Fractional CFO · Chapter 5 · NC Triangle
Executive-level financial thinking for your closely held business.
Most small businesses can't justify a full-time CFO — but they need what a CFO does: clear financial reporting, cash flow forecasting, performance metrics, and someone who asks the hard questions about where the money is going and why.
What a fractional CFO actually does
A full-time CFO for a closely held business is often overkill — it's a full salary for strategic work that doesn't take 40 hours per week. A fractional CFO provides the same thinking at a fraction of the cost, typically on a monthly retainer or project basis.
Duane's background before funeral service was small business ownership with a corporate finance foundation. He approaches a small business's finances the way a senior financial executive would — not as an accountant tracking transactions, but as someone who looks at where the business is, where it's going, and what the numbers are actually saying about the decisions you're making.
What this typically includes
Monthly financial review — P&L, balance sheet, cash position
Cash flow forecasting — what's coming and when
KPI identification and dashboard — the numbers that actually tell you how the business is performing
Budget vs. actual analysis and variance explanation
Pricing and margin analysis
Capacity and utilization review
Strategic financial input on major decisions (hiring, capex, debt)
Coordination with your CPA at tax time — bridging operations and tax
Who Duane works with
Independent funeral homes
Funeral homes that know their call count but not their real profitability by service type, preneed capture rate, or cost-per-call trend.
Professional service firms
Law firms, insurance agencies, accounting practices — businesses with service-based revenue that need to understand what margin they're actually generating per client.
Closely held businesses
Any owner-operated business generating $500K–$10M in revenue that's running on gut feeling rather than real financial insight.
What Duane is not
Not a CPA. Not an auditor. Not a tax preparer. Financial services from Cutlip Associates do not constitute accounting, auditing, or tax advice under NC GS Chapter 93. If you need CPA services, Duane will refer you to appropriate professionals and coordinate with them.
Engagement structure
Most fractional CFO engagements start with a financial assessment — understanding where the business stands before building any kind of reporting framework. From there, engagements are typically monthly retainer with specific deliverables agreed upfront. Call to discuss what your situation needs.
Getting Your Affairs in Order
Most people don't need all of these at once — but knowing which chapter you're in helps.
Does your business run on gut feeling or financial data?
Call or text (919) 822-2010, or email duane@cutlipassociates.com. If you can't describe your margin, your cash flow, or your top 3 KPIs in one minute, let's talk.