Controller signals and CFO signals
- Fractional controller
- A fractional controller is a senior accountant who owns the accuracy of a business's numbers on a part-time basis: the month-end and year-end close, financial statements, reconciliations, controls, audit readiness and oversight of the bookkeeper.
- Fractional CFO
- A fractional CFO does the forward-looking finance work on a part-time basis: budgets, cash-flow forecasts, KPIs, pricing, hiring and financing decisions, board and lender packages, and growth or exit planning.
Questions 1 to 5 are controller signals: problems with the books, the close, the statements, the controls or an upcoming audit. Questions 6 to 10 are CFO signals: decisions about cash, financing, hiring, pricing and growth. A controller makes the numbers right; a CFO decides what to do with them.
Many businesses tick a mix of both, and most start with the controller, because a forecast built on unreliable books only produces confident errors. See the fractional controller page and the fractional CFO page for what each engagement includes.
Questions
Is this a sales quiz?
It is a self-check. Nothing you tick is sent or stored, and the lowest band genuinely recommends a bookkeeper rather than us.
What is the difference between a fractional controller and a fractional CFO?
A fractional controller owns the accuracy of the numbers: close, statements, reconciliations, controls and audit readiness. A fractional CFO uses those numbers for forward-looking decisions such as forecasting, financing, hiring and growth planning. Many businesses need the first before the second.
I ticked mostly CFO questions. Can I skip the controller?
Sometimes. If your monthly statements are already reliable and reviewed, CFO work can start straight away. If you are unsure, we check the books first in the diagnostic and tell you plainly what they can bear.
How much time would we need from you?
It depends on transaction volume, complexity and how often you want to meet. We scope it in writing after looking at your books, so you know the fee before any work begins.
General information, not advice for your situation.