For growing businesses · $500K–$5M
Financial leadership
without the salary.
Strategic financial oversight, payroll management, and polished reporting for businesses at $500K–$5M in revenue, at a fraction of what a full-time controller costs.
Custom-scoped to your business · Month-to-month engagement
The short answer
What does a fractional controller do?
A fractional controller provides the financial oversight a growing business needs without a full-time hire: monthly review of the books, payroll management, accounts payable and receivable, financial reporting with KPI dashboards, internal controls and approval workflows, and forecasting or preparation for loans and investors.
Poised Books offers this for businesses at roughly $500K to $5M in revenue as a monthly retainer scoped to your business after an initial assessment. Most engagements run $1,500 to $4,000 per month, month to month, with no surprise charges. You still keep your CPA for taxes.
What you get
What’s included.
Everything a controller does, without the overhead.
Financial Oversight & Review
Monthly review of your books for accuracy, consistency, and completeness.
Payroll Management
Processing payroll runs, managing tax withholdings, and keeping your team paid correctly and on time.
Accounts Payable & Receivable
Tracking vendor bills, managing payment schedules, and following up on outstanding invoices.
Financial Reporting & Analysis
P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, plus custom KPI dashboards delivered on time every month.
Policy & Process Development
Expense approval workflows, purchase order processes, and internal controls that protect your business as it scales.
Strategic Financial Guidance
Budget vs. actual analysis, cash flow forecasting, and preparation for loans, investors, or major decisions.
The math
The math makes sense.
A full-time controller costs $115K–$195K per year when you factor in salary, benefits, and overhead.
Full-time controller
- Base salary
- $80K – $120K/year
- Benefits & taxes
- $20K – $35K/year
- Office & overhead
- $5K – $15K/year
- Recruiting costs
- $10K – $25K one-time
- Total annual cost
- $115K – $195K
Fractional controller
- Monthly retainer
- $1,500 – $4,000/mo
- Benefits & taxes
- $0
- Office & overhead
- $0
- Recruiting costs
- $0
- Total annual cost
- $18K – $48K
Save $97K – $147K per year
with the same level of financial oversight.
Questions, answered
Frequently asked.
Ready when you are
Financial leadership
that scales with you.
Schedule a consultation to discuss how a fractional controller can free you to focus on growth.
Month-to-month engagement. No long-term contracts required.