.png)
Expert CFO services for small businesses
Hiring a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) can be a tall order for small business owners—especially in the early days, when budgets are tight and every decision counts. However, that’s often when you need expert financial guidance most.
Zeni’s fractional CFO services offer a flexible solution: seasoned financial expertise on demand, so you only pay for the support you need. You can scale up during periods of complexity, then scale back once things slow down, keeping costs manageable.
In addition to flexibility, our CFOs bring a wealth of diverse experience. Unlike traditional CFOs, they’ve worked with hundreds of small businesses across industries, allowing them to offer insights that go beyond what an in-house professional might provide.
Feeling overwhelmed with day-to-day financial challenges? We can streamline your workflows and improve the efficiency of fundamental processes, including cash flow management, budgeting, and tax compliance.
Need more advanced support during a critical transition period? We can also provide expert guidance as you navigate more complex challenges like equity fundraising, financial strategy, or mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
Whether you’re just finding traction or in the middle of rapid business growth, our outsourced CFO services can help you achieve financial success.
CFO services pricing
A full-time CFO provides dedicated financial leadership, but their employment doesn’t come cheap. Salaries often range from $300,000 to $500,000 per year, and that’s before you consider the cost of benefits.
Virtual CFO services can provide the strategic financial planning you need at a fraction of the cost. Rates may vary between providers and depend on which services you require, but you can typically expect to pay between $200 and $400 per hour.
For context, growing businesses often need between 15 and 25 hours of part-time CFO services per month. Assuming an average hourly rate of $300 per hour, that would work out to a monthly expense of $4,500 to $7,500.
Even if you were at the high end for a calendar year—which is unusual, since most have some slower months—you could still save hundreds of thousands of dollars compared to the cost of an experienced CFO.
Our virtual CFO service starts at just $1,350 per month, making it accessible even as a new small business owner. For more well-established businesses, we offer our Growth plan, which includes additional support and starts at $2,610 per month.
For truly unique needs, we also offer custom plans, so you can purchase exactly the support you need. No more, no less.
What we do for you
Whether you’re struggling with daily financial management or a uniquely challenging transition period, Zeni’s outsourced CFO service can provide the support your small business needs. Some of our primary offerings include:
- Annual budgeting: Get a practical spending plan that aligns your monthly expenses with short- and long-term goals.
- Financial modeling: Receive comprehensive models that can facilitate strategic planning and improve risk management.
- Fundraising support: Benefit from expert help with investor relations, board meeting preparation, and deal negotiation.
- Metric benchmarking: Monitor KPIs and measure your financial operation’s performance against industry standards.
- Budget vs. actual analysis: Compare planned spending with real results to identify, investigate, and address variances.
- Cash flow forecasting: Get detailed projections of cash inflows and outflows to improve liquidity and avoid potential shortfalls.
In addition to these services, you’ll also gain access to our AI CFO agent. It can answer questions using your real-time financial data, automate processes as complex as scenario planning, and provide unlimited support at no additional cost.
Other Zeni services
Zeni is more than a fractional CFO service. We’re an all-in-one platform designed to streamline every aspect of your financial management. In addition to our small business CFO services, we offer:
- Bookkeeping services: Automate your financial reporting with AI-powered software that updates your records and provides strategic insight in real time. Plus, get dedicated support from a team of accounting experts.
- Business tax filing: Let a certified tax professional prepare your federal and state taxes for you. We’ll also find ways to maximize your tax savings, potentially even through R&D tax credits.
- Payroll management: Outsource your payroll process and get help with everything from employee onboarding to termination. We’ll make sure you’re always in compliance with state requirements.
You’ll also gain access to our full suite of supporting products.
It includes an interest-bearing checking account, a zero-fee business credit card, plus automated vendor payment and employee reimbursement tools. All integrated for maximum operational efficiency.
