2026 Ultimate Guide to Hiring a Fractional CFO

If you’re running a company in the $1–20M range, you already know the pressure doesn’t let up. You’re the one who signs the payroll checks. You’re the one who feels every cash-flow swing.. 

And every time you try to map out the next quarter, the numbers shift, the assumptions change, and the plan you built yesterday is outdated today.

Even worse you may be making high-stakes decisions with financial data that aren’t optimized for decision-making. 

Your accountant keeps the books compliant. Your bookkeeper keeps the transactions organized. But neither is giving you forward visibility. Neither is building a financial reporting strategy that lets you see risk before it hits. Neither is helping you pressure-test growth plans, understand true profitability, or make investment decisions with confidence.

You don’t need someone to reconcile last month. You need someone who can help you see around corners.

That’s where I come in.

Hi! I’m Andrew McCullough, a trusted Fractional CFO

I’m a financial and operational leader who has scaled companies, executed acquisitions, and guided organizations through growth, turnarounds, and strategic shifts. 

A few notable highlights:

• grown a manufacturing firm 4x and sold it at 5x EBITDA
• negotiated international distribution and acquisition deals
• led global risk-management initiatives, and completed more than $110M in commercial real estate transactions while sourcing over $50M in bank financing. 

My experience spans manufacturing, distribution, real estate, private equity, accounting, and healthcare, where I’ve managed mergers, sale-leasebacks, developments, and major technology transformations. 

If you’re ready to chat, I offer a complimentary, confidential discovery call. You can book a time with me here:

If you’re depending solely on basic accounting to guide major decisions during a period of growth, change, investment, or cash pressure, you may be overlooking important insights. My job is to change that.

Let’s get into it.

What Is A Fractional CFO?

Many companies can’t afford to take on a six-figure CFO salary plus benefits package that can range from $250K to $400K per year. A Fractional CFO is a part-time and contract-based Chief Financial Officer who provides the same level of financial leadership, strategy, forecasting, analysis, and executive guidance as a full-time CFO, but at a fraction of the cost. 

As a Fractional, CFO I typically handle:

• Long-term strategic financial planning
• Cash flow forecasting
• Budgeting and scenario modeling
• Profitability analysis 

I use analysis tools to give you visibility into long-term goals, cash needs, financial scenarios, and profit drivers so you can make confident, data-backed decisions.

• • KPI and dashboard development.
  • Fundraising support (Series A, B, debt, SBA, private equity)

• Merger and acquisition preparation

• Exit planning

With these services, I help you gain real-time clarity into your performance and prepare for major financial milestones. I focus on ensuring you’re investor-ready, strategically positioned, and set up to maximize valuation at every stage.

Additional Fractional CFO services I offer include:

• Risk analysis and mitigation
• Financial operations improvement
• Pricing strategies
• Cost management and margin optimization

I work to optimize your processes, improve pricing and margins, and create a more resilient and profitable organization.

In plain English: I help you understand what’s coming, prepare for it, make better decisions around it, and grow without losing financial control.

What’s the Difference Between a Fractional CFO vs a Controller?

A controller is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of a company’s accounting, including monthly closing, financial statements, ledger management, internal controls, and regulatory compliance. 

Their work is essential but largely backward-looking, as they focus on reporting what has already happened and maintaining clean, reliable financial records.

A Fractional CFO, by contrast, is forward-looking and strategic. They handle financial strategy, forecasting, long-term planning, business model optimization, capital needs, cash flow dynamics, profitability drivers, and investor readiness. 

While a controller keeps the books clean, a CFO helps the business scale. 

When companies rely on a controller to perform CFO-level responsibilities, they often struggle because those tasks fall outside the controller’s typical skill set.

What’s the Difference Between a Fractional CFO vs a Bookkeeper?

A bookkeeper’s fundamental responsibility is to record accounting transactions properly. They enter invoices, categorize expenses, handle accounts payable and receivable, and reconcile accounts. 

Bookkeepers serve a necessary operational function, but they are not trained in strategy, forecasting, or advanced financial analysis.

If your bookkeeper is functioning as your entire finance department, your business is at risk. 

Executive decisions cannot be made using operational-level data, and relying solely on bookkeeping information leaves leaders without the strategic insight needed to guide growth and make informed financial choices

What’s the Difference Between a Fractional CFO vs an Accountant?

An accountant’s job is to prepare financial statements, perform compliance work, file taxes, and maintain accounting accuracy. Accountants provide essential compliance support, but they are not growth strategists. Accountants do not guide executive decisions. They do not forecast the future. They do not build a strategy.

The accountant’s role is to ensure your business meets regulatory requirements, not to help you scale, raise capital, fix cash flow issues, or drive profitability.

While an accountant reports the past, a CFO builds the future.

 A Fractional CFO focuses on long-term financial planning, strategy, and the decisions that shape a company’s growth trajectory, making their contributions fundamentally different from the compliance-oriented work of an accountant.

Why Hire A Fractional CFO?

Here’s why fractional CFOs have become one of the fastest-growing professional services for SMB Owners:

1. You get C-suite expertise without the C-suite payroll: You access high-level financial strategy and executive insight without the cost of a full-time CFO.
2. You solve real financial problems before they become crises: Proactive oversight helps you identify and fix issues early so they don’t escalate into emergencies.
3. You finally get visibility into your numbers: Clear reporting and analysis give you a real-time understanding of your financial position.
4. You gain clarity around the future—not just the past: Forward-looking forecasts and models help you plan confidently for what’s ahead.
5. You get financial leadership without hiring a full finance department: You gain strategic guidance and financial structure without building or managing an internal team.
6. You align operations, sales, marketing, and finance into one plan: Financial strategy unites every department around shared goals and measurable priorities.
7. You stop relying on guesswork or gut instinct: Data-driven insights replace uncertainty and support smarter decision-making.
8. You build a financial roadmap for growth and exit: A structured plan lays out the steps needed to scale your business and prepare for a successful exit.

A Fractional CFO is the strategic partner most founders don’t realize they’re missing until they start working with one.

READY TO CHAT? 

12 Signs It’s Time to Hire a Fractional CFO

1. You’re constantly worried about cash flow

Ongoing cash flow uncertainty makes it difficult to plan, invest, or operate with confidence.

2. You’re unsure whether you can afford new hires

The cost vs. benefit of adding an employee is hard to quantify.

3. You don’t have a clear financial strategy

Without a strategic financial plan, your business is reacting to problems instead of moving toward long-term goals.

4. Your forecasts are built on guesswork

Decision-making becomes risky when projections aren’t grounded in data or reliable financial modeling.

5. You’re raising capital and need a professional financial model

Investors and lenders expect a polished, defensible model that clearly communicates your growth story.

6. You’re preparing for a sale

Buyers want to see a scalable business with strong systems — not one dependent on the owner or full of financial risks.

7. You want to improve margins and profitability

A Fractional CFO can pinpoint where money is being lost and identify opportunities for efficiency or smarter pricing.

8. You need better dashboards, KPIs, and reporting

Real-time metrics help you quickly understand performance and make informed decisions.

9. You’re unsure how your business is really performing

Without accurate financial visibility, you’re forced to rely on assumptions instead of facts.

10. Your pricing strategy hasn’t been updated in years

Outdated pricing can silently erode margins and leave revenue on the table.

11. You want to scale without losing control of your finances

Growth should be exciting — not chaotic. Strong financial systems keep expansion on track.

12. You need a trusted partner to guide major decisions

An experienced financial leader brings clarity, confidence, and strategic support when stakes are high.

What are ROI Examples from Hiring a Fractional CFO?

The ROI of fractional CFO services is clear and measurable. Check out some of my recently published case studies below.

Who Benefits From Hiring A Fractional CFO?

Healthcare: Physician Groups, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Senior Home Care

Healthcare leaders struggle with reimbursement cycles, payer complexity, and labor-heavy operations. I help stabilize cash flow and align financial strategy with clinical operations.

Manufacturing

Manufacturers deal with complex margin dynamics. I build costing models, pricing strategies, and financial visibility.

Medical Device

Long sales cycles, regulatory costs, and inventory management require sophisticated forecasting.

Real Estate Investment & Development

Proforma modeling, financial management, and project ROI—all require CFO-level oversight.

SaaS & Technology

Recurring revenue, CAC/LTV, churn, and runway: these metrics determine valuation and survival.

Family-Owned Businesses

Family businesses benefit from clarity, structure, and strategic financial leadership, often for the first time.

How To Choose The Right Fractional CFO

You should look for someone who truly understands your industry, communicates clearly, and approaches your business like a partner. 

The right person brings strategic thinking, strong analytical skills, and the ability to connect financial, operational, and long-term planning so you feel like you’re working with someone who already knows your world, not someone learning on your dime.

Key qualities to prioritize:

• A deep understanding of your goals, challenges, and constraints
• Strong modeling, forecasting, and strategic planning capabilities
• Clear communication and a true partnership mentality

 Book a Free Confidential Discovery Call 

Can You Afford NOT To Hire A Fractional CFO?

Ask yourself:

• What is the cost of a cash flow crisis?
• What is the cost of hiring for the wrong position at the wrong time?
• What is the cost of underpricing your products?
• What is the cost of going to investors unprepared?
• What is the cost of delaying a sale or getting a lower valuation?

The biggest risk isn’t investing in hiring a Fractional CFO.

It’s operating without one.

Let’s Take Control of Your Financial Future

If you’ve grown your business to seven figures, you’ve done something most people will never do. But getting from $1M to $5M, or from $5M to $20M, requires a different level of financial leadership, one you can’t get from accounting alone.

You don’t need a full-time CFO.

You need the right Fractional CFO.

If you’re ready to get clarity, stabilize cash flow, and build the financial strategy your business needs to scale, let’s talk.

About Our Fractional CFO Services

Contact us today to learn how fractional CFO services can transform your financial performance.

FAQ

1. How quickly can you start?
   Usually within 1–2 weeks after our discovery call.

2. How long does a fractional CFO engagement last?
   Some engagements last 6–12 months; others continue for years. It depends on your goals.

3. Do you replace my CPA or bookkeeper?
   No. although I can bring in a CPA or bookkeeper as part of my engagement if a client needs it. Typically, I work with your existing accounting team. If needed, I can bring in bookkeeping support.

4. Can you help prepare financials for investors or banks?
   Yes — this is one of my core specialties.

5. Do you work with remote clients?
   Absolutely. Most engagements are hybrid or fully remote.

6. Do you handle fundraising strategy?
   Yes, including materials, investor prep, and financial modeling.

7. What industries do you specialize in?
   Healthcare, (physician groups, ambulatory surgery centers, senior care), manufacturing, import/distribution, and real estate.

Categories: Hiring a Fractional CFO