Most founders don’t wake up one day needing a CFO. The need creeps in — a pricing decision made on instinct, a cash surprise, an investor question nobody could answer in the room.
By the time a business passes roughly €1–2m in revenue, the financial decisions start to outweigh the financial visibility. The accountant does the compliance work well, but nobody is looking forward. That gap — between what already happened and what happens next — is exactly what a fractional CFO fills.
The signals it’s time
Four patterns come up again and again in our first calls:
- Pricing, hiring and funding decisions are being made on instinct rather than numbers.
- You’re raising money or taking on debt and need projections that survive due diligence.
- Accounts arrive months after the fact and tell you what already happened.
- Cash is tight or unpredictable — and you’re finding out too late.
What a fractional CFO is not
It’s not a replacement for your accountant — they handle what happened; a CFO handles what happens next, and the two work alongside each other. It’s also not an interim CFO, which is a full-time, temporary role for covering a departure or a transaction. And if you’re pre-revenue or the bookkeeping isn’t in order yet, you don’t need a CFO at all — you need a good bookkeeper and a clean set of accounts first.
“The honest test: if a CFO’s first recommendation would be ‘fix the bookkeeping’, hire the bookkeeper instead. We say this on first calls more often than you’d think.”
What the first 90 days look like
A good engagement starts with a diagnostic — two weeks going through accounts, cash position, reporting and systems, ending with a plain-English read on what’s solid and what isn’t. Weeks three to six build the foundations: a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast and a monthly reporting pack designed for decision-makers. From month two, it settles into a rhythm — close, report, review, decide — so you always know where the business stands.
What it costs
A full-time CFO in Ireland runs €160,000–€280,000 a year once employer PRSI and benefits are counted. Fractional day rates typically run €900–€2,000, with monthly retainers from around €1,500 light-touch to €12,000 for two to three days a week. Most businesses between €1m and €10m need two days a month to one day a week — and can scale that up, down, or off with a month’s notice.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or professional advice. Figures reflect typical market ranges at the time of writing. For guidance tailored to your business circumstances, please consult with our team.