Most small businesses work with a fractional CFO for somewhere between 5 and 25 hours per month. The exact number depends on where your business is and what you need at any given time.

A stable business with clean books and straightforward operations might only need a handful of hours monthly. That covers reviewing financials, checking cash flow, and being available for questions when they come up. A business that’s growing quickly, dealing with cash flow challenges, or navigating a major decision needs more involvement.

Several factors push the hours higher. More complex financials take more time to review and analyze. Multiple revenue streams, job costing, or inventory add layers that require attention. If you’re pursuing financing, negotiating a lease, or evaluating an acquisition, those projects require focused effort that adds to the baseline.

Certain times of year also drive more activity. Year-end close, budget season, and tax preparation periods typically require additional hours. A business that needs 10 hours in a normal month might need 20 during budgeting or when working with auditors.

The point of fractional CFO support is that you’re not paying for a full-time executive when you don’t need one. A full-time CFO costs $150,000 to $250,000 annually and works 160 hours a month whether you have 160 hours of CFO-level work or not. Most small businesses don’t. They need senior financial guidance regularly but not constantly.

VJD Financial Solutions scopes engagements based on what the business actually needs rather than locking you into a fixed commitment. If your needs increase during a growth phase or specific project, the engagement can scale up. If things stabilize, it can scale back down. You get fractional CFO and advisory services for small businesses sized to your situation rather than paying for capacity you won’t use.

The right question isn’t really how many hours, but whether you’re getting the financial insight and support your business needs to make better decisions.