When to Hire a Fractional CFO

Under $500k revenue: usually just need a good bookkeeper.

$500k–$1M: bookkeeper plus a solid tax planner is often enough.

$1M–$10M: this is the sweet spot for fractional CFO. Complexity outstrips owner capacity but full-time CFO ($150k+ salary) is overkill.

$10M+: often moving toward full-time controller and/or CFO.

You're making decisions worth six figures and don't feel confident about the numbers behind them.

You have inventory, multiple locations, or multiple entities and can't consolidate quickly.

You're growing fast and constantly running out of cash despite being profitable.

Lenders or investors are asking for financials you can't easily produce.

You're considering an acquisition, sale, or capital raise.

Monthly financial statement review with actionable commentary.

Rolling 13-week cash flow forecast.

Budget and quarterly re-forecast.

KPI dashboard tailored to your business.

Pricing analysis and margin review.

Debt and capital strategy.

M&A prep (buyer or seller side).

Data entry or day-to-day bookkeeping (that's your bookkeeper).

Prepare tax returns (that's your tax preparer, though the CFO coordinates).

Sign checks or approve payments as an officer of your company.

Discovery + initial financial diagnostic: $1,500–$5,000 one-time.

Ongoing fractional CFO: $2,000–$8,000/month depending on scope and hours.

Most engagements are 8–20 hours a month.

This article is general information for Montana small business owners, not tax, legal, or accounting advice for your specific situation. Rules change, and how they apply depends on facts we don't know about you. Before acting on anything you read here, talk to a qualified professional. If you're a Montana business owner and want a real conversation about your books, payroll, or tax, that's what Marlow Accounting is here for — call 406-290-1214 or schedule a discovery call.