FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Fractional CFO services offer companies access to senior-level financial leadership on a part-time or flexible basis, without the full-time CFO’s associated costs.
A fractional CFO brings strategic oversight, financial clarity, and forward-looking insights to support smarter decision-making, while allowing you to scale the level of support as your needs evolve and keep costs under control.
EA’s services deliver expert financial guidance tailored to your business, helping you optimize cash flow, improve profitability, and plan for sustainable growth.
The role of outsourced CFO services is to provide financial leadership and support to the business.
The specific responsibilities of outsourced CFO services for CPG companies may include the following:
- Financial planning and analysis: The CFO will work with the management team to develop financial plans, budgets, and forecasts that align with the company’s overall strategy. They will also analyze financial performance and provide insights to support decision-making.
- Financial reporting: Producing accurate and timely financial reports for internal and external stakeholders, including board members, investors, and regulators.
- Pricing strategy: In a CPG company, the CFO will play a key role in setting pricing strategies that balance profitability and market competitiveness.
- Cost management: This includes optimizing costs, managing margins, and analyzing and controlling direct and indirect costs of goods sold.
- Business performance improvement: The CFO will work with the management team to identify areas for improvement and implement initiatives to increase efficiency, profitability, and growth.
The right time for a startup to invest in fractional CFO services depends on several factors, primarily tied to its stage of growth and financial complexity.
Here’s a checklist to help determine when to bring in fractional CFO expertise:
Difficulty managing the company’s finances or financial matters.
Missing growth opportunities due to lack of informed financial decision-making.
Planning a new fundraiser that requires projections, KPI preparation, handling financial reporting questions, and easing the CEO’s workload.
Ensuring compliance with relevant financial regulations and reporting requirements to reduce the risk of penalties and fines.
Need for a more effective cash flow management system.
A fractional CFO is a cost-effective alternative to hiring a full-time CFO. They bring deep financial and strategic expertise to your business without the overhead of a full-time executive.
Companies that need expert guidance on accounting, finance, and strategic decision-making can leverage fractional CFO services to address business-specific challenges and achieve their growth objectives.
A fractional CFO can be involved with your accounting functions and help with business plans, collaborate on growth and profit plans, manage cash flows, budget, forecast, and perform financial reporting, and provide a fresh perspective on your financial strategy.
Fractional CFO services are designed to help businesses achieve their financial goals by providing expert guidance and oversight.
While the specific responsibilities of a fractional CFO may vary depending on a company’s needs, here are some key tasks they typically perform:
- Align Financial Reporting with Strategic Decisions: Structure the chart of accounts to reflect how business decisions are made, ensuring financial data supports strategic planning.
- Manage Accruals and Reserves: Determine necessary accruals and reserve amounts to provide an accurate financial picture.
- Distinguish Between Capitalized and Expensed Items: Identify expenditures to be capitalized versus expensed to maintain proper financial reporting and tax treatment.
- Ensure General Ledger Accuracy: Oversee the recording of accurate, relevant, and timely financial information in the general ledger.
- Streamline the Month-End Close Process: Define a clear, efficient process for closing the books each month to improve reporting speed and accuracy.
- Conduct Regular Financial Reviews: Review and analyze financial statements quarterly or periodically to ensure the company is on track to meet its financial objectives.