple entities, seasonality, or high DSO are creating pressure accounting alone can't resolve.
- Big decisions need modeling. Pricing, market entry, capital allocation, or hiring call for scenario analysis.
IT support & cybersecurity firm
3 acquisitions. Clean audits every year.
Supported three acquisitions with clean audit reviews every year and ongoing ESOP compliance oversight.
Craft brewery
3 new locations. 1 acquisition.
“If I have 100 problems, my books and accounting are not one of them.”
Owner & Operator
HVAC & plumbing group
5 entities. One platform.
Unified five entities under one accounting platform and supported a plumbing company acquisition.
“AccountingDepartment.com has the expertise and the ability to scale up our accounting function much more quickly than we could have accomplished if we chose to do it internally.”
Rich Oakes · President/CEO, GigSmart
What our CFO and advisory services include
Delivered by experienced financial executives working alongside your dedicated accounting and controller team. CFO advisory is included in the Complete and Pinnacle tiers.
Strategic financial leadership
Plans and forecasts built on the actual accounting data your team maintains, not spreadsheet assumptions.
- Long-range planning and forecasting
- Cash flow and working capital optimization
- KPI dashboards and benchmarking
- Pricing, margin, and scenario modeling
Capital & banking advisory
Lender-ready financial infrastructure and advisory support for raises and financing decisions.
- Lender-ready models and narratives
- Bank selection and credit facility structuring
- Covenant analysis and lender meetings
- Investor-grade financial packages
M&A & growth support
Financial support for acquisitions and add-ons, coordinated with your bankers, attorneys, and auditors.
- Due diligence on acquisition targets
- Buy-side quality of earnings (QOE) support
- Acquisition modeling and ROI analysis
- Integration planning and post-acquisition reporting
Ongoing advisory support
Consistent strategic support between major events, tied to your monthly and quarterly close.
- Regular CFO-level review meetings
- Budget-to-actual variance and corrective action
- Systems, process, and controls guidance
- Coordination with tax advisors and auditors
CFO advisory is available as part of a full engagement or on its own through CFO Advisory Only, when your internal team keeps accurate, current books. We don't provide investment banking services; we deliver the financial infrastructure and advisory support behind successful raises and transactions.
Where CFO advisory starts
Complete
Accounting + controller + CFO advisory
Full accounting with a dedicated controller, plus strategic planning and modeling, cash flow and working capital optimization, KPI dashboards, capital and banking advisory, and M&A due diligence support.
One fixed monthly fee, scoped to your business
Pinnacle
Full strategic advisory
Everything in Complete, plus full outsourced CFO leadership, lender meeting participation, board and investor reporting packages, QOE support, and multi-entity and holding company structures.
One fixed monthly fee, scoped to your business
Already have an accounting team?
CFO Advisory Only
Keep your in-house team and add CFO-level strategy on top of it: strategic planning and forecasting, cash flow and capital planning, banking and lender support, M&A support, and board and investor reporting. CFO Advisory Only works best when your internal team keeps accurate, current books. If that becomes a challenge, we can step in as your full accounting team.
One fixed monthly fee, scoped to your business
CFO advisory isn't included in Essential or Core. Every tier is one fixed monthly fee, with no hourly billing, and we offer a free consultation to recommend the right fit. See how pricing works
What to expect from your CFO advisory consult
01
Review
We review your current financials, reporting, and any existing budgets or forecasts.
02
Discuss
We talk through your growth plans, risks, and the big decisions on your horizon.
03
Identify impact
We identify where CFO support, whether cash flow, modeling, KPIs, or board reporting, will matter most.
04
Recommend
We recommend a right-sized engagement and outline next steps, with no long-term commitment required to get started.
Who we serve
- Professional services & consulting firmsUtilization, backlog, pipeline conversion, and DSO managed with CFO-level oversight.
- Venture- & PE-backed companiesInvestor-grade reporting, board presentations, KPI dashboards, and cash runway visibility.
- Founder-led businessesDedicated CFO expertise once the business has outgrown the founder managing finances.
- Companies preparing to raise capitalLender-ready models, financial normalization, bank selection, and facility structuring.
- PE portfolio companies pursuing acquisitionsDue diligence, buy-side QOE coordination, acquisition modeling, and integration reporting.
- High-growth SaaS & technologyARR and MRR tracking, cohort analysis, unit economics, and runway.
- Multi-entity & holding companiesConsolidated reporting, intercompany analysis, and entity-level CFO oversight.
Common questions
What does AccountingDepartment.com's fractional CFO service include?
Four areas: strategic financial leadership (long-range planning, cash flow and working capital optimization, KPI dashboards, scenario modeling); capital and banking advisory (lender-ready models, bank selection, credit facility structuring, lender meeting participation); M&A and growth support (due diligence, QOE support, acquisition modeling, post-acquisition reporting); and ongoing advisory support (regular CFO reviews, variance analysis, systems guidance, stakeholder coordination). CFO advisory is included in the Complete and Pinnacle tiers and is also available on its own as CFO Advisory Only.
How much does a fractional CFO cost at AccountingDepartment.com?
CFO advisory is priced as part of a fixed monthly fee, with no hourly billing, through the Complete and Pinnacle tiers or as CFO Advisory Only. A full-time CFO typically means an executive-level salary plus benefits, equity, and recruiting costs; AccountingDepartment.com delivers executive financial leadership at a fraction of that. See how pricing works on our Pricing page.
What is the difference between a controller and a fractional CFO?
A controller focuses on the accuracy and timeliness of historical financial information: financial statements, the close process, budgets versus actuals, and internal controls. A fractional CFO focuses on the future: capital strategy, growth planning, banking relationships, M&A advisory, and strategic decisions. AccountingDepartment.com provides both as an integrated service.
Does AccountingDepartment.com help with capital raises and bank financing?
Yes. Capital and banking advisory includes lender-ready financial models and narratives, bank selection, credit facility structuring, covenant analysis, lender meeting participation, and financing options analysis. AccountingDepartment.com doesn't provide investment banking services but delivers the financial infrastructure and advisory support needed for successful raises.
Does AccountingDepartment.com support M&A transactions?
Yes. M&A and growth support includes financial due diligence on acquisition targets, buy-side quality of earnings (QOE) support, acquisition modeling and ROI analysis, integration planning, and post-acquisition performance tracking. The CFO team coordinates with investment bankers, M&A attorneys, and auditors throughout the transaction.
What KPIs does AccountingDepartment.com track for CFO advisory clients?
Dashboards are built around each client's business model. Common KPIs include utilization, backlog, pipeline conversion, contribution margin, days sales outstanding, cash conversion cycle, EBITDA, gross margin, ARR and MRR for SaaS, cash runway, and customer acquisition cost.
Does AccountingDepartment.com serve professional services and consulting firms?
Yes. AccountingDepartment.com regularly works with professional services and consulting firms where utilization, backlog, DSO, and pipeline conversion drive financial performance, building dashboards and models around professional services economics.
How quickly can CFO advisory start?
Your team starts right away. For companies already on an AccountingDepartment.com accounting or controller tier, CFO advisory can be added to the existing engagement without a new onboarding process, because the CFO team already has access to the books, close, and financial history.
Is CFO advisory available without a full accounting engagement?
Yes. CFO Advisory Only provides CFO-level strategy on top of your existing accounting team. It works best when your internal team keeps accurate, current books. If that becomes a challenge, we can take on the full accounting function too.
What makes AccountingDepartment.com different from a standalone fractional CFO?
In a full engagement, the CFO team works alongside the same professionals managing your books, close, and reporting. Standalone fractional CFOs typically work from statements prepared by a separate team, which creates lags and accuracy risks. AccountingDepartment.com can deliver strategy and operational accounting as one coordinated engagement, or CFO advisory on its own when your books are in good shape.
What credentials does AccountingDepartment.com hold?
AccountingDepartment.com is a 2025 Inc. Power Partner, an Inc. Best Workplace for five consecutive years (2022 through 2026), a Woodard Top 50 Accounting Services Practice (2024), and a Military Spouse Employment Partner. The company was founded in 2004 and runs on EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System).
“They were ahead of the curve when it came to the remote accounting model.”
CEO, Investment Banking Client
Strategy built on numbers you can trust.
No long-term commitment is required to get started, just a focused conversation about how CFO advisory can strengthen your financial decisions.