Fractional CFO
Fractional CFO Services (strategic, operational)
Senior financial leadership without a full-time hire — strategic, operational and financial, not GAAP and reporting alone. For companies that have outgrown the question of what happened last month.
Who this is for
You have the numbers. What do you do next?
Most owners reach a point where the books close on time and the statements are accurate, and none of it tells them what to do next.
A modern-day CFO reaches into operations and strategy — as well as where the cash should go (capital allocation) and how the business is financed (optimal capital structure) — to drive the business forward. Companies at $5 to $50+ million in revenue usually need that judgement long before they can justify a full-time CFO salary.
We provide it on a fractional basis: a defined monthly commitment, at a fraction of the cost of the hire, from professionals who have done the work at institutional scale.
What is different
Not every fractional CFO seat covers the same ground
Many fractional CFOs come from accounting and controllership, and that grounding is indispensable — it is the foundation everything else rests on. The difference is how far up the scope goes.
| A reporting-focused seat | Mālama Financial · Strategic, operational and financial | |
|---|---|---|
| What they work on | The close, the statements, the year-end package | Strategic analysis, operations, capital structure and capital allocation — and the close |
| The question they answer | What happened last month | What we should do next, why, and what it is worth |
| What you have at the end | Cleaner books | Cleaner books, and a better business worth more |
Said plainly
Our C.P.A. credentials mean we can run the accounting. Our background means we do not stop there.
What we do
Three kinds of work, in one seat
Scoped to what your business actually needs. Most engagements draw on all three.
Where the business is going
The decisions that set the trajectory, and the analysis that should sit underneath them.
- Capital structure and capital allocation
- Growth, strategic initiatives and analysis
- Enterprise value and what moves it
- Board and lender presentations
How the business runs
Finance is not a back office. Most margin problems are operating problems wearing an accounting disguise.
- Process improvement
- Working capital and cash conversion
- Team structure and accountability
- Cost structure and vendor terms
What the numbers say
The reporting layer, built so it answers questions rather than just satisfying a filing.
- Forecasting, strategic planning and preparation
- Targeted financial and management reporting (KPI development and attribution)
- Ad hoc analysis when a decision is live
Engagement
How it works
A diagnostic first
We look at your financials, your operations, your reporting and the capability of your existing accounting function, and tell you plainly where the leverage is. You will know what we think is worth doing before you commit to anything ongoing.
A defined monthly cadence
A set commitment at a fixed monthly fee — typically a standing session with you, a reporting package built for decisions, and availability in between when something live comes up.
Hands-on or peripheral
Some owners want us in the business, working with the team. Others want a sounding board and a second set of eyes. Both are legitimate; the scope is yours to set.
Where we work
Honolulu is our home market and the one place we can consistently be in the room. We also work remotely with businesses throughout the United States, particularly on the West Coast, where we have people on the ground.
How this fits
Where fractional CFO work sits in our practice
It is the connective tissue between our outsourced accounting and exit readiness services.
Outsourced Accounting
CFO judgement is only as good as the records underneath it. For larger businesses we work with your existing accounting personnel. Most engagements for smaller businesses either begin with our accounting team or run alongside them, so the numbers being interpreted are numbers we stand behind.
Exit Readiness
The decisions a CFO makes over two to five years are similar to facets most buyers will test in diligence.
Common questions
Fractional CFO services, answered
What does a fractional CFO actually do?
Everything a full-time CFO would, on a part-time commitment: forecasting and strategic planning, capital structure, lender and board reporting, and the operational work that drives it all. It is a broader seat than GAAP and reporting alone.
How is this different from a bookkeeper or a controller?
A bookkeeper records transactions. A controller owns the close and makes sure the records are right. A CFO decides what to do with them, and carries the consequences of those decisions for the value of the business.
Is an outsourced, part-time, interim or virtual CFO the same thing?
Broadly, yes — the terms are used interchangeably. The meaningful distinction is not the label but the scope of the seat: whether it stops at the reporting, or extends into operations, pricing, capital and what the business is ultimately worth.
Can you work with our existing accounting team?
Yes, and for larger businesses that is usually the arrangement. Part of the opening diagnostic is an honest assessment of what your current accounting function does well and where it needs support. Smaller businesses more often have us take the accounting on directly.
What does a fractional CFO cost in Hawaii?
Engagements are quoted as a fixed monthly fee against a defined scope, so the cost is known before you commit. It is a fraction of a full-time CFO's salary and benefits, and it scales with how much of the seat you actually need.
Do you work with businesses outside Hawaii?
Yes. Honolulu is our home market and where we can consistently meet in person. We also work remotely with businesses throughout the United States, particularly on the West Coast, where we have people on the ground — including Southern California.
Do I have to be thinking about selling?
No. Most of this work pays for itself in businesses with no transaction in view. But the same decisions that build value also make a business easier to sell, so owners who do eventually transact tend to be glad they started early.
Get in touch
A conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
If you are weighing whether a fractional CFO would earn its keep in your business, we are glad to talk it through.