Skip to main content
Back to insights

Running the business · 3 min read · Published

How much does a fractional CFO cost, and what should you get for it

By Chris Greco, Founder and President.

A fractional CFO for an owner-led company costs a fixed monthly fee set by how much of the finance function they take on, the number of entities, the state of the books, and how many decisions the next year holds. Anyone who quotes you before looking at your numbers is guessing.

Ask what the monthly rhythm includes. A close within 15 days, a forecast updated weekly, a scorecard, a standing review, and a person who takes the call from your banker are the minimum. A quarterly meeting and a PDF are not a CFO.

Ask one more question: who closes the books the forecast is built on? If the answer is "your bookkeeper," the advice is built on numbers nobody reviewed. See what drives the cost on the Engagements and fees page.

Chris Greco

Founder and President, CFO Anywhere. CFO for owner-led companies since 2002. Executive MBA, Gies College of Business, University of Illinois.

About Chris

More from Chris

Running the business · 2 min read

What we usually see when the bookkeeper quits in October

When the bookkeeper quits in October, the company faces a Q4 close, year-end, 1099s and W-2s with nobody in the seat. The first week matters more than the hiring decision.

Running the business · 2 min read

Can we afford another hire? A five-minute way to answer

Take the loaded cost of the hire, salary plus about 25% for taxes, benefits and equipment, and put it on the 13-week forecast as a weekly line. If ending cash stays above your floor in every week, you can afford it now. If it dips, the forecast tells you which month you can.

Running the business · 4 min read

What we usually see when a $20M company outgrows its accounting system

When a $20M company decides it has outgrown its accounting system, the system is rarely the problem. The chart of accounts is. It still describes the company from five years ago, and no software fixes that.

Tell us what's going on. We'll tell you what we see

One conversation with Chris, no deck. He'll tell you what he sees and what it would take to fix it, including if the answer is that you don't need a CFO yet.

Chris Greco, Founder and President.
Your first call is with him, not a sales team.