Cash flow and forecasting
A 13-week cash-flow forecast, annual budgets and rolling forecasts that show a shortfall early enough to act on it cheaply, plus scenario models before major commitments.
Cash flow • Monthly reporting • Tax-integrated planning • Financing support
Fractional CFO Services in Fort Lauderdale
CPA Firm South Florida provides fractional CFO services for owner-managed businesses that have outgrown bookkeeping alone but do not need a full-time chief financial officer. You get CFO-level forecasting, reporting and planning from a CPA firm that has served South Florida businesses from its Fort Lauderdale office for more than 30 years, with your tax position built into every decision.
Reviewed by Peter Rudolph, CPA, Managing Partner. Florida CPA license AC0030738, licensed since 1997. BBA in Accounting, Florida Atlantic University.
What a fractional CFO does
A fractional CFO is an experienced finance lead who works with your business part-time, on a set schedule, instead of as a salaried executive. Bookkeeping records what happened. A CFO uses those records to answer what happens next: whether cash will cover payroll in eight weeks, which customers and services actually make money, what a new hire or a loan does to the numbers, and how much to set aside for tax.
For most owner-managed businesses the need is real but part-time. A fractional arrangement puts that judgment on your calendar each month at a cost sized to the work, and it scales up for a financing, an acquisition or a busy season and back down afterwards.
Fractional CFO services we provide
Each engagement is built from four areas of work. Most businesses start with one or two and add the others as the monthly rhythm settles. Frequency, deliverables and responsibilities are confirmed during the initial consultation.
Monthly close and reporting
A reliable month-end close, management reports and an owner KPI dashboard you can read in ten minutes, with board and lender packages when you need them.
Tax-integrated planning
Because the CFO work sits inside a CPA firm, entity structure, owner pay, estimated payments and year-end moves are planned alongside the forecast, including a tax reserve built into cash flow.
Financing and growth support
Lender-ready financial packages, covenant and debt-service tracking, pricing and margin analysis, and financial preparation for an acquisition, including due diligence before buying a business, or for an eventual sale.
Clear scope before work begins: No two engagements are identical. The consultation establishes which reports, forecasts, meetings and planning work are included, how often they are delivered, and what records the business provides.
Your first 90 days with a fractional CFO
A typical first quarter moves from reliable numbers, to a forecast, to a monthly routine. The timing depends on the condition of the books when the engagement starts.
Month 1: a reliable baseline
Review the accounting file, bank and loan balances and recent tax filings. Bring the books current where needed, agree the chart of accounts, and set the month-end close checklist and the KPIs the owner will see.
Month 2: forecast and first report
Build the first 13-week cash-flow forecast and an annual budget. Deliver the first management reporting pack and meet to walk through it, flagging the cash, margin and tax items that need a decision.
Month 3: the monthly rhythm
Close, report and update the forecast every month, followed by a review meeting. Start a tax projection so estimated payments and year-end moves are planned rather than discovered.
Bookkeeper, controller or fractional CFO?
The three roles are often confused. They build on one another, and the right starting point depends on the condition of your records and the decisions in front of you.
Bookkeeper
Records transactions, reconciles accounts and keeps the books current. Answers the question: what happened? See our small business accounting and bookkeeping services.
Controller
Owns the month-end close, internal controls and accurate financial statements. Answers the question: are the numbers right and on time?
Fractional CFO
Uses reliable numbers to forecast, plan, price, finance and advise the owner. Answers the question: what should we do next, and what will it cost in cash and in tax?
If the books are behind, the engagement usually begins by bringing them current. A forecast built on unreliable records gives false confidence, so we will tell you plainly if cleanup has to come first.
Why a CPA-led fractional CFO
Many fractional CFOs work without a tax practice behind them, which means the forecast and the tax return are prepared by different people who rarely talk. At CPA Firm South Florida they are prepared by the same firm. Cash-flow plans account for estimated payments, entity and owner-compensation decisions are modeled for their tax effect before they are made, and year-end planning starts from a forecast rather than a shoebox.
The work is led by Peter Rudolph, CPA, and performed by the firm directly; it does not use offshore processing. Learn more on the Tax Advisor Fort Lauderdale page about the planning side of the practice.
Fractional CFO work by industry
The fundamentals are the same everywhere, but the numbers that matter most change with the business. These are the situations where CFO work looks most different. See also industry accounting specialties.
Construction and contractors
Job costing, work-in-progress schedules, retainage and bonding capacity. See construction and contractor accounting.
Real estate and rentals
Property-level cash flow, debt service, reserves and depreciation planning. See real estate and rental property accounting.
Professional-service firms
Utilization, work in progress, collections and partner distributions. See accounting controls for professional-service firms.
Businesses growing across states
Sales-tax and income-tax nexus, payroll in new states and the cost of expansion. See multistate tax and nexus.
Fractional CFO near you in Fort Lauderdale, or virtually
CPA Firm South Florida meets clients in person at 1041 W Commercial Blvd, Suite 201, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309, and virtually. Fractional CFO clients can work entirely online with scheduled review meetings, and sensitive financial files are exchanged through a secure method rather than ordinary email.
The firm works with businesses across Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. See Areas We Serve for regional availability.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fractional CFO?
A fractional CFO is a qualified finance professional who provides chief-financial-officer work, including forecasting, reporting, planning and financing support, on a part-time or scheduled basis rather than as a full-time employee.
How is a fractional CFO different from a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records and reconciles transactions. A fractional CFO interprets those records and uses them to forecast cash, measure performance, plan for tax and support decisions such as hiring, pricing and borrowing.
How much does a fractional CFO cost?
Cost depends on the scope: how many reports and forecasts are delivered, how often, and the condition of the records. CPA Firm South Florida confirms scope and fees after the free consultation, before any work begins.
Does my business need a fractional CFO or a full-time CFO?
A full-time CFO makes sense when there is enough finance work to fill the role every day, usually alongside an in-house accounting team. Most owner-managed businesses need CFO judgment for a few days a month, plus more around a financing, an acquisition or a busy season. That is what a fractional arrangement covers.
How long does a fractional CFO engagement last?
Some businesses bring in a fractional CFO for a defined project, such as preparing for a loan, a purchase or a sale. Others keep one on an ongoing monthly basis. The length and terms are agreed at the start and can change as the business does.
Do my books need to be clean before I start?
No, but they need to be reliable before a forecast can be. If the records are behind or inaccurate, the engagement begins by bringing them current, then moves into reporting and forecasting.
Can you work with our existing bookkeeper and QuickBooks file?
Yes. The fractional CFO work can sit on top of an in-house or outside bookkeeper. Peter Rudolph, CPA specializes in QuickBooks accounting, and the firm will confirm how responsibilities are divided during scoping.
Is a fractional CFO the same as a financial advisor?
No. A fractional CFO works on the finances of the business itself: cash flow, reporting, budgeting, tax planning and financing. This service does not include managing personal investments.
Guides for owners
Start with the guide to cash flow forecasting and financial planning for owners, then go deeper with the articles below.
Talk to a Fort Lauderdale fractional CFO
Use the free 20-minute consultation to describe the business, the state of the books, and the decisions you are facing. The firm will tell you whether a fractional CFO engagement fits, what it would include, and where it would start.