Many founders have heard the term fractional CFO but are not sure what that person would actually do. A fractional CFO sits between bookkeeping and full-time executive leadership, providing strategic finance without the full-time cost. They translate numbers into decisions, build forward-looking views, and support communication with stakeholders.

Cash and runway management: A fractional CFO builds and maintains a 13-week cash forecast, models scenarios, and highlights pinch points before they hit. They design collections rhythms and vendor payment plans to smooth cash, and they help negotiate credit lines when needed.

Financial reporting and storytelling: Beyond preparing a P and L, they create board-ready packets: revenue and margin trends, cohort or segment analysis, and commentary on variances. They ensure metrics are consistent and that leadership can explain results to investors, banks, and the team.

Unit economics and pricing: They analyze contribution margins by product or customer, uncover hidden costs, and test pricing changes. This work informs which offers to push, which to sunset, and how to structure discounts without destroying margin.

Budgeting and planning: They facilitate annual or quarterly planning, aligning hiring, marketing spend, and product investment with revenue goals and cash constraints. They turn strategy into a budget with ownership, targets, and checkpoints.

Special projects: This can include due diligence support, M and A modeling, grant or loan applications, or implementing new finance systems. They often manage the selection and rollout of tools like accounting software, expense management, and KPI dashboards.

Example engagements: a services firm hiring rapidly but struggling with cash timing; a product company refining pricing after shipping costs spiked; a founder preparing to raise a round and needing clean historicals plus a credible model. In each case, a fractional CFO like Nexera Consulting provides experienced guidance, structured reporting, and calm decision support without adding a full-time executive salary.