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Fractional controller
Senior financial oversight without a full time hire.
A controller who reviews the close, owns the reporting standard, watches the controls, keeps the forecast honest, and sits in the room when the decision is big.
The problem
At some point the bookkeeping question becomes a business question.
Should we take the job at that price. Can we afford another crew. What does the bank need to see. Nobody in the building is responsible for answering those with numbers.
The books are fine and still nobody reviews them with judgment, so an error that a controller would catch in ten minutes survives to the tax return.
There is no financial standard: no defined close, no reporting definitions, no documented controls, no forecast to be wrong against and correct.
The owner is the controller by default, which is the most expensive use of the owner's week.
Evidence
A full time finance leader is a fixed six figure commitment.
$161,700
median pay for a US financial manager, before benefits and payroll taxes
$185,000
midpoint salary for a US corporate controller, in a range of $152,000 to $213,250
17%
median growth in CPA firm advisory practices, the fastest growing line in the profession
78%
of CPA firm advisory practices have staff dedicated to that work only, and the most tech invested serve 50% more clients
What our team does
What the controller actually does.
Review the close with judgment
Not a second data entry pass. A senior review of the accruals, the estimates, the unusual movement, and the balances that carry risk.
Own the reporting standard
How revenue and cost are defined, how margin is calculated, what each measure means. Written down so it does not change with whoever is running the report.
Watch the controls
Approval paths, segregation of duties, bank and vendor change protocols, and the evidence that each one is operating.
Keep the forecast honest
A forecast maintained against actuals, with the variance explained and the assumptions updated rather than defended.
Prepare for outside scrutiny
Lender packages, bonding requirements, insurance audits, and buyer diligence, handled before the deadline compresses.
Sit in the decision
Pricing, hiring, financing, equipment, expansion, and exit questions, answered with the numbers in front of everyone.
Included
What controller support includes.
Included in Outsourced Finance, and available as an add on to Operations Accounting.
- Monthly close review and sign off by a controller
- Documented reporting definitions and a consistent measurement standard
- Internal control design, with evidence that controls operate
- Forecast and budget maintained, with variance analysis
- Lender, bonding, insurance, and diligence packages
- Debt covenant tracking where applicable
- A standing review call with the owner and leadership
- Support on pricing, hiring, financing, and growth decisions
What this is not:
- Not an audit, review, or compilation, and not an assurance engagement
- Not tax planning or tax representation, which stay with your tax professional
- Not investment advice, valuation, or a fairness opinion
Someone should be accountable for the number before you are.
A controller's real job is to be the person who already checked. That changes how it feels to walk into a bank, a bonding meeting, or a partner conversation, because the review happened weeks earlier and not in the parking lot.
What you receive
How it shows up.
01
Close sign off
A documented senior review before your statements are final.
02
Reporting standard
Definitions written down so the numbers mean the same thing every month.
03
Control matrix
The controls that exist, who performs them, and the evidence they produce.
04
Maintained forecast
Updated against actuals with the assumptions visible.
05
Outside packages
Lender, bonding, insurance, and diligence, prepared ahead of the deadline.
06
Decision support
Analysis for the specific choice in front of you, not a generic template.
Questions
What owners ask about this work.
How is this different from a CFO?
A controller is accountable for the accuracy, the controls, and the reporting. A CFO is oriented to capital, strategy, and structure. Most owner led businesses need the controller first, and our team will tell you when the question has moved past that.
How much time do we get?
Scoped by need and written into the engagement, typically as a set review cadence plus availability for decisions. It is not an hourly retainer you have to ration.
Do you replace our bookkeeper?
Not necessarily. Controller support works over an in house bookkeeper as well as over our own monthly team.
Can you talk to our bank or bonding agent?
Yes, with your authorization. Preparing and presenting that package is a normal part of the role.
Next step
Get a senior set of eyes on the numbers before the decisions get bigger.
Take the assessment for a score and a short list of priorities, or book a call and talk through the records with our team.
Free. About 6 minutes. 25 questions. No contact details required.