Most small business owners reach a point where the accounts are done, the VAT is filed, and the business is growing – but something still feels off. Cash feels tighter than it should. Margins are unclear. Tax bills arrive as a surprise. Decisions get made on gut feel because the numbers are not giving a clear enough picture.
This is usually the point where fractional CFO support becomes relevant.
What Is a Fractional CFO?
A fractional CFO is an experienced finance professional who works with your business on a part-time or retained basis, giving you CFO-level insight without the cost of a full-time hire.
The word “fractional” simply means you get the expertise you need, at the frequency that suits your business, for a monthly fee that reflects your actual requirements.
For most Irish SMEs, hiring a full-time CFO is not practical. A senior finance director can cost anywhere from €80,000 to €120,000 or more per year in salary alone. Fractional CFO support gives you access to the same level of financial thinking at a fraction of that cost.
What Does a Fractional CFO Actually Do?
This is where it differs from standard accountancy. A fractional CFO is not primarily there to prepare your accounts or file your returns. They are there to help you understand your business financially and make better decisions.
At OTHS, fractional CFO support typically includes:
- Monthly management accounts review
- Cashflow forecasting and planning
- Budgeting and financial target setting
- Profit margin and cost analysis
- KPI tracking and reporting
- Debtor and creditor review
- VAT and tax planning awareness
- Finance and loan support
- Scenario planning for growth decisions
- Regular meetings with you or your management team
The focus is on what is happening now, what is coming next, and what decisions need to be made. Not just what happened last year.
Who Needs This Most?
Fractional CFO support is most useful for growing businesses that have become too complex to manage by instinct alone.
It is not about hitting a specific revenue number. It is about whether the business has reached a level of complexity where better forecasting, clearer reporting, and sharper financial decisions would make a meaningful difference.
In practice, this often suits businesses in the mid-six-figure turnover range and above, or smaller businesses with complexity around staff, VAT, stock, projects, contractors, or finance obligations. Sectors like professional services, construction and trades, hospitality, retail, e-commerce, and owner-managed agencies often reach this point earlier than expected.
The trigger is usually the same: the owner no longer feels fully in control of the numbers, and basic accounts are not giving them enough to work with.
A Real Example of What Changes
One business we worked with had strong sales but struggled with cashflow visibility. The owner was using the bank balance as a rough guide to performance. The problem was that the bank balance did not show upcoming VAT liabilities, payroll runs, supplier payments, loan repayments, or tax bills due in the next 60 to 90 days.
Once we reviewed the numbers properly, we built a rolling cashflow forecast, separated key costs, reviewed pricing and margins, and put a monthly reporting structure in place. The owner could see clearly where cash was being tied up, when large payments were due, and where the business had room to grow.
The outcome was fewer financial surprises, more confident decision-making, and a much clearer picture of where the business actually stood at any point in the month.
Is a Fractional CFO Expensive?
The cost of fractional CFO support depends on the size of your business, the quality of your existing records, the level of reporting you need, the frequency of meetings, and whether the engagement includes forecasting, budgeting, management accounts, or finance support.
Because every business is different, we price fractional CFO support after a short discovery call. That allows us to understand your current setup, reporting needs, cashflow position, and the level of support required before giving you a clear monthly fee.
Do Irish SMEs Actually Need This?
Not every business does. If your accounts are straightforward, your cashflow is predictable, and you have a clear picture of your numbers, standard accountancy and bookkeeping may be enough.
But if you are growing, making bigger decisions, managing staff and costs, dealing with finance, or simply feeling like your numbers are not telling you enough – fractional CFO support can change how you run your business.
It is the difference between knowing what happened and knowing what is coming next.
If you would like to find out whether fractional CFO support is the right fit for your business, book a free discovery call with the OTHS team at oths.ie/book-a-free-discovery-call-today.
