A fractional CFO is a senior finance leader who works with your company part-time, so you get CFO-level judgment on profit, cash and big decisions without hiring a full-time executive. For a Tulsa company with $5M to $100M+ in revenue, that usually means books that close on time, a clear view of where profit and cash really stand, and a plan the owner can act on.

I served as an in-house CFO before founding Veritas, so I know what the seat is supposed to deliver. Here is what a fractional CFO in Tulsa actually does, in plain English.

What does a fractional CFO actually do week to week?

The work is practical, not theoretical. In a typical month a fractional CFO will:

• Check that the close is reliable. Bank accounts tie to the books, receivables and payables are current, and the month is closed on a schedule you can count on.
• Turn the financials into a short read. Profit, cash and the two or three things that moved them, written so an owner can read it in minutes.
• Look forward, not only back. A rolling 13-week cash view shows the week cash gets tight before it arrives.
• Find where margin lives. Profit by job, service line or location, so pricing and staffing decisions rest on facts instead of a company-wide average.
• Prepare for the people who ask hard questions. Lenders, investors, boards and buyers all want numbers that hold up.
• Set the priorities. A short list of quarterly goals, each with one owner, one date and the number it moves.

How is a fractional CFO different from a controller or a bookkeeper?

Each role answers a different question. A bookkeeper records what happened. An outsourced controller makes sure the numbers are right and the books close on time. A CFO decides what to do with those numbers: where to invest, what to price differently, how much cash to hold, and when to borrow.

Many growing companies have the first role covered and are missing the second and third. Without a controller-level close, a CFO is working from guesses. Without a CFO, a clean close is just a tidy report nobody acts on. That is why we pair outsourced accounting in Tulsa with the CFO layer: one team, one set of numbers.

When does a Tulsa business need a fractional CFO?

The signs are usually familiar to the owner before they have a name for them:

• You see last month’s profit three weeks after the month ends, if at all.
• Cash surprises you, even when the company is profitable on paper.
• You cannot say which jobs, clients or locations make money and which do not.
• A lender, investor or buyer asks for a forecast and you would be building it from scratch.
• Pricing, hiring and expansion calls are made on instinct because the numbers arrive too late to help.

If two or more of these sound like your company, the gap is probably not another bookkeeper. It is financial leadership that fits the size of the business.

What does it look like to start working with a fractional CFO?

At Veritas it starts with a complimentary Financial X-Ray Review. We look at your actual numbers and show you where profit and cash really stand, including your low cash week. From there the work runs on a rhythm: books closed by the 10th, a monthly read on profit and cash, and quarterly priorities with an owner and a date on each.

The point is simple. You get the finance team function of a larger company, scaled to yours, and you see your real numbers while there is still time to act on them.

Fractional CFO questions Tulsa owners ask

Is a fractional CFO the same as a part-time or outsourced CFO?

In practice, yes. Fractional, part-time, outsourced and virtual CFO all describe a senior finance leader who serves your company for part of the week or month instead of full-time. What matters is the work delivered, not the label.

What size company uses a fractional CFO?

Veritas works with owner-led companies from $5M to $100M+ in revenue. The common thread is that the business has outgrown bookkeeping and needs real financial leadership, but does not need a full-time CFO on payroll.

Does a fractional CFO replace my CPA or accountant?

Usually not. A CPA typically handles tax filings and compliance. A fractional CFO works alongside your accounting team, or brings controller-level accounting with them, so the numbers are right and the decisions behind them are sound.

Where should I start?

Take the three-minute Quick Score to see where your finances stand, then book a complimentary Financial X-Ray Review and we will walk through your real profit and cash position together.

Gui Albergaria is Founder & CEO of Veritas Management Group, a fractional CFO firm in Tulsa. He served as an in-house CFO before founding Veritas.

Related

• Fractional CFO in Tulsa
• Outsourced controller in Tulsa
• Outsourced accounting in Tulsa
• The 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast: Find Your Low Week Before Year-End
• Quick Score