Turn financial clarity into confident growth
Gain senior financial oversight and strategic planning that prepares you for investment and scaling, at a fraction of the cost of a permanent hire. A Fractional CFO brings investor-grade financial leadership into the business, on the days you need them.
Strategic financial leadership, on your schedule
A Fractional CFO acts as your senior financial executive and trusted advisor. They bring decades of experience in building finance functions, managing growth, and preparing businesses for investment. Whether you need full P&L oversight or targeted financial strategy, they work alongside you and your existing team to strengthen the business.
They provide strategic oversight on cash flow, financial reporting and commercial planning. They work with your accountant and your team to improve systems, reporting quality and financial decision-making. Many also guide you through fundraising preparation, grant navigation and loan applications, critical work if you are planning a Series A or growth equity round.
A Fractional CFO brings the same calibre of expertise as a permanent hire at a fraction of the cost. You only pay for the hours and capability you actually need. You get investor-grade financial discipline without the full-time commitment or the disruption of recruitment.
Financial leadership across every stage
Growth needs financial infrastructure that scales with the business. A CFO builds the systems, models and rigour that support every next stage, new hires, new markets, new product lines.
Investors back teams with credible financial discipline. A CFO builds the reporting, governance and narrative that makes the business fundable, and prepares you to engage with capital with confidence.
A successful sale starts with the financial foundations you put in place years earlier. A CFO prepares the numbers, the data room and the equity story that gives you optionality, and maximises valuation when the time is right.
Senior CFOs bring commercial judgement, not just financial control. Pricing decisions, market entry, customer profitability and deal structuring, our CFOs sit at the leadership table and shape strategy alongside the founder.
Confident scaling starts with knowing your numbers. Forecasting, runway visibility and working capital management so you always know what you can spend and when.
Investor calls, board meetings, stakeholder updates. Financial narratives, KPI dashboards and monthly reporting that tells your growth story clearly to every audience.
A day-to-day view of Fractional CFO work
The role flexes to the business, but most engagements cover four broad areas of work. Some weeks are heavier on forecasting and reporting, others on funding conversations or board preparation. The constant is having a senior financial mind inside the business, available on the days you need them.
- Short, medium and long-term financial strategy
- Three-statement financial models and scenario planning
- Pricing reviews and margin analysis
- Commercial input on new markets, products and hires
- Weekly and monthly management accounts with commentary
- KPI dashboards built around what actually moves the business
- Cash flow forecasting and working capital visibility
- Cost control reviews and profitability deep dives
- Funding strategy and route-to-capital planning
- Investor decks, financial narrative and data room preparation
- Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Office and loan applications
- Term sheet review and negotiation support
- Board packs, investor updates and shareholder reporting
- Audit and due diligence readiness
- Coaching for in-house finance team and bookkeeping leads
- Liaison with your accountant, tax advisor and bank
Signs it is time to bring in a Fractional CFO
Most businesses do not wake up one morning and decide they need a CFO. The need builds over time, usually showing up as a few familiar signals. If two or three of these feel close to home, it is probably the right moment to have a conversation.
Hiring plans, new locations, product investments and pricing changes now carry real financial weight, and you want senior judgement in the room before you commit.
Revenue is growing but the bank balance does not always reflect it. You want a clear view of runway, working capital and what you can safely invest.
You are 12 to 18 months from raising, applying for a grant, or looking for debt funding (through SBCI, traditional banks or alternative lenders), and you want the numbers, narrative and governance in shape before conversations start.
Monthly accounts arrive too late to be useful. Board members and investors want KPIs and forward-looking commentary, not just historic figures.
Costs are rising, pricing has not kept pace, and you need an objective view on where profit is being made and where it is being lost.
A sale, succession or partial exit is somewhere in the next few years, and you want the financials, structure and equity story prepared in good time.
If this sounds familiar, you need a CFO — but not necessarily a full-time one
You are 12 to 18 months away from a funding round. A CFO makes sure your financial narrative is investor-grade and your numbers tell a compelling growth story.
You have closed a round and need to deploy capital efficiently. A CFO brings financial discipline and reporting to track ROI and manage burn rate.
Your accountant handles compliance brilliantly, and our Fractional CFOs work in close partnership with them. The CFO brings the commercial thinking, forecasting and board-level financial strategy that sits alongside the compliance work and powers the next stage of growth.
Experience across Irish industry
Our CFO network has built and scaled finance functions in many of the sectors that define the Irish economy. Each brings deep operational understanding of the commercial dynamics, regulatory context and growth patterns of the industries they work in.
Recurring revenue models, ARR reporting, unit economics and investor metrics for software, platform and digital businesses through seed, Series A and beyond.
Inventory management, capex planning, gross margin analysis and grant-funded capability investment for Irish manufacturers scaling at home and into export markets.
Multi-channel reporting, working capital cycles, supplier terms and seasonality planning for retail, hospitality and consumer brands across Ireland.
Utilisation, billing structures, partner economics and growth modelling for consultancies, agencies and advisory firms.
Long-cycle R&D funding, grant stacking, clinical milestone planning and investor reporting for life sciences, medtech and healthcare businesses.
Margin pressure, commodity exposure, ESG reporting and grant-supported sustainability investment for food, agri and climate-focused businesses.
Three steps to senior financial leadership
From the first conversation to a Fractional CFO inside the business, can happen in a matter of weeks.
A 30-minute conversation. You tell us where you are, where you want to be, and the financial capability gap that is holding the business back.
We introduce you to two or three senior CFOs from our network with direct experience in your sector and growth stage.
Your CFO starts with a clear mandate, agreed deliverables, and the flexibility to scale the engagement as the business evolves.
Questions founders ask before they start
What is a Fractional CFO, and how is it different from an accountant?+
A Fractional CFO is a senior financial leader who works with your business on a flexible basis, typically one to three days per week. Your accountant looks after compliance, tax filings and statutory accounts. A CFO sits at the leadership table, shaping financial strategy, forecasting, funding, board reporting and commercial decisions. The two roles work well together, and our CFOs are used to partnering closely with existing accounting firms.
How much does a Fractional CFO cost?+
Engagements are priced by day rate and scoped around the days per month the business actually needs. The headline point is that you access the same calibre of executive as a permanent hire at a fraction of the cost, with no recruitment fees and the flexibility to scale up or down as the business evolves. We talk through the right shape of engagement during the discovery call.
Is this suitable for small businesses and early-stage startups?+
Yes. Many of our clients are SMEs and startups preparing for their next phase of growth. The engagement is scaled to the stage of the business. An early-stage founder might need one to two days a month focused on funding readiness and cash flow, while a scaling SME might need one or two days a week across the full finance function.
Can a Fractional CFO help with funding and grants?+
Yes. Our Fractional CFOs regularly support clients through Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Office, SBCI, VCs and private investor processes. They help with funding strategy, application structure, financial models, investor decks and due diligence. Many engagements are partially supported by Enterprise Ireland grants such as the Strategic Consultancy Grant or Finance Capability Grant, and we have over 13 grants we can help you navigate.
Will the CFO work alongside our existing accountant and finance team?+
Always. Our CFOs are explicitly hired to complement, not replace, the people already in place. They work in close partnership with your accountant on compliance, with your bookkeeper or financial controller on day-to-day finance operations, and with the leadership team on strategy. The goal is to strengthen the whole financial function around the business.
How quickly can a CFO be in place?+
Most clients are introduced to two or three matched Fractional CFOs within a week of the discovery call. Once you choose the right person, the engagement can begin within days. The first month is usually focused on a finance health check, baseline reporting and a 90-day plan.
Ready to get your finances investment-ready
Talk to us about deploying a Fractional CFO inside your business. We will understand your needs and be back in touch within 48 hours to set up a discovery call.