Everything owners ask, answered plainly
If your question is not here, ask it on a call. We would rather tell you that you do not need us than sell you something you do not.
- Health check
- Free
- Advisory retainer
- from USD 6,000 / month
- Finance team
- from USD 9,000 / month
- Notice
- 30 days, either side
- Start
- Usually 2 weeks
- Countries
- TH, SG, HK, VN
- First call
- Free, 30 minutes
Scope, cost and terms
What is a fractional CFO?
A fractional CFO is an experienced chief financial officer who works inside your company for a set number of days each month rather than full time. The scope is the same as a full-time CFO would carry: reporting, cash, forecasting, controls, banking, tax oversight and board or investor communication. What changes is the number of days, and therefore the cost.
What engagement models do you offer?
Four. Virtual CFO for steady remote guidance. Fractional CFO, the one most clients pick, which puts a senior CFO in your business one to two days a week. Interim CFO for full-time cover of a vacant seat. And Project CFO for a single defined deliverable such as a fundraise, an M&A process or a system go-live. You can move between them as the business changes. See how we work.
What is the difference between a fractional CFO and an interim CFO?
A fractional CFO is a long-term, part-time arrangement, typically two to six days a month, running for as long as it is useful. An interim CFO is full-time cover for a vacant seat over a defined period, usually three to nine months, while you recruit a permanent hire.
How is a fractional CFO different from an accountant, a bookkeeper or an auditor?
Your bookkeeper records transactions. Your auditor gives an opinion on the result once a year. A CFO uses those numbers to decide what happens next: which customers and products to keep, how much cash is really available, what to price, whether to invest, and how to answer a bank or an investor. The roles are complementary, not competing, and we work with your existing accountant and auditor rather than replacing them.
How do I know whether my company is ready for one?
The usual signals are that management accounts arrive too late to act on, that the business is profitable but cash is always tight, that nobody can say which products or customers actually make money, or that a bank, investor or buyer is about to look closely. Two or more of those together generally means the finance function has fallen behind the business.
How many days a month do we need?
A CFO for four to five days a month plus a Controller three days a week is the standard shape. Around ten CFO days a month is normal while reporting is being rebuilt, systems are changing or a transaction is under way. Both step down as the function stabilises. Some companies need the CFO alone, and we will say so.
How much does it cost?
The first assessment is free. After that, a CFO-only advisory retainer starts from USD 6,000 a month, the standard two-person team from USD 9,000, and an intensive engagement from USD 18,000, stepping down as the work stabilises. A fixed-scope diagnostic is USD 12,000. The pricing page sets out the full schedule and what moves the number.
Which countries do you cover?
Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Indonesia. We work with companies based in any of the four, and with regional groups holding entities in several of them that need one person responsible for the consolidated view.
What languages do you work in?
English, French and Thai. Jérôme has been based in Bangkok for over twenty years and deals with Thai accountants, auditors, banks and the Revenue Department directly rather than through a translator.
Do you work remotely or on site?
Both. In Bangkok most engagements include time in your office, because a lot of what a CFO learns comes from being in the room. Outside Thailand the rhythm is usually remote with periodic visits, agreed at the start.
Will you replace our finance team?
No. In almost every engagement the existing accountant, controller or outsourced bookkeeper stays. Our Financial Controller works alongside them on site, in Thai, raising the standard of what they deliver and by when, and we hire or coach the person who will eventually take the role over permanently.
Do you also handle bookkeeping, payroll and legal work?
Not inside SmeCFO, but our sister firms do. Plizz covers accounting, tax, payroll, company setup and work permits, and Narai Partners covers legal structuring, BOI promotion and contracts. You deal with one point of contact across all three. See one team.
Which industries have you worked in?
Logistics and freight, e-commerce, technology and software, manufacturing, property, food and beverage, healthcare, marketing and agencies, renewable energy and events. The finance discipline transfers across sectors; regulatory and operational knowledge does not, so we are direct about where our experience is thin. The full list with what each sector demands is on the clients page.
Can we see client references?
Yes. Named clients and three full testimonials are on the clients page, and once a conversation is serious we introduce you to a client in a comparable situation so you can speak to them without us on the call.
How quickly can you start?
Usually within two weeks of agreeing scope. An urgent interim need can normally be covered faster.
What is the minimum commitment?
None beyond notice. Fractional engagements run month to month with 30 days notice on either side. We would rather you leave easily than stay reluctantly.
How do you handle confidentiality and conflicts?
Every engagement is covered by a signed confidentiality agreement before we see anything. We do not take on direct competitors in the same market at the same time, and we tell you if a potential conflict appears.
What do you need from us to start?
The last two years of financial statements, the most recent management accounts, a current bank position and an hour with whoever knows how the business actually runs. That is enough to begin a Health Check.
How does an engagement end?
By design. We build processes your own people can run, document them, hire and coach the permanent finance lead, then step back to a lighter advisory role or out entirely. A fractional CFO who cannot be replaced has not done the job.
Can you help us raise money or sell the business?
Yes. We prepare the model, the information memorandum and the data room, get the numbers into a state that survives diligence, and sit on your side of the table through the process. We are not a licensed broker or corporate finance adviser and we work alongside one where the transaction requires it.