FP&A & Reporting
What Is a Fractional Controller? Role, Cost and How It Differs From a CFO (2026)
A fractional controller runs your month-end close, financial statements and controls part-time. What they do, 2026 costs, and how they differ from a CFO.
Explore Founder Resources
FP&A & Reporting
Interim CFO: What It Is, When You Need One and What It Costs (2026)
An interim CFO is a temporary, usually full-time CFO for 3 to 12 months. What they do, how they differ from fractional CFOs, 2026 costs and how to hire one.
FP&A & Reporting
The First 90 Days With a Fractional CFO: What Should Happen, and When
What a fractional CFO should deliver by day 30, 60 and 90: a cash forecast, a working model, a monthly reporting pack and a plan, plus red flags to watch for.
FP&A & Reporting
Headcount Planning: What Each Hire Really Costs, and When to Make It
Headcount planning with a free Excel template: what each hire really costs fully loaded, how sales ramp changes the math, and how hire timing moves runway.
FP&A & Reporting
Annual Operating Plan: How to Build One That Survives the Year
An annual operating plan turns strategy into 12 months of targets, budget, hiring and cash. How to build one, with a worked SaaS example and scenarios.
Valuation & Funding
Financial Due Diligence: What Buyers Check and How to Prepare
What financial due diligence covers, how a quality of earnings report changes the price, the working capital peg, and a checklist to prepare before a sale.
Valuation & Funding
Hurdle Rate: Definition, Formula and How to Set One
A hurdle rate is the minimum return a project or fund must clear. The formula, why companies set it above WACC, a worked example and the 8% PE norm.
FP&A & Reporting
What Is a Fractional CFO? Meaning, Role and Cost
A fractional CFO is a part-time chief financial officer. What they do, how they differ from interim and outsourced CFOs, what they cost and when to hire one.
Valuation & Funding
Cap Table: How Dilution Works and What Investors Check
What a cap table is, how post-money SAFEs stack, and the 2026 dilution benchmarks. With a worked example showing how three small SAFEs sold 19% before the priced round.
Valuation & Funding
What Is WACC? Formula, Calculation and Private Company Rates
What WACC is, how to calculate it, and how to set a defensible discount rate when your company has no beta and no traded debt. With a worked example.
FP&A & Reporting
What Does a Fractional CFO Cost? Published Prices From 61 US Firms (2026)
We checked 61 US fractional CFO firms. Fewer than 1 in 4 publish their own prices; entry tiers start at a median $2,000 a month. Full table, data and UK rates.
Financial Modeling
The 3-Statement Model: How to Build One That Survives Investor Scrutiny
Free Excel 3-statement model template with built-in checks, plus a step-by-step guide to building a model that survives investor diligence.
Startup Metrics
Contribution Margin: Formula, Ratio and How Founders Should Use It
Contribution margin explained — formula, ratio, per-unit calculation, and how it differs from gross margin. With SaaS and e-commerce worked examples from the team behind 100+ startup financial models.
Cash Flow & Runway
13-Week Cash Flow Forecast: How to Build One (2026 Method + Template)
Free 13-week cash flow forecast template (Excel) and how to build one with the direct method: worked example, downside scenario and the weekly update routine.
FP&A & Reporting
Understanding the Basics of Financial Statements
Discover the fundamentals of financial statements, essential for evaluating financial health and making informed decisions. Learn about balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements to enhance your financial literacy and investment strategies.
Valuation & Funding
When Should a Startup Hire a CFO? A Stage-by-Stage Guide
Most startups need a full-time CFO later than founders think. The finance team by stage and ARR, seven signs to hire, and what a CFO costs in runway.