Experienced finance director 4-16 hours weekly for 3-8k PLN/mo. 5-10× cheaper than full-time. Complete guide: when it works, when it doesn't, where to find one in Poland.
Fractional CFO (part-time CFO / shared CFO) is a model where an experienced finance director dedicates 4-16 hours weekly to your company, working in parallel for 3-5 other clients.
Model invented in the US for startups needing strategic CFO expertise but not ready for the 200-300k USD annual cost. In Poland, it started growing from 2020, mainly in IT/SaaS and 5-30M PLN revenue companies.
Typical work scope: management reports, 13-week cash flow forecast, strategic planning, bank negotiations, presence at monthly board meetings, due diligence at fundraising or exit.
Company is earning but growing chaotically. You need CFO to organize KPIs, cash flow, expansion planning. Full retainer 25k PLN/mo not yet justified.
You want to sell the company in 12-24 months. Fractional CFO cleans management reports, validates cash flow, prepares company for due diligence. Specialization: M&A CFO.
Raising 1-5M PLN from investors. Fractional CFO conducts financial due diligence from your side, prepares pitch deck financials, negotiates term sheet.
Warning: if you need operational weekly pulse(KPIs, industry alerts, cash flow), fractional CFO won't catch issues fast enough — sharing time with 3-5 clients means once-weekly meetings won't suffice.
Better alternative for operational pulse: management system (Inratio) running 24/7— every Wednesday 6 AM automatic company pulse. A CFO and a team of finance experts are included in the subscription on an ongoing basis — and for big decisions (M&A, fundraising) they're right beside you, while you lead the final conversations.
This model — system + CFO and team included — is typically 60-70% cheaper than fractional CFO retainer and covers more surface area (the system handles operations daily, while the CFO and team advise on an ongoing basis).
A fractional CFO is an experienced finance director who dedicates 4-16 hours weekly to your company, working in parallel for 3-5 other clients. You get strategic CFO expertise at a fraction of full-time cost. Typical scope: management reports, cash flow forecast, strategic planning, bank negotiations.
3,000-8,000 PLN net/mo depending on hours (4-16h weekly) and seniority. Hourly rate: 400-800 PLN. That's 5-10× cheaper than full-time CFO (35-45k PLN real cost) and 2-3× cheaper than full outsourcing CFO via consulting firm.
3 scenarios: (1) growth phase — company with 5-15M PLN revenue needs strategy but can't afford full retainer; (2) exit/sale preparation — need CFO for 6-12 months to clean reports and cash flow; (3) VC round — CFO conducts due diligence on your side and against investor side.
If you need operational weekly pulse (KPIs, alerts, cash flow), fractional CFO may not catch issues fast enough — sharing time with 3-5 clients means weekly meetings won't suffice. Better solution: management system (Inratio) working 24/7 + ad-hoc CFO for strategic projects only.
Common paths: (1) LinkedIn (filter 'Fractional CFO Poland', 'Interim CFO Poland'); (2) online CFO networks; (3) former CFOs from 200-1000 employee companies looking for 3-5 smaller clients; (4) consulting firms often offer fractional CFO model.
Inratio delivers daily company pulse. A CFO and finance team are included in your subscription on an ongoing basis — beside you for big decisions (M&A, fundraising). 60-70% cheaper than fractional CFO.
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