A fractional CFO is an experienced financial professional who works with your business on a part-time or flexible basis. You get high-level financial support without the cost of a full-time hire.

We help you get clear on your numbers, make sense of what’s working and what’s not, and create a plan to grow more profitably. That might include things like improving cash flow, setting budgets, tracking key metrics, planning for growth, or preparing for investors, lenders, or big decisions ahead.

You might not be sure what kind of financial help you need — but if you’re asking yourself questions like:

• Where is my cash going each month?

• Can I afford to hire or expand?

• Are we actually making money?

• How should I price my services or products?

• What numbers should I even be looking at?

...that’s usually a sign your business is outgrowing your current financial systems.

These questions tend to surface when you’re in growth mode — revenue is increasing, but so are the moving parts. You may be wearing too many hats, spending late nights trying to interpret reports or make big decisions without reliable numbers. You might feel stressed, unsure, or even a little stuck — like you should know the answers, but you don’t have the clarity or confidence to move forward. This is where a fractional CFO can step in. We help bring structure, insight, and a long-term financial lens to your business, so you can stop guessing and start making informed, confident decisions.

Working with a fractional CFO is a collaborative partnership — not a hands-off solution.

At Stratus CFO, we serve as a strategic advisor. Our role is to understand your business, ask the right questions, and paint a clear financial picture of what’s happening and where you’re headed. Using the information you and your team provide, we analyze what’s working, identify key financial drivers, and deliver clear insights, forecasts, and strategic recommendations to support your goals. We may advise on best practices and suggest improvements to your financial processes — but it’s up to you and your team to implement those changes.

This work only moves forward when you're engaged. We ask all clients to commit to regular check-ins, provide timely input, and stay involved throughout the process. We can't snap our fingers and deliver results alone — it takes partnership and a willingness to follow through.

We primarily work with professional service firms (such as law firms, brand agencies, and security firms) and real estate businesses. Most of our clients have been in business for at least three years and are navigating the challenges that come with growth and increasing complexity.

While those are our core focus areas, we’re not limited to them. If you're a business owner who’s committed to gaining clarity around your finances and ready to make meaningful changes, it's worth having a conversation. Book a free discovery call to see if we can help — we’ll get a sense of your goals and let you know if we’re the right fit for your business.

Bookkeepers, CPAs, and tax preparers are essential to your business — they help keep your financial records accurate, stay compliant with tax laws, and ensure deadlines are met. Their work is focused on what has already happened: recording transactions, reconciling accounts, and filing reports and returns.

As a Fractional CFO, we focus on where you're going. We help you make sense of your financial data, understand the key drivers of your business, and use that insight to plan for growth. That means thinking strategically, asking the right questions, and helping you make decisions with confidence. We don’t replace your bookkeeper or CPA — we work alongside them to give you the financial clarity and leadership your business needs to grow.

It starts with scheduling a free discovery call. During that call, we’ll get to know your business, what you're looking for, and what you're hoping to achieve by hiring a fractional CFO. From there, we’ll determine whether we’re the right fit to support you.

If we decide to move forward, we’ll begin with a deeper dive into your business — where you are today, where you want to go, and what may be standing in your way. We’ll also assess your financial foundation and current systems to ensure they’re providing accurate, reliable data. From there, we build a tailored plan for your business. This may include financial forecasting, identifying key financial drivers, developing a strategy aligned to your goals, and providing ongoing oversight and strategic guidance. From there, we'll continue to meet regularly to review performance, adjust forecasts, and support confident decision-making.

Most clients choose to retain us on an ongoing basis. While some initially reach out for support during a period of growth or transition, many decide to continue the partnership once they experience the value of having consistent financial leadership and a trusted advisor by their side.

There’s no one-size-fits-all timeline. The right direction depends on your goals, stage of business, and the level of support you need. We keep things flexible, so you’re always free to adjust or cancel if your needs change.

We offer our services on a flat monthly fee based on the scope of work and level of support your business needs. After our initial discovery and assessment, we’ll outline the services included and provide a clear proposal tailored to your goals. If your needs change over time, we’ll reassess the scope together. In some cases, that may mean adjusting your monthly fee or adding a separate statement of work for special projects. Our goal is to keep things simple, transparent, and tailored to your business — no surprise invoices or hourly billing.