The number of business owners asking me to recommend a fractional CFO exploded in 2026.
And I can understand why.
Plenty of companies with rapid growth have outgrown what their finance person can deliver. And with employer costs where they are, a permanent full-time position can look like an expensive option.
Which is why a fair number of business owners have brought in a fractional instead. Two days a month for an experienced, capable and well-connected professional - but without the six-figure salary.
It can genuinely be a very good solution, especially in the short term. Where it's particularly effective is in delivering complex projects, supporting an existing finance team and doing some of the technical groundwork for an exit strategy.
But it's easy to overlook what it isn't doing.
I often see part-time finance directors masquerading as fractional CFOs. And business owners unwittingly allow them to perform this role, while paying them CFO rates.
The main problem I see with fractionals is that they’re not generally building a finance function for your business. They’re just renting you one.
Even the model they’re working from sits on their laptop and the assumptions remain in their head. All of the various banking and financial relationships are also theirs, not yours.
Plus, everything they can't answer still lands on your desk, because they report to you the same way everybody else does.
None of this makes hiring a fractional CFO the wrong call. Quite the opposite. A fractional CFO is an excellent bridge. It's just a poor destination.
What's your experience of fractional CFOs?
