The Operating Model
from $4,000. A 2–6 week project, priced in three tiers by complexity.
What a Fractional CFO Costs
By Tom McCollum, ACA · Former KPMG Corporate Finance · Compass & Ledger
The short answer
Fractional CFO fees are usually structured as an hourly or daily rate, a monthly retainer, or a fixed-fee project. What you pay depends on scope, the state of your books and how complex the business is. Our prices: operating models from $4,000, the 60-Day Finance Reset at $11,500, the Embedded Finance Department from $5,000 per month, and fundraising support quoted on the call.
How fractional CFO fees are structured
- Hourly or daily rates: flexible, but hard to budget, and you pay for time rather than outcomes.
- Monthly retainer: a set fee for an agreed scope, usually for ongoing work. Predictable, and the best fit for continuous support.
- Fixed-fee projects: a defined output for a defined price, such as a model, a raise or a finance clean-up. Best when the deliverable is clear.
We use monthly retainers and fixed fees. You pay for the scope we agree, not a timesheet.
What drives the fee
- Scope: CFO judgement only, or bookkeeping and reporting too.
- Complexity: number of entities, revenue streams, currencies and systems.
- State of the books: clean records take less work than ones that need rebuilding.
- Transaction activity: a raise, refinancing or acquisition adds intensive work.
- Pace: tighter deadlines need more senior time.
Our engagements
The 60-Day Finance Reset
$11,500. For books and reporting that need rebuilding first.
The Embedded Finance Department
from $5,000 per month. Bookkeeping, close, reporting and CFO judgement under one monthly fee.
Investor Ready in 30 Days
quoted on the call, based on the size and complexity of the raise.
What to compare when you get quotes
- What's included. Does the fee include bookkeeping and monthly close, or only advice?
- Who does the work. The senior person you met, or a junior team?
- Transaction experience. Has the adviser worked on raises, refinancings or acquisitions from both sides?
- What you own at the end. Models and processes documented and handed over.
- How the fee changes. What happens if scope grows during a raise?
The cheapest quote often excludes the work that takes the time.
Is it worth it?
Compare the fee with the alternative, not with zero: a full-time finance hire, founder time spent on finance, or the cost of a raise that reprices or a covenant breach. For most founder-led businesses, the question isn't whether to spend on finance but how to get senior judgement without paying for five days a week.
Frequently asked questions
Are your fees fixed?
Yes. We agree scope and fees before any work begins.
Do you charge by the hour?
No. Engagements are fixed-fee projects or monthly retainers.
Can we start with a project and move to a retainer?
Yes. Many clients start with an operating model or a raise, then move to the Embedded Finance Department.
Next step
Thirty minutes. No pitch. Your situation, and what we would do about it.
If we are a fit, we will say so. If we are not, you will hear that too, and where to look instead. Either way you leave with a clearer picture of what good finance looks like for your business.