For the fractional CFO coming into an engagement — this is what you need to gather, which questions to ask on day one, and the first deliverable to produce to establish credibility fast.
Week 1 — Gather & Diagnose
- Request all financial statements (trailing 12 months)
- Obtain bank reconciliations and cash position
- Review last board deck and investor update
- Map reporting tools and data sources
- Identify the controller / bookkeeper and their process
Week 1 — Stakeholder Questions
- What is the #1 financial concern keeping the CEO up at night?
- What does the board care about most in the next 90 days?
- What is the current runway and cash position?
- Are there any pending audits, loans, or compliance issues?
- What financial systems are already in place?
Week 2 — First Deliverable
- Produce a 1-page financial health summary
- Flag the 3 biggest risks and 3 quick wins
- Deliver a proposed KPI dashboard
- Confirm close calendar and reporting cadence
- Set 30/60/90-day milestone expectations in writing
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