Founders often use the terms bookkeeper, accountant, and CFO interchangeably, but they solve different problems. Hiring the wrong role leads to frustration and wasted money. Knowing the distinctions helps you bring in the right level of support at the right time.

A bookkeeper focuses on accurate, timely recording of transactions. They reconcile bank accounts, categorize expenses, process payroll entries, and keep your general ledger clean. Their output is organized books that feed reports. They are detail-oriented operators, not advisors. If your books are behind, messy, or inconsistent, a bookkeeper is the first hire.

An accountant (often a CPA) ensures compliance and produces formal financial statements. They handle tax filings, adjust entries for accruals and depreciation, and make sure your financials follow accounting standards. They answer questions like: Are we compliant? Are our statements accurate? They typically work monthly or quarterly, not daily.

A CFO, whether fractional or full-time, is strategic. They forecast cash, build budgets, analyze unit economics, and translate financial data into decisions. They design dashboards for leadership, support pricing strategy, and manage banking relationships. They ask: Where are we headed? What risks and opportunities are ahead? How do we fund growth? They rely on clean books and accurate statements produced by bookkeepers and accountants.

When should you bring each in? Hire a bookkeeper as soon as the founder is spending more than a few hours a month on books. Engage an accountant for annual taxes and periodic reviews. Consider a fractional CFO when you are planning growth, raising capital, expanding to new markets, or when cash is tight and you need better forecasting and reporting to stakeholders. Here are some additional examples of how a Fractional CFO Nexera can provide CFO-level results without adding full-time headcount.

These roles can overlap but should not be confused. If you ask a bookkeeper for strategic forecasts, you will be disappointed. If you hire a CFO to clean up six months of unreconciled transactions, you are overpaying for the wrong work. Match the role to the need, and your financial foundation will support growth instead of holding it back.