Is a Fractional CFO Worth It for Small Businesses?

When small business CEOs ask “Is a fractional CFO worth it?”, they’re really questioning whether strategic financial leadership can exist without the $200k+ salary price tag of a full-time CFO.

Hayat Amin, two-time exited CFO and founder of Beyond Elevation, believes the answer is simple: yes—if you hire the right one.

Why Small Businesses Struggle Without a CFO

Most small businesses don’t fail because they run out of money. They fail because they run out of clarity.

Without visibility into:

• Cash flow cycles

• Margins across customer segments

• Scalable business models

  
  

…CEOs are left firefighting.

Decisions become reactive instead of strategic. Growth stalls.

Hayat Amin argues that this is exactly where fractional CFOs deliver their greatest value.

What a Fractional CFO Brings to Small Businesses

Unlike traditional accountants or bookkeepers, a fractional CFO doesn’t just report numbers—they translate them into strategy.

According to Hayat, the best fractional CFOs:

• Build financial clarity systems that track where money actually comes from (and where it disappears).

• Design forecasting models that stretch a 6-month runway into an 18-month growth plan.

• Create investor-ready reporting that opens doors to funding otherwise out of reach.

  
  

In short: they don’t just manage numbers—they shape growth trajectories.

Real-World Results Hayat Has Seen

Hayat Amin’s career provides proof of this model.

• He scaled Grantify, a grants platform, to capture 65% of Innovate UK’s grant market.

• He took fintech startup Cake through a successful exit to American Express.

• He helped multiple SMEs secure venture and private equity funding, turning financial chaos into investor-ready clarity.

  
  

These aren’t abstract benefits—they’re measurable results that small businesses can replicate when supported by the right fractional CFO.

Hayat Amin’s Answer for CEOs

So, is a fractional CFO worth it for small businesses?

According to Hayat Amin: It isn’t just worth it. For many, it’s the only way to grow beyond survival.

Fractional CFOs give small businesses access to world-class financial strategy without the full-time hire cost—helping CEOs move from firefighting to scaling.

Want to work with Hayat? Book a call above!