Hiring a fractional CFO is a different problem from hiring a full-time CFO. The stakes are lower but so is the context. A fractional CFO arrives without institutional knowledge and must build a complete picture of your financial operations in weeks, not months. This starter checklist lives on the company side of the engagement: the work you need to do before the CFO''s first day to make their first weeks productive. The companies that get the most from their fractional CFO are the ones that arrive with clear metrics for success, a defined reporting cadence, and a written 30/60/90-day plan agreed upon by all stakeholders. The companies that waste their fractional CFO''s first months are the ones that say "we will figure it out as we go." Key pre-engagement work includes establishing the financial data baseline (last three months of P&L, current balance sheet, cash flow statement), defining the board reporting cadence and format, identifying the three to five KPIs that matter most for the company stage, and getting leadership alignment on what the CFO does and does not own. Without this alignment, the CFO''s authority will be constantly contested in the first months. This checklist is for companies at the beginning of their first fractional CFO relationship. It covers the setup that determines whether the next twelve months produce meaningful financial leadership or expensive advisory overhead.
Hiring a fractional CFO is a different problem from hiring a full-time CFO — the stakes are lower but so is the context. A fractional CFO arrives without institutional knowledge and must build a complete picture of your financial operations in weeks, not months. This starter checklist lives on the company's side of the engagement: the work you need to do before the CFO's first day to make their first weeks productive. The companies that get the most from their fractional CFO are the ones that arrive with clear metrics for success, a defined reporting cadence, and a written 30/60/90-day plan agreed upon by all stakeholders. The companies that waste their fractional CFO's first months are the ones that say "we'll figure it out as we go." This checklist is for companies at the beginning of their first fractional CFO relationship — the setup that determines whether the next twelve months produce meaningful financial leadership or expensive advisory overhead.
Systems Access & Setup
- Grant QuickBooks / Netsuite / Xero admin access
- Share read-only bank portal credentials
- Provide access to payroll system (Gusto, ADP, Rippling)
- Share cap table and equity management system
- Connect accounting software to reporting stack
30-Day Priorities
- Review trailing 12 months P&L and balance sheet
- Audit burn rate and runway calculation
- Map all existing vendor contracts and payment terms
- Identify top 3 cash flow risks
- Deliver first board-ready financial summary
60-Day Milestones
- Build 13-week cash flow forecast
- Standardize monthly close process (target: 5 business days)
- Implement department-level budget tracking
- Establish KPI dashboard (CAC, LTV, gross margin, churn)
- Conduct pricing model review
90-Day Deliverables
- Annual budget + quarterly reforecast model
- Scenario planning (base / bull / bear)
- Vendor renegotiation recommendations
- Fundraising readiness assessment (if applicable)
- Board presentation template established
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