CFOs specialize in financial processes, reporting, and analysis to support founders in their decision-making process. In most companies, a CFO is a permanent paid employee appointed to work exclusively for a particular company.
While CFOs and fractional CFOs share similar responsibilities, the key distinction lies in their commitment. Unlike full-time CFOs, fractional CFOs offer their services on an hourly basis, providing a flexible and cost-effective solution for businesses.
Let’s have a look at what a fractional CFO can do for you and your business, so get ready to review some of the most notable benefits.
1. Enhanced Investor and Board Relations
All investors and most stakeholder boards demand efficient business financial management. A fractional CFO is advantageous for your business in terms of addressing issues and building trust with such a stakeholder to provide them with the accurate financial returns they want.
Also, if your business is facing some challenges or is struggling at certain times, your CFO will look for ways to overcome them and then report to the board.
2. Expertise In Start-up Fundraising
Raising capital is not always easy and is considered one of the biggest obstacles start-ups have to overcome. However, having a fractional CFO services provider can bring a wealth of expertise and guidance to the process, instilling confidence and security in your financial decisions.
They can assist you in preparing your investor pitch, establishing financial objectives and expenditures, and finding potential investors.
3. Improve Your Knowledge of Financial Fitness
On many occasions, people who own business organizations are found to be responsible for overseeing every numerical record to ensure that they are correct and meet the set legal requirements.
A fractional CFO explains complex figures and builds various sorts of forecasts depending on the information given. For instance, CFOs provide cash flow forecasts that assist the founders in identifying the inflows and outflows of the business and the source thereof.
4. Strategize For Long-Term Goals
A fractional CFO can play a strategic role in your business, helping you look forward rather than looking back and working towards long-term objectives. They can help you in coming up with strategies that put your business on the right path to the achievement of its goals and objectives, fostering a sense of optimism and forward-thinking.
For instance, by developing the financial goals and improving the management of the KPI performances, the company professionals can build robust plans and strategies needed for growth and expansion.
If you realize that you have to buy new equipment as your enterprise evolves, a fractional CFO will assist you in developing a funding model for the acquisition of the equipment.
5. Improving the Business Decision-Making Process
It is always helpful to have a fractional CFO on board when dealing with financial issues in a business. It can be overwhelming to identify and track the amount of economic data that companies need. You don’t become overwhelmed by the digits. Instead, you get to make decisions based on the reports that your fractional CFO offers.
6. Availability of Financial Instruments and Services
Fractional CFOs are professionals who have years of experience and understand the best ways to use tools and resources effectively. They are helpful in helping you secure essential tools like accounting software and statistical tools, among others, in managing numerous finance-related tasks.
For instance, accounting software reduces issues such as data entry and other repetitive functions involved in accounting. To determine the right software for your business, fractional CFOs conduct extensive research on the available options.