Virtual CFO
Fractional CFO
A fractional CFO gives an Australian business senior finance judgement on a part time basis: a monthly review of cash, margin and variances, help preparing a board or lender pack, and a second opinion before a pricing or hiring decision, without the cost of a full time hire.
13-week cash forecast
Illustrative client · August 2026
AUD
- Cash today
- $244,220
- Lowest week ahead
- 239,800
- Largest outflow
- Payroll, 46,300
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
What the role actually does
A fractional CFO starts after the bookkeeping and BAS cycle is done. The role reads the profit and loss and balance sheet, ties them to cash on hand and cash coming, and tells you what that means for the decision sitting in front of you, whether that is a hire, a price change, a new lease or a loan.
A typical month
Each month opens with a review call once the books close: what moved, what drove it, and what it means for the next 30, 60 and 90 days. Between calls the fractional CFO is available for the things that do not wait: a client asking for extended terms, a supplier lifting prices, compulsory superannuation and PAYG withholding obligations that land on the bank account whether or not the month felt busy.
Built for the Australian calendar
The financial year runs 1 July to 30 June, and quarterly BAS obligations, the company tax rate split between 25 per cent for base rate entities and 30 per cent for others, and Payday Super from 1 July 2026 all sit on the calendar behind the numbers. We build the review cadence around that, not a generic monthly template.
Who this suits
Businesses past the point where one owner can track everything, or heading into a raise, a loan application or a sale where the numbers need to hold up under questioning. A named lead here works alongside the team preparing the underlying analysis, under senior review, so you get senior attention without a full salary. See how it works or pricing for how fractional CFO time is scoped.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Fractional CFO
How many hours a month does a fractional CFO engagement usually need?
It depends on stage and what is happening in the business. A steady business might need a few hours a month; one heading into a raise or sale needs more, and hours are scoped to what is actually in front of you.
Can a fractional CFO help with a business loan application?
Yes. We prepare the financial statements, projections and narrative most Australian lenders ask for, and can join the lender conversation if that helps move the application along.
Does this replace our tax agent?
No. A fractional CFO handles forward looking planning. Any BAS or income tax return still needs to be lodged by a Tax Practitioners Board registered agent.
What size of business is this a good fit for?
Fit is really about complexity and pace of change rather than revenue alone, though most businesses at this stage have outgrown a single owner tracking everything informally.
What is not included in the fractional CFO scope?
Day-to-day bookkeeping and payroll processing sit outside fractional CFO work; those are separate services. The CFO scope covers forecasting, reporting structure and advisory support at the level agreed each month.
How is this different from a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records what already happened. A fractional CFO uses those records to help you decide what happens next: pricing, hiring, cash timing, fundraising.
How many hours a month does this take?
You can start with a standing monthly review plus ad hoc questions between calls. The scope is agreed up front and can flex with your stage.
Do you replace my controller or accountant?
No. A fractional CFO sits above the day-to-day close and works alongside whoever keeps your books, whether that is us or your existing team.
What is included in fractional CFO?
Fractional CFO covers monthly finance review call covering cash, margin and the month's variances and a rolling cash position and runway view. The exact scope is agreed and set out in writing before work starts, so you know precisely what is and is not covered before the first deliverable arrives.
Related services
- Virtual CFOFP&AOngoing financial planning and analysis: budget-to-actual tracking, margin and cost analysis, and the monthly pack that explains why the numbers moved.
- Virtual CFOBudgetingAn annual budget built from your real numbers, broken out by month and department, that becomes the baseline every later report is measured against.
- Virtual CFOKPI designA short list of the numbers that actually run your business, defined once and tracked consistently, instead of a dashboard nobody opens.
Industries
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.