CFO Advisory & Bookkeeping

A fractional CFO makes sense at roughly $500,000 to $2 million in annual revenue, when you need financial strategy but can't justify a full salary. We work 10 to 20 hours monthly reviewing cash flow, profit margins, pricing, and growth plans. A full-time CFO becomes cost-effective around $5 million revenue or if you're scaling fast. Many of our clients in Florida and Texas grew from sole proprietors to needing part-time CFO guidance without being ready for a full hire. Every client situation is different, so call (239) 441-2005 to review your specific facts before acting on this guidance.

A monthly close typically takes 3 to 5 days: reconciling bank accounts, matching invoices to expenses, recording adjustments for accruals, and generating a trial balance. This gives you current profit and loss for decision-making. Most of our clients do monthly closes; larger teams do weekly. A quarterly or annual close misses trends. We've worked with Naples real estate investors who close monthly to track project profitability in real time. Every client situation is different, so call (239) 441-2005 to review your specific facts before acting on this guidance.

Cash basis is simpler: you record income when paid and expenses when written. Accrual matches revenue to invoices and expenses to when incurred. The IRS requires accrual if your revenue exceeds roughly $30 million or you carry inventory. If you're growing past $1 million, accrual gives you clearer profit margins and cash flow visibility. It's mandatory for tax reporting if you're an S-Corp. We migrate clients gradually once they've outgrown cash basis. Every client situation is different, so call (239) 441-2005 to review your specific facts before acting on this guidance.

We handle the ongoing transaction recording, bank reconciliation, and monthly reporting. A tax CPA prepares your annual tax return, plans strategies, and manages tax compliance. We're the monthly keeper of financial truth; a CPA focuses on year-end and tax strategy. Many clients use both. We coordinate closely with your tax advisor so year-end statements are ready for the CPA immediately. Every client situation is different, so call (239) 441-2005 to review your specific facts before acting on this guidance.

QuickBooks (especially Desktop) is the standard for US businesses and integrates with most payroll and industry-specific tools. Xero is cloud-native, user-friendly, and better for international companies or those with multiple locations. For Florida-based businesses with straightforward operations, QuickBooks Online works fine. For agencies or teams wanting collaboration, Xero often wins. We work with both platforms and choose based on your industry and growth plans. Every client situation is different, so call (239) 441-2005 to review your specific facts before acting on this guidance.

Start with your historical pattern: seasonal revenue spikes, typical collection timeframes, and known expenses. Project forward 12 months using conservative income estimates and historical expense ratios. Build in a 3-month emergency buffer. Use weekly or biweekly tracking if income is lumpy. We help you create a cash flow dashboard showing best, worst, and likely scenarios. This prevents surprises when payroll or tax bills hit. Every client situation is different, so call (239) 441-2005 to review your specific facts before acting on this guidance.

At minimum: gross profit margin (revenue minus cost of goods sold), operating margin (profit before tax), cash conversion cycle (days to turn sales into cash), and burn rate (monthly cash outflow). Industry-specific KPIs matter too: for agencies, project profitability; for retail, inventory turnover; for services, utilization rate. We build dashboards that highlight the 5 to 7 metrics that actually drive your business, not vanity metrics that look good in a deck. Every client situation is different, so call (239) 441-2005 to review your specific facts before acting on this guidance.

Audit-ready means: bank reconciliation is current, expenses are properly documented with receipts, payroll records are accurate, and your financial statements tie to your tax returns. An accountant or fractional CFO can perform a 'readiness review' in a few hours. Most small businesses aren't audit-ready without some cleanup. We perform this review annually and recommend fixes before an audit actually happens. Every client situation is different, so call (239) 441-2005 to review your specific facts before acting on this guidance.

Most modern accounting platforms integrate well. QuickBooks connects to HubSpot, Shopify, Stripe, and dozens of others via Zapier or native integrations. Xero does similar. These connections reduce double-entry, cut errors, and save hours monthly. We map out your workflow and set up integrations so data flows automatically from invoicing to books. It's especially valuable if you're in Atlanta or Houston with fast-growing operations. Every client situation is different, so call (239) 441-2005 to review your specific facts before acting on this guidance.

Small businesses (under $500k revenue) typically spend $500 to $1,500 monthly on bookkeeping alone. Add tax preparation ($2,000 to $5,000 annually) and planning ($1,500 to $3,000 annually). Large businesses or those with complexity (multi-state, real estate, pass-throughs) may spend 5 to 10 times that. Think of it as 5 to 10% of your tax bill avoided through proactive planning. Most clients save far more than they spend. Every client situation is different, so call (239) 441-2005 to review your specific facts before acting on this guidance.