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Fractional CFO

Strategic Finance Leadership, Without the Full-Time Overhead

Growing organizations hit a point where “good enough” bookkeeping and reactive reporting just doesn’t cut it. You’re making bigger bets, managing more complexity, and feeling the weight of every financial decision. But hiring a full-time CFO can be expensive, premature, or simply not the right fit.

Western Reserve Consulting’s Fractional CFO service gives you senior-level financial leadership—precisely when and where you need it. We combine hands-on financial expertise, practical operational experience, and clear communication to help you make confident decisions, strengthen your financial foundation, and accelerate growth.

What Is a Fractional CFO?

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A Fractional CFO is a seasoned finance leader who partners with your organization on a part-time, project-based, or interim basis. You get the benefits of a CFO—strategic insight, forward-looking planning, and disciplined financial management—at a fraction of the cost and commitment of a full-time hire.

At Western Reserve Consulting, our Fractional CFOs don’t just hand you spreadsheets. We sit at the leadership table with you, helping you translate numbers into action, align your financial strategy with your business goals, and build the systems and discipline your organization needs to scale.

Who We Serve

Our Fractional CFO services are designed for:

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  • Growing small and mid-sized businesses that have outgrown basic bookkeeping and need proactive financial leadership.

  • Founder-led companies and startups preparing for the next stage of growth, investment, or exit.

  • Private equity– or investor-backed businesses that need improved reporting, forecasting, and performance visibility.

  • Nonprofits and mission-driven organizations that must balance impact with financial sustainability and strong stewardship of funds.

  • Family-owned and closely held businesses navigating succession, expansion, or major strategic shifts

    If you’re asking, “Do we really know our numbers?” or “Are we ready for what’s next financially?”—you’re exactly who this service is built for.

Our Services

1. Financial Strategy & Leadership

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  • We help you move from reactive to intentional.

  • Translate your vision and strategic plan into clear financial targets

  • Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and dashboards that actually drive decisions

  • Build multi-year financial roadmaps aligned with your growth goals

  • Advise on expansion plans, new product lines, pricing strategies, and capital investments

  • Serve as a strategic thought partner to the CEO, owners, or board

  • Outcome: You understand where you’re going financially, what it will take to get there, and how to measure progress along the way.

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2. Budgeting, Forecasting & Scenario Planning

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  • Budgets should be more than annual “wish lists.” We design them as decision-making tools.

  • Develop annual operating budgets that connect strategy to spend

  • Build rolling forecasts (e.g., 12–18 month) to stay ahead of changes

  • Create best-case, base-case, and downside scenarios to stress-test plans

  • Identify and manage key financial drivers (revenue, margins, labor, overhead, etc.)

  • Implement budget-to-actual reporting and variance analysis

  • Outcome: You have a clear view of the road ahead—and a playbook for how to respond when conditions change.

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3. Cash Flow Management & Liquidity Planning

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  • Growth can be profitable on paper and still starve cash. We make sure that doesn’t happen.

  • Build cash flow projections and models (13-week, monthly, or custom)

  • Identify cash gaps and design strategies to close them

  • Optimize payment terms, collections practices, and vendor management

  • Support conversations with banks and lenders on lines of credit or refinancing

  • Create policies for reserves, distributions, and reinvestment

  • Outcome: You know your cash position today, your cash needs tomorrow, and the levers available to you if conditions tighten.

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4. Financial Reporting, Insight & Analytics

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  • You don’t need more reports—you need better insight.

  • Clean up and structure your Chart of Accounts to support actionable reporting

  • Develop management and board reporting packages (monthly, quarterly)

  • Build dashboards that highlight KPIs, trends, and red flags

  • Analyze profitability by product, customer, service line, or location

  • Provide commentary and context so non-financial leaders understand what the numbers mean

  • Outcome: You and your leadership team can quickly see what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus.

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5. Process & Systems Improvement

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  • Strong financial performance requires strong financial infrastructure.

  • Assess current systems (e.g., QuickBooks, NetSuite, ERP, CRM) and workflows

  • Recommend improvements or system migrations and manage implementation

  • Design better quote-to-cash, procure-to-pay, and month-end close processes

  • Establish internal controls, approvals, and financial policies

  • Document procedures so your team can execute consistently

  • Outcome: Your finance function is more efficient, accurate, and scalable—and far less dependent on any one individual.

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6. Capital Strategy, Banking & Investor Support

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  • When you’re raising or deploying capital, you need a partner you can trust.

  • Help prepare for bank financing, debt restructuring, or new credit facilities

  • Support equity raises, investor updates, and due diligence processes

  • Build data rooms and prepare financial schedules for external stakeholders

  • Model deal structures and run sensitivity analyses

  • Represent your financial story clearly and credibly to lenders, investors, and boards

  • Outcome: You present a professional, well-organized, and compelling financial picture to those who are investing in your business.

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7. Transaction & Special Project Support

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  • Certain moments demand extra senior-level attention.

  • Prepare your business for sale or acquisition (quality of earnings, clean-up, readiness)

  • Conduct financial health assessments and “deep dive” diagnostic reviews

  • Evaluate major investments, acquisitions, or strategic pivots

  • Support post-merger integration and financial alignment

  • Lead short-term initiatives like cost reduction programs or profitability turnarounds

  • Outcome: During high-stakes transitions, you’re not guessing—you’re guided by experienced financial leadership.

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8. Team Development & Interim Leadership

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  • We can help build the finance team that eventually makes us replaceable.

  • Assess existing finance staff, roles, and structure

  • Define and help recruit for key finance positions (Controller, FP&A, etc.)

  • Mentor and develop internal team members to take on more responsibility

  • Serve as interim CFO during a leadership transition or search

  • Create the processes and documentation a new CFO will need to hit the ground running

  • Outcome: You have the right people in the right roles—and a clear path from fractional support to a permanent, high-performing finance function.

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