Description

A focused course, tailored for you

Building the Independent Fractional CFO Practice for SMB and Mid-Market (Cash Management + AR/AP Modernisation + AI-Augmented Close + Banking + Tax + Audit Coordination)

Build the independent fractional CFO practice for SMB and mid-market in 10 weeks. Cash management + AR/AP modernisation + AI-augmented close + banking + tax + audit coordination.

Fractional CFO practice for SMB and mid-market clients has shifted: tightening cash management under interest-rate pressure, AR/AP modernisation, AI-augmented close, banking-relationship complexity, tax-position complexity, audit-firm coordination, and engagement economics that work for independent practice. CFOs who build the modern practice take the senior client engagement work. Here is the 10-week build.

$199 one-time

Tailored to your situation. Access within 24 hours. 30-day money-back.

Includes a hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access, generated for your specific situation.

Why this course

Fractional CFO practice for SMB and mid-market clients (boutique CFO practices, solo fractional CFOs, mid-tier outsourced-finance firms, accounting-practice spin-out CFO services) has shifted in 2024-2026.

Tightening cash management under interest-rate pressure (working-capital optimisation, vendor-term negotiation, customer-collection optimisation, FX hedging where multi-currency), AR/AP modernisation (Stripe Invoicing + Bill.com + Tipalti + Melio + Ramp + Brex + Mercury + Relay + Found + Lili + Numeric integrations), AI-augmented close (Vic.ai, Trullion, FloQast AI, BlackLine AI, Numeric, Puzzle.io, Digits, in-house Cerebras-augmented), banking-relationship complexity (SVB-aftermath risk-aware banking, deposit-insurance optimisation, FedNow + RTP + ACH adoption, multi-bank treasury), tax-position complexity (Wayfair multi-state nexus, R&D credit optimisation, QBI optimisation, ERC where applicable, IC-DISC, state credits + incentives), audit-firm coordination (audit-preparation framework, audit-firm selection, audit-firm negotiation), and engagement economics that work for independent practice all need to land at the fractional CFO layer.

Fractional CFOs who build the modern practice take the senior client engagement work. CFOs who stay on classic monthly-close patterns watch the senior work shift to peers and to AI-native accounting platforms.

This course teaches the 10-week build of the independent fractional CFO practice for SMB and mid-market: cash management framework, AR/AP modernisation framework, AI-augmented close framework, banking framework, tax framework, audit coordination framework, and the engagement economics model. Twelve modules with deliverables. Plus a hand-built implementation playbook for your specific practice and client mix.

What you walk away with

A documented cash management framework.
An AR/AP modernisation framework.
An AI-augmented close framework.
A banking framework.
A tax framework.
An audit coordination framework.
An engagement economics framework.
A 10-week build plan.

The 12 modules

Module 1. SMB and mid-market fractional CFO landscape 2026

Detailed walkthrough of the SMB and mid-market fractional CFO landscape in 2026: client-typical environments (QuickBooks Online or Xero or Sage Intacct or Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or NetSuite or in-house), AI-native accounting platforms (Puzzle.io, Digits, Numeric, in-house), banking landscape (post-SVB risk-aware banking, FedNow + RTP + ACH adoption, multi-bank treasury), tax landscape (Wayfair multi-state, R&D credit, QBI, ERC), audit landscape (SOC 1, SOC 2, financial audit, agreed-upon procedures), and the strategic-level decisions facing fractional CFOs.

Module 2. Cash management framework

Build the cash management framework: 13-week cash forecasting, working-capital-management framework, vendor-term negotiation framework, customer-collection optimisation framework, FX hedging framework where multi-currency, treasury-management framework, and the integration with broader financial planning.

Module 3. AR/AP modernisation framework

Build the AR/AP modernisation framework: AR-platform selection (Stripe Invoicing, Bill.com, Tipalti AR, in-house), AP-platform selection (Bill.com AP, Tipalti AP, Melio, Ramp, Brex, AvidXchange, Stampli, in-house), spend-management integration (Ramp, Brex, Airbase, Spendesk, Pleo, Pluto), expense-management integration, contract-management integration, and the integration with broader finance operations.

Module 4. AI-augmented close framework

Build the AI-augmented close framework: AI-driven journal-entry automation (Vic.ai, Trullion, BlackLine AI, FloQast AI, Numeric), AI-driven account-reconciliation, AI-driven variance-explanation, AI-driven flux analysis, AI-driven anomaly detection, AI-driven document handling (invoice + receipt + contract OCR), AI-augmented close compression (target: 5-day close for SMB, 7-day close for mid-market), and the integration with broader close-management.

Module 5. Banking framework

Build the banking framework: post-SVB risk-aware banking pattern (deposit diversification across multiple banks, deposit-insurance optimisation including IntraFi ICS and CDARS, treasury-management-account selection, sweep-account framework), FedNow + RTP + ACH adoption framework, multi-bank treasury integration, banking-fees optimisation, and the integration with broader financial management.

Module 6. Tax framework

Build the tax framework: Wayfair multi-state nexus framework (state-by-state economic nexus tracking, marketplace facilitator implications, voluntary disclosure agreement framework), R&D credit optimisation framework (federal Section 41, state R&D credits), QBI optimisation framework, ERC framework where applicable, IC-DISC framework where applicable, state credits + incentives framework, and the integration with broader tax strategy.

Module 7. Audit coordination framework

Build the audit coordination framework: audit-firm selection framework (Big4 vs mid-tier vs specialist), audit-fee negotiation framework, audit-preparation framework, audit-evidence-collection automation, audit-firm-relationship management, and the integration with broader assurance.

Module 8. Equity and debt advisory

Build the equity and debt advisory framework: SAFE + convertible note + priced round framework, venture-debt framework, revenue-based-financing framework, line-of-credit framework, asset-based-lending framework, factoring framework, and the integration with broader capital strategy.

Module 9. FP&A framework

Build the FP&A framework: budgeting + forecasting framework, scenario-modelling framework, KPI-and-dashboard framework, cohort-analysis framework, unit-economics framework, customer-acquisition-cost and lifetime-value framework, and the integration with broader CEO management.

Module 10. Engagement economics

Build the engagement economics framework: hourly vs flat-fee vs retainer vs equity-component engagement structure, monthly-CFO-engagement structure, project-CFO-engagement structure, fractional-CFO-engagement structure, transition-CFO-engagement structure, AI-augmented productivity, sub-contractor model, and the practice-economics framework.

Module 11. Client engagement model

Build the client engagement model: client-CEO engagement framework, client-board engagement, client-investor engagement, client-bank engagement, client-audit-firm engagement, executive-business-review framework, monthly-financial-review framework, and the integration with broader account management.

Module 12. Your 10-week build plan

Week-by-week plan with weekly deliverables. Weeks 1-2: SMB and mid-market fractional CFO landscape + cash management framework. Weeks 3-4: AR/AP modernisation framework + AI-augmented close framework. Weeks 5-6: banking framework + tax framework. Weeks 7-8: audit coordination framework + equity and debt advisory. Weeks 9-10: FP&A framework + engagement economics + client engagement. Deliverable: independent fractional CFO practice.

How this addresses your situation

Specific modules that map to what you said you are dealing with.

Module 1 covers the landscape.

Module 2 produces cash management.

Module 3 covers AR/AP modernisation.

Module 4 covers AI-augmented close.

Module 5 covers banking.

Module 6 covers tax.

Module 7 covers audit coordination.

Module 8 covers equity and debt advisory.

Module 9 covers FP&A.

Module 10 covers engagement economics.

Module 11 covers client engagement.

Module 12 covers the 10-week build plan.

What you get with this course

The 12-module course delivered as text plus downloadable templates.
Templates and worked examples for cash management framework, AR/AP modernisation framework, AI-augmented close framework, banking framework, tax framework, audit coordination framework, equity and debt advisory framework, FP&A framework, engagement economics framework, client engagement model.
A hand-built implementation playbook generated for your specific practice and client mix.
Three worked examples of independent fractional CFO practices at peer firms.
Scripted talking points for the client CEO and board engagement.

What you will have in hand by Day 1, Week 1, Month 1

Day 1: Cash management framework scaffold drafted.

Week 4: AR/AP + AI-augmented close designed.

Week 8: Banking + tax + audit coordination + equity/debt advisory operational.

Week 10: Practice in operation.

Before and after

Before

Your fractional CFO practice handles classic monthly close. Cash management strains client cash position. AR/AP modernisation is patchy. AI-augmented close is talked about but not deployed. Banking risk-aware patterns are reactive. Senior client work goes to peers shipping the modern practice.

After

An independent fractional CFO practice is in operation. Cash management framework, AR/AP modernisation framework, AI-augmented close framework, banking framework, tax framework, audit coordination framework, equity and debt advisory framework, FP&A framework, engagement economics framework, client engagement model are all designed.

What happens if you do not address this

Fractional CFOs without the modern practice lose engagements to AI-native accounting platforms and to peers shipping the modern pattern.

Who it is for

For fractional CFOs, principals at boutique CFO practices, senior outsourced-finance consultants, accounting-practice partners offering CFO services, and senior finance professionals transitioning to independent practice.

Who this is NOT for. Pure bookkeeping practitioners without CFO scope. Consultants at firms with no SMB / mid-market business. Pure tax-only practitioners without broader CFO scope.

How it arrives

Text-based course via LMS, plus downloadable templates and worked examples and the hand-built implementation playbook.

Time investment. Roughly 18 hours of reading and 60 to 120 hours of CFO effort across the 10-week build.

Why $199 is the right number

External fractional-CFO-practice consultants (specialist firms like CFO Hub, Preferred CFO, NOW CFO, Burkland Associates, Pilot CFO Services, indinero CFO Services, Lavoie CPA, Driven Insights) charge $100K-$500K for practice-modernisation programmes. AI-native accounting platforms (Puzzle.io, Digits, Numeric, Vic.ai, Trullion) charge $100-$1K/month per client. $199 buys the focused playbook plus the implementation document for your specific practice.

FAQ

Will this replace hiring a practice-modernisation consultant?

Partially. It teaches the modern practice. You may still want specialist input for complex multi-state tax positions.

What if my clients are primarily SaaS startups (not traditional SMB)?

Modules 8 and 9 cover SaaS-anchored patterns.

Does this cover ERC follow-up specifically?

Module 6 covers ERC current-state framework.

What about R&D credit Section 174 capitalisation impact?

Module 6 covers Section 174 capitalisation.

What is in the implementation playbook for me specifically?

Cash management framework tailored to your specific client mix; AR/AP modernisation framework matched to your client tech stack; a 10-week build plan.

30-day money-back guarantee. If after a week of working through the materials this is not what you needed, reply to the receipt email and a full refund is processed. No questions, no forms.

Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.