What does a fractional CFO and COO do for a small business?

A fractional CFO and COO gives an owner-operated business senior financial and operational judgment without a full-time executive salary. In practice that means someone who knows your numbers, sits in on the big decisions, and is available when an important question comes up, for businesses that have outgrown basic bookkeeping but don’t need a full-time CFO.

Will you work with my CPA, attorney and banker?

Yes. Running a business can involve a CPA, attorney, banker, insurance professional, payroll company, bookkeeper and other specialists. We help make sure the right people are involved, the financial side stays organized, and you understand how the pieces fit together, so you’re not the one relaying messages between them.

How do I know if I can afford to hire another employee?

Look at the numbers before hiring. We review what the role costs fully loaded, what it has to produce to pay for itself, and what it does to cash in the months before it does. Sometimes the answer will be yes. Sometimes there will be questions you haven’t considered. And sometimes the numbers may say it isn’t the right time.

E-commerce / direct-to-consumer

From an Instagram shop to a multimillion-dollar operation

Helped an emerging e-commerce business navigate rapid growth, develop stronger financial controls, and expand into a multimillion-dollar operation.

dollar operation, from an Instagram shop: Multimillion
sales-tax tracking built: Multi-state
connected to QuickBooks®: Shopify

The situation

We were referred to the owner of an online business built almost entirely on Instagram. It sold personal products to women, had a loyal following and serious sales.

What it didn’t have was the financial and operational foundation of a company that size.

An e-commerce packing area: a packing table with a label printer and tape gun, shelving stacked with shipping boxes

What we found

No real QuickBooks setup, very little reporting, and no formal way to measure profitability.

The owner knew a lot of money was coming in. Nobody could say how much the company was actually making.

What we did

First, we rebuilt the books so the records were current and the tax returns could be filed. QuickBooks went in, and was later connected to Shopify so the accounting could keep pace with order volume.

As sales spread across the country, we set up systems to track where products shipped, catch sales-tax nexus state by state, and collect and remit where required.

We worked through the import side to find the true landed cost of each product, so pricing and purchasing decisions were made with the real margin in view.

We tightened inventory, shipping, fulfillment, returns and expense controls, built so volume could climb without the customer experience slipping.

Budgeting and forecasting
Expense review and control
Profitability analysis
Financial reporting
Cash-flow oversight
QuickBooks and accounting systems
E-commerce financial integration

The outcome

What started as an Instagram shop grew into a multimillion-dollar operation.

With the financial side handled, the owner was free to do what built the company: sell and grow the brand.

More case studies

Construction / commercial contracting

Multimillion

dollar operation, from a four-person crew

From a four-person crew to a multimillion-dollar operation

Provided financial and operational guidance that helped a growing construction company develop into a multimillion-dollar operation while managing the complexities of union payroll, prevailing wages, and project accounting.

Read the case study

Hospitality

Hands-on restaurant accounting and operational experience, helping owners understand the financial side of their businesses.