Service
Outsourced CFO services, without a full-time salary
A finance leader who watches your cash, profit and pricing every month, explains what changed in plain words, and tells you what to do next.
The short answer
- Outsourced CFO services give you senior finance help by the month instead of hiring a full-time CFO.
- A CFO looks forward — cash, pricing, profit and growth. A bookkeeper records what already happened.
- Most small businesses pay a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a month, far below a $200,000+ salary.
- Founding plans are $149, $249, $499 and $899 a month, and daily bookkeeping is included in all of them.
What an outsourced CFO actually does
A bookkeeper tells you what happened last month. A CFO tells you what to do about it. That means watching cash before it gets tight, checking whether your prices still cover your costs, and finding which work makes money and which work only looks busy.
- Sees a cash squeeze weeks before it happens
- Says which jobs and services earn real profit
- Checks that a price increase will stick
- Gets your numbers ready before you ask a bank for money
- Answers the question owners ask most: can I afford this?
You get a short brief every morning
Most owners will not read a 20-page report. So we do not send one. You open LedgerDude and see cash on hand, money owed to you, what changed since last month, and the one thing worth doing today. It takes under a minute.
Why outsourcing beats hiring for most owners
A full-time CFO costs more than most small businesses earn in profit. Outsourcing gives you the same thinking for a flat monthly fee, and you can start or stop without a hiring decision.
How we start
We connect QuickBooks, set up your industry wording and goals, and hand you your first brief. Bank connection is optional and used only to show live cash.
Illustration: full-time CFO versus outsourced CFO
- Full-time CFO salary (typical US range)
- $180,000 – $280,000
- Plus payroll taxes and benefits
- roughly 20% – 30% more
- LedgerDude Momentum plan (books + AI CFO)
- $499 / month
- Yearly cost with LedgerDude
- $5,988
What this tells you: These are example figures to show the size of the gap, not a quote. The point is you can get CFO-level thinking long before you can afford a CFO salary.
What you see inside LedgerDude
What you see when the work is done: one page with your money on it.
How to start with an outsourced CFO
- 1
Connect your accounting
Link QuickBooks Online so we read the numbers you already keep.
- 2
Pick your industry
Choose your trade so labels, targets and seasonality match how you talk.
- 3
Set your goals
Tell us the profit, cash and growth targets you care about.
- 4
Read your first brief
Open the Today page and see cash, profit and what to do next.
- 5
Meet monthly
Go through the month with your CFO and agree on the next moves.
What is included
- A short Morning Brief so you know where the money stands
- Cash forecast for the next 13 weeks
- Profit review by job, service line or location
- Pricing and margin checks before you raise prices
- A monthly meeting with a real person, not a robot
- Numbers a bank or lender will accept
Founding plans: $149, $249, $499 or $899 a month. Bookkeeping is included in every plan.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an outsourced CFO and a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records and reconciles the past. A CFO uses those numbers to plan ahead — cash, pricing, profit and growth. Many businesses need both.
How much do outsourced CFO services cost?
Small business pricing usually runs a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a month. LedgerDude founding plans are $149, $249, $499 and $899 a month, with your daily bookkeeping included.
Do I have to switch accounting software?
No. QuickBooks Online stays your system of record. We read from it and never post anything without your approval.
Is this a good fit for a business under $1M in revenue?
Yes. That is where pricing and cash mistakes hurt most, and where a full-time hire is out of reach. Start on a lower plan and move up when you need more.
What does this cost?
One flat monthly price. No hourly bills, no surprises. Founding plans start at $149 a month, and your rate stays locked.
Keep reading
A roofing CFO who checks the job made money before the crew leaves town
Finance help for roofing companies: margin by job and crew, real overhead and profit recovery, commission tied to margin, and cash that survives a slow winter.
An electrician CFO who makes sure the bid covered the truck, not just the wire
Finance help for electrical contractors: loaded labor rates, margin by service line, bidding that recovers overhead, and cash planning around slow payers.
A fractional CFO for contractors who need the job numbers to make sense
Finance help built for trade contractors: gross margin by job and crew, loaded labor cost, a 13-week cash forecast, and pricing that covers overhead and profit.
All services
Everything we can take off your plate.
Pricing
Flat monthly plans based on your revenue.
Industries
How we set the books up for your kind of business.
Want your books handled for you?
We read your receipts, match your bank activity, and close your books every month. You get one short list of questions and a dashboard that always tells the truth.