In this edition of The Fractional CFO Playbook, we sit down with Ben Adams, founder of Ben Adams Finance, to explore how heâs redefined the CFO-for-hire modelâand what it takes to thrive in the next era of fractional finance.
Instead of slotting into a classic CFO-for-hire model, Ben has built something more comprehensive: a fully-fledged fractional finance function. And with two and a half years under his belt, heâs now helping other finance professionals understand what it really takes to thrive in this spaceâand where itâs going next.
Building a fractional function, not just a role
Today, Ben operates as the lead finance professional for a portfolio of companiesâsome raising capital, others navigating scale. But what sets his model apart is the depth of support he brings to the table.
Rather than just providing high-level strategic insight one day a week, Ben has built out a small but mighty finance team beneath him. He works alongside a bookkeeper and financial controller, offering a bundled service that spans everything from day-to-day invoicing to board-level guidance.
âWe do four things,â he explains. âFractional FD/CFO work, financial controller-level reporting, bookkeeping, and all the accountingâyear-end, payroll, the lot. Thatâs how I stay close to the numbers and still add real strategic value.â
This model means Ben isnât reliant on a clientâs internal team to get the basics right.
âWhen you control the data flow and reporting yourself, you know itâs clean. That lets you do the high-value workâfundraising, strategy, advisoryâwith way more confidence.â
Early missteps and lessons learned
While his model is now well-oiled, getting there came with its share of friction. In the early months, Ben wrestled with the same problem many new fractionals face: momentum.
âThere were days where I had no idea how to spend my time. I was overwhelmed, and yet underused.â
Like many, he also struggled with pricingâespecially when delivering a mix of high- and low-level work.
âIâd be doing some CFO work, but also a lot of bookkeeping, and charging a blended rate that ended up being below market.â
Even trickier was figuring out how much not to do.
âYouâre often the âadult in the room,â especially with early-stage clients. That means weighing in on everything from HR issues to complianceâeven if itâs technically outside your remit.â
Another invisible challenge? The cognitive load of juggling multiple clients.
âContext switching is brutal,â Ben admits. âSometimes Iâve nearly responded to a question thinking it was from a different company. Itâs hard to keep that much information stored and sorted in your head.â
Current realities: simplicity, prioritisation, and not just numbers
Two and a half years in, Ben is clear-eyed about the ongoing challenges of fractional life. One of the biggest? Balancing priorities when multiple clients need him at once.
âYou have to decide whatâs the most important, what can be missed,â he says. âOtherwise you can end up easily working a lot of hours and⌠basically doing a bad job for everybody.â
The nature of the role also demands constant mental shiftingâsomething Ben admits can be difficult to manage.
âWhen you're working with multiple clients, it's really hard to keep in your head all the variety of information you are receiving.â
Heâs also finding that the role of a fractional finance leader increasingly blurs into areas far beyond finance.
âYou're there to help them. And often you're the one who knows most about compliance in general,â Ben says.
That can mean supporting decisions on HR, legal structure, international expansion, and more.
âItâs not just finance and filing taxes,â he adds. âItâs like, âOh, we want to fire someone,â or, âWe want to sell in the US⌠what kind of things do we need to do?ââ
Advice for Aspiring Fractionals
Ben is clear: the fractional route isnât for everyone. But for those seriously considering it, he offers five sharp pieces of advice:
- Ease into it.
âDonât quit your job unless youâve got six months of savings. Start with one day a week, find one client on the side, and build up.â
- Your network is your net worth.
âJoin communities like Startup CFO, FinOps, CFO Techstackâs communityâThe Stack Exchange. Go to events. Talk to people. The relationships you build are your currency.â
- Lead with generosity.
âIf thereâs one mindset shift that changed everything for me, it was this: stop trying to sell, and just help. Reach out to people with the goal of being genuinely useful. Even if they canât hire you, theyâll remember the value you broughtâand theyâll refer you when someone else asks.â
- Be ready.
âHave your company registered, your contract templates prepared, and your LinkedIn looking sharp. When someone says âyes,â you want to be able to move immediately.â
- Make the complex simple.
âYou donât need to be the best model builder in the world. But you do need to explain financial concepts clearly and simply. Founders arenât hiring you to overwhelm themâtheyâre hiring you to bring clarity.â
Whatâs next for the fractional world?
As someone at the forefront of this evolving space, Ben sees change on the horizonâespecially with the rise of AI and virtual CFO tools.
âTechnically, a lot of the CFO role is being commoditised. ChatGPT can now write emails, analyse numbers, even offer decent advice. But what it canât do is build relationships or offer emotional support.â
And that, Ben believes, is where the value now lies.
âSo much of the job is business therapy. Founders often have a narrative in their heads, and it doesnât match the numbers. Your job is to gently align those storiesâto be the steady voice in the room.â
He sees the role of the fractional CFO evolving into something more akin to a coach, translator, and strategic mirror.
âYes, we still need to get the books right. But more than ever, the job is about helping founders face reality, set smart objectives, and stay grounded.â
Benâs final and probably his most important message to finance professionals considering the jump? Start with service.
âDonât go into this space looking to âwin work.â Go in asking how you can help. The work will come. But if you focus on delivering value and building relationshipsâeverything else will follow.â
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