“Fractional CFOs Don’t Look at the Books”
I read that statement in a recent post and—aside from being flat-out wrong—it genuinely bothered me. It completely disregards the reality of small business owners and what they actually need to succeed.
As fractional CFOs have become more common, a widening divide has emerged between strategy and execution—between the clean, accurate data needed to lead and the high-level insight business owners are paying for. And you know who suffers most from that disconnect?
Small Businesses
The businesses without in-house finance departments, controllers, or layers of review. The ones building payroll-to-payroll. The ones who need both sides of the equation handled in the same seat.
Let’s Talk Numbers
A 2024 study found that nearly 40% of small businesses incur fines or overpay by approximately $11,000 per year due to sloppy books.
52% struggle with cash flow because their financial records are disorganized.
And here’s the kicker: 85% of CFOs say real-time bookkeeping significantly enhances strategic decision-making.
That last statistic may sound obvious—but apparently, it bears repeating.
The Reality for Small Businesses
Large corporations can afford separation. CFOs can operate at 30,000 feet when there’s an entire team on the ground keeping the numbers clean.
But for small businesses, pretending that same model applies is like giving someone a yacht without an engine and calling it a ride.
Case Study: Boutique Law Firm Turnaround
We were brought in by a five-attorney law firm for forecasting and strategic planning. But their books were:
- Eight months behind
- Trust accounts unreconciled
- Client costs floating in accounting limbo
There was no way to build strategy on guesswork.
So we started with the essentials:
- Rebuilt and reconciled transactions
- Established a proper monthly close
- Introduced automation to prevent future backlogs
From there, we delivered dashboards, rolling forecasts, and KPIs.
The result? The firm went from flying blind to confidently projecting cash flow three months out—cutting debt and reinvesting in their team.
Why This Matters
Bookkeeping isn’t beneath strategic leadership—it powers it.
Without clean, timely data, strategy is just expensive guesswork.
At BluRayne Consulting, we bridge that gap by bringing both operational clarity and financial foresight to the same table.
Because small businesses don’t need more titles—they need results.
Offering both bookkeeping and fractional CFO services doesn’t diminish the value of strategic leadership. It delivers it.
And frankly, when people dismiss the books, they’re not just missing the point.
They’re missing the people we’re here to serve.
Magda Fuentes | CEO
BluRayne Consulting, LLC
O: (203) 220-1687