You already know something is off.
Margin feels tighter than it should. A contract you thought was profitable is not. The board is asking questions you cannot answer with confidence. You do not need another opinion — you need a number.
Book 30 minutes. Tell me what is happening. I will tell you what I would look at first, what it would take to fix, and whether I am the right person to help. If I am not, I will say so.
What you walk away with
- A clearer read on where your numbers are actually leaking
- A straight answer on whether fractional CFO is the right fit — or not
- The next move you can make this quarter, whether we work together or not
30 minutes. No slide deck. No pitch. No pressure.
Prefer LinkedIn?
linkedin.com/in/stvntaylorWorking across Australia
Remote or in-person. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and nationwide.
Response time
I reply personally within 24-48 business hours.
The questions CEOs actually ask before booking
Straight answers. Nothing clever.
We are not sure we are ready to commit to a fractional CFO.
Most of my clients were not ready when we first spoke. They booked the call because something was off — margin squeezing, cash flow tightening, a contract feeling unprofitable — and they wanted a second opinion before it got worse. The call is not a sales pitch. You will leave with a clearer picture of what is happening and what it is costing you. Whether we work together after that is a separate decision.
Are we big enough for a fractional CFO?
If you are between $5M and $30M in revenue and the numbers are starting to surprise you, yes. Below $5M, you probably need a good accountant and a tight bookkeeper, not a CFO. Above $30M, you likely need someone full-time. In the middle is exactly where fractional works — senior financial thinking without carrying a $350K+ salary on your books.
We already have an accountant. How is this different?
Your accountant tells you what happened. A CFO tells you what to do next. Accountants file the return, reconcile the ledger, meet compliance deadlines. A fractional CFO finds the $50K-$200K per year you are leaving on the table, negotiates with banks and lenders, prices contracts properly, and gives the board numbers they can actually act on. Most of my clients keep their accountant. We do different jobs.
What if the audit finds things we would rather not hear?
It will. Every organisation I have worked with has had pricing leaks, margin gaps, or cash flow risks they did not realise were there. That is the point. You cannot fix what you cannot see, and staying in the dark is more expensive than hearing it straight. The conversation is confidential, practical, and focused on what to do next — not on judgement.
What exactly happens on the discovery call?
30 minutes. I ask what is happening in your numbers, what is keeping you up at night, and what you have already tried. I tell you what I would look at first, what it would take to fix, and whether I am the right person to help. If I am not, I say so. If I am, we talk about what the next step looks like. No slide deck. No pitch.
How soon can we start if we decide to move forward?
Usually within 2 weeks. Phase 1 (Financial Audit & Strategic Review) takes 4-6 weeks and delivers the full picture — margin analysis, cash flow position, funding gaps, and the specific moves that pay for the engagement. Most clients recover the cost of Phase 1 before it is complete.
Want to see what the work actually looks like first?
Phase 1 is the audit. Phase 2 is the fix. Phase 3 is ongoing CFO oversight. Most clients recover the cost of Phase 1 before it is complete.
See how the engagement works