Trades business owners often feel stuck between two bad choices:
“Either I cut staff — or I run out of cash.”
But there’s a third path that protects your team and strengthens your cash flow. That’s where a fractional CFO comes in.
A part-time CFO doesn’t just crunch numbers — they give you the strategy and structure to stop bleeding cash, stabilize your operations, and pay yourself and your team consistently.
The Real Problem Isn’t Payroll — It’s Cash Flow Timing
Your payroll may feel too high — but often, it’s just poorly timed against incoming payments.
A fractional CFO will:
- Map out your inflows vs outflows
- Identify where you’re overcommitting (especially between draws)
- Create a cash flow calendar to anticipate shortfalls before they hit
Example: A $10K payroll every two weeks isn’t the issue — waiting 45 days for payment is.
Plug Hidden Leaks Before Touching Labor
Trades businesses often have slow leaks that go unnoticed:
- Unbilled change orders
- Poor markup discipline
- Underperforming jobs
- Forgotten overhead costs baked into every hour worked
A fractional CFO tracks these in real time and helps:
✅ Adjust bids
✅ Eliminate pricing guesswork
✅ Recover profits job by job
Think of it this way: If every job loses 3%, payroll isn’t the culprit — your pricing is.
Make Cash Work Harder (Without Borrowing)
CFOs think like chess players, not firefighters.
They look 4–6 weeks ahead to reposition your available cash:
- Renegotiate vendor terms
- Delay low-priority spending
- Prioritize collections from late-paying customers
- Align outgoing cash with incoming project draws
This reduces the “cash panic” moments that make payroll feel unaffordable.
Strategy replaces stress.
Set Owner Pay and Team Pay on Stable Ground
One of the biggest benefits of a fractional CFO?
You stop winging it on how and when you pay yourself and your people.
They’ll help you:
- Design a repeatable owner pay system
- Set target margins that account for payroll instead of reacting to it
- Build a real reserve for slow periods
You don’t grow by cutting — you grow by controlling.
Your Team Is an Asset, Not an Expense
If payroll feels like the problem, the real issue is almost always cash visibility and control.
A fractional CFO helps you:
✅ Protect your team
✅ Preserve your pay
✅ Position your business for growth — not layoffs
🔧 Call-to-Action:
Ready to Get Control Without Cuts?
👉 Schedule a Free Financial Clarity Call to see how a fractional CFO can improve your cash flow — fast.