Summary
A fractional CFO gives a Canadian business senior financial leadership part-time, typically for about $3,000 to $10,000 a month before HST, compared with well over $200,000 a year for a full-time CFO. This hub sets out the full service catalogue, pricing tiers and project fees, an interactive estimator for your own needs, the industries and stages we support, how to get started (including authorizing access to your CRA business number accounts), FAQs and a curated list of Canadian guides and official resources.
Growing Canadian businesses reach a point where the owner is making financial decisions that deserve senior expertise: raising money, taking on a large loan, opening a new location, hiring ahead of revenue, or preparing for a sale. A full-time CFO is often too expensive at this stage, but the decisions are too important to make on instinct or with backward-looking statements alone.
A fractional CFO fills that gap. You get an experienced finance leader for the hours you need, focused on forecasting, cash, financing, KPIs and strategy, while your bookkeeper and accountant continue to handle the books and tax filings. Many businesses use a fractional CFO for a few years, then transition to an in-house finance team once they're large enough.
This page brings everything together in one place: services, prices, an estimator, onboarding steps and resources. For a detailed walk-through, see our fractional CFO services page, or book a call and we'll tailor a proposal to your business.
Find out what a fractional CFO would cost you
Get a fixed monthly quote in writing after a free 30-minute discovery call.
1. Fractional CFO Services at a Glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What is it? | Senior CFO expertise on a part-time, ongoing or project basis |
| Typical cost | About $3,000 – $10,000+ per month before HST |
| Typical time | About 8 – 40 hours per month, depending on the tier |
| Who uses it | Businesses from roughly $1M to $50M+ in revenue, start-ups raising capital, multi-entity groups |
| Time to start | Often within 1 – 2 weeks of the discovery call |
| Contract | Usually a monthly retainer or fixed-fee project, with notice periods rather than long lock-ins |
2. The Service Catalogue
| Service area | What's included | Typical frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Forecasting and FP&A | Budgets, rolling forecasts, scenarios, variance analysis | Monthly and quarterly |
| Cash management | 13-week cash forecasts, working capital, collections and payables strategy | Weekly or monthly |
| KPIs and reporting | Dashboards, management reports, board and investor packs | Monthly |
| Financing and lenders | Loan applications, refinancing, covenant monitoring, bank relationships | As needed, plus annual reviews |
| Fundraising | Investor model, data room, metrics, term sheet analysis | Project, 3–6 months |
| Pricing and profitability | Product, customer and location margins; pricing reviews | Quarterly |
| Growth and M&A | Expansion cases, acquisition analysis, integration planning | Project |
| Systems and processes | Accounting software, close process, controls, automation | Project, then ongoing |
| Tax and compliance oversight | Coordination with your tax accountant; monitoring HST, payroll and corporate filings under your CRA business number | Monthly and annual |
A fractional CFO works alongside, not instead of, your bookkeeping and models. Our bookkeeping services provide the reliable monthly close CFO work depends on, and our financial modeling services and business plan services support financing and growth projects.
3. Pricing: Monthly Tiers and Project Fees
| Tier | Hours per month | Monthly fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advisory | 8 – 12 | $3,000 – $4,500 | Monthly review, KPIs and advice for smaller businesses |
| Core | 16 – 24 | $5,000 – $7,500 | Forecasting, budgets, lender relationships, board reporting |
| Strategic | 30 – 40 | $8,000 – $10,000+ | Fundraising, acquisitions, multi-entity groups, rapid growth |
| Project-based | Varies | Fixed project fee | A loan application, financial model, raise or system change |
Annual cost: fractional tiers vs. a full-time CFO
Midpoints of the monthly ranges × 12; full-time figure is an illustrative total including salary and benefits
Typical project fees
- 13-week cash flow model and setup: often a few thousand dollars as a one-time project.
- Lender-ready loan package: priced like a lender-ready business plan, typically $2,500 – $7,500.
- Investor raise support: usually a Strategic-tier retainer for three to six months, or a defined project fee.
- Systems and close-process upgrade: scoped by entity count and software.
Avoid surprises: ask for a written scope, fixed monthly fee, notice period and what happens to extra hours.
Questions to ask before you sign
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Who will actually do the work? | You want a named, experienced CFO, not a rotating junior team |
| Have you worked in my industry and stage? | SaaS, regulated, multi-location and family businesses each have different priorities |
| Is the fee fixed, and what's included? | Clarity on hours, meetings, deliverables and out-of-scope work |
| How do you work with my bookkeeper and accountant? | Roles should be clear so nothing falls between the cracks |
| What will I see in the first 90 days? | A cash forecast, KPI dashboard and priority list are reasonable expectations |
| How do we end the engagement? | Look for a reasonable notice period and a handover of models and files |
Signs it's time to bring one in
- You're making decisions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars without a forecast.
- Cash surprises keep happening even though the business is profitable on paper.
- A lender, investor or board is asking for numbers you can't produce quickly.
- You're growing past one location, entity or product line.
4. Interactive Cost Estimator
Describe your business to see a suggested tier, hours and monthly range. This is a general guide, not a quote.
5. Industries and Stages We Support
| Business | Typical focus | Related guide |
|---|---|---|
| SaaS and technology start-ups | ARR and SaaS metrics, investor model, Series A | Fractional CFO for a SaaS Series A |
| Companies raising follow-on capital | Plan-vs-actual, re-based model, data room | Updating a plan for a new round |
| Businesses seeking bank or BDC loans | Loan sizing, lender package, covenants | Five loan application mistakes |
| Regulated businesses | Margins, excise and regulatory fees, compliance reporting | Cannabis retail and cultivation plans |
| Multi-location and family businesses | Consolidation, location profitability, succession | Ask us about sector-specific support |
6. Getting Started: Onboarding and CRA Business Number Access
| Step | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Discovery call | Goals, pain points and scope; fixed-fee proposal | Week 0 |
| 2. Access set-up | Accounting software, bank feeds, payroll and CRA access | Week 1 |
| 3. Diagnostic | Review of books, cash, KPIs, financing and tax accounts | Weeks 1–4 |
| 4. Quick wins | Cash forecast, KPI dashboard, priority fixes | Weeks 4–8 |
| 5. Operating rhythm | Monthly reviews, quarterly re-forecasts, annual planning | Ongoing |
- Confirm your registrations: your CRA business number links your corporate income tax (RC), GST/HST (RT) and payroll (RP) accounts. If you've added entities or started hiring, make sure BN registration and program accounts are complete.
- Authorize access: a business can authorize a representative, such as its CFO or accountant, to view or manage its business number accounts through the CRA's representative authorization process, choosing the level of access.
- Share the essentials: recent statements, tax returns, loan agreements, cap table and any business plan or model.
7. Resource Library
Ledgerive guides
Official Canadian resources
| Resource | Use it for |
|---|---|
| CRA: Business registration | Business number and program account registration |
| CRA: Authorize a representative | Giving your CFO or accountant access to your accounts |
| ISED: Small Business Credit Condition Trends | Approval rates, interest rates and borrowing trends |
| ISED: Key Small Business Statistics 2025 | Business counts, employment and survival rates |
| CVCA: H1 2026 market overview | Venture capital trends and deal sizes |
8. Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a fractional CFO cost in Canada?
As a general market range, fractional CFO services in Canada often cost about $3,000 to $10,000 per month before HST, depending on hours and complexity: roughly $3,000 to $4,500 for an advisory level, $5,000 to $7,500 for core ongoing support and $8,000 to $10,000 or more for strategic work such as fundraising or acquisitions. Defined projects can be priced as a fixed fee.
Is a fractional CFO worth it for a small business?
It is usually worth it when a business has outgrown basic bookkeeping and faces decisions with significant financial impact, such as raising capital, applying for a large loan, managing tight cash flow, expanding or preparing for a sale. The value often comes from better financing terms, improved margins and cash, and avoided mistakes that exceed the fee.
What is the difference between a fractional CFO and an accountant?
An accountant typically focuses on recording transactions, preparing financial statements and filing taxes, which looks backward. A fractional CFO focuses on forward-looking strategy: forecasting, cash management, budgeting, KPIs, financing, investor and lender relationships, and major decisions. Many businesses use both.
Can a fractional CFO work with my business remotely anywhere in Canada?
Yes. Most fractional CFO work is done with cloud accounting systems, shared dashboards and video meetings, so a CFO can support businesses across provinces. Some in-person time for planning sessions, lender meetings or board meetings can be arranged when useful.
Can a fractional CFO deal with the CRA on my behalf?
A business can authorize a representative to access its CRA business number accounts through the CRA's authorization process, for example through My Business Account or Represent a Client, at the level of access the owner chooses. Many businesses authorize their CFO or accountant so they can monitor filings and respond to CRA questions.
Summary
Fractional CFO services give Canadian businesses senior financial leadership for about $3,000 to $10,000 a month, covering forecasting, cash, KPIs, financing, fundraising, growth and compliance oversight. Use the estimator to size your needs, start with a discovery call and diagnostic, confirm your BN registration and authorize access to your CRA business number accounts, and use the guides and official resources above to make the most of the engagement.
Talk to a fractional CFO
Ledgerive provides fractional CFO services to businesses across Ontario and Canada, quoted as a fixed monthly fee after a free discovery call. Book a call or reach us directly.