As a small business owner, you pride yourself on being a self-sufficient jack-of-all-trades. But trying to go it alone with financial management and growth strategy is one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make. Here are five signs it's time to bring in an experienced fractional CFO:

1. You constantly experience cash crunches or miss payroll despite being profitable on paper. This indicates poor cash flow forecasting and management.
2. You set ambitious growth targets yet continually fall short without a clear understanding of why. You need perspective on which initiatives are truly driving results.
3. You avoid making key investments or new hires because you're unsure if you can truly afford them. Lack of modeling capabilities hurts growth.
4. Your own reviewing of financial statements leaves you with more questions than answers. You need an expert interpreter, not just the numbers.
5. You have a general feeling you're flying blind when it comes to managing your company's finances and knowing which expenditures yield ROI.



A fractional CFO provides interim financial leadership, tools like budgeting and forecasting models, and expert advice for critical decision-making. Avoid stunting your growth by finally gaining financial mastery.