Fractional roles for SMBs: CFO, CMO, GC

The fractional model in 2026

Fractional = 5-20 hrs/week with a senior operator across multiple clients. Typically $150-400/hour ($3-8k/month per client). Saves vs full-time hire (a real CFO costs $150-300k all-in).

When fractional CFO is the right answer

• Revenue $500k-$10M (too small for full-time CFO, too big for bookkeeper-only)
• Raising capital or selling the business in the next 12-24 months
• Multiple revenue streams or international ops complicate the books
• Owner wants weekly financial review, not just monthly close

When fractional CMO is the right answer

• You're spending $5k+/month on marketing without a clear strategy
• You have multiple channel experiments running with no integrated view
• You're scaling from one channel that works to multi-channel

When fractional GC is the right answer

• You're negotiating multiple contracts/month
• You're raising capital, hiring 5+ people, or expanding internationally
• You face periodic regulatory exposure (healthcare, fintech, edtech)

Where to find them

• Fractional CFO — Paro, Preferred CFO, Burkland (for startups), local CPA referrals
• Fractional CMO — Chief Outsiders, MarketerHire, hand-pick via LinkedIn
• Fractional GC — Outside GC, LegalAdvantage, local startup-friendly law firms