Interim CFO Services and Consultants

An interim CFO steps into the senior finance seat for a set stretch of time, usually because the last CFO left, the company is going through a big change, or leadership needs senior help before it's ready to hire. Day to day, that means owning the close and the reporting, keeping cash forecasts current, running the budget, tightening controls and sitting in on the decisions that matter. A good interim also leaves things better organized for whoever comes next.

It depends on why you need one. Common pieces are management reporting and KPIs, cash flow forecasting, budgets, internal controls, profitability by product or contract, lender and investor reporting, and audit preparation. For government contractors we add indirect rate structures, incurred cost submissions and DCAA readiness. For owners with an open IRS issue, our Enrolled Agent can work the tax resolution side so it doesn't drain the cash plan.

Get the facts straight first. That means checking whether the numbers can be trusted, building a short term cash forecast, finding the risks that can't wait (a covenant, a payroll tax deposit, an audit date) and agreeing with leadership on what they need to see each month. By about the third month there should be a reliable baseline and a written list of priorities, with owners and dates next to each one.

The usual triggers are a finance leader leaving, a sudden cash crunch, a loan or investor process, an acquisition, a first DCAA audit, or rapid growth that the current team can't keep up with. Interim help lets you get senior judgment in place quickly, without rushing a permanent hire you may regret.

The controller makes sure the books close on time and the numbers are right. The CFO decides what those numbers mean for pricing, hiring, borrowing and where to spend. If you have a strong controller, the interim CFO builds on that work. If you don't, part of the interim job is often recruiting or developing one.

That's one of the most common reasons we're called. We start with a 13 week cash forecast built from actual receivables, payables, payroll and debt service, which usually shows where the pressure really comes from. Then we set weekly cash routines, rank the near term fixes and look at the bigger causes, like slow billing or thin margins on certain work. If unpaid payroll taxes are part of the story, we deal with the IRS side directly.

Yes, and it's a large share of our work. Our founder came up through federal contracting finance, so DCAA expectations, FAR and CAS cost rules, indirect rate pools and contract reporting are familiar ground. An interim engagement is often how a contractor gets its accounting system and timekeeping ready before an audit or a larger award, in Costpoint, Unanet or QuickBooks Online.

With a candid conversation about what's broken and what decisions are coming up. Then we review your financials, system access, recent reports and any open issues with lenders, auditors or the IRS. Within the first couple of weeks you'll get a proposed scope, priorities in order, and a plan for the handoff when the interim period ends.