Fractional Controller Services Cumming, GA

A controller, fractional or full-time, is the senior accounting role responsible for the integrity of the books, the accuracy of the financial reporting, and the discipline of the monthly close. The controller sits above the bookkeeper (or bookkeeping firm) and below the CFO. They own the playbook for how money moves through the business, how it gets recorded, and how it gets reported.

In a fractional engagement, we take that role on a part-time basis, typically 8 to 25 hours per month depending on the size and complexity of the business. The hours go to: monthly close oversight (reviewing the bookkeeping team's work for accuracy and consistency), financial reporting (producing the monthly P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and any management dashboards), budget vs. actual analysis (comparing each month's results to the annual budget and explaining the variances), cash flow forecasting, internal controls review (making sure approvals, segregation of duties, and audit trails are in place), and a recurring leadership review meeting.

The fractional controller is also the bridge between the operational side of the business and the external financial relationships: the CPA, the bank, the line of credit lender, the auditors if you have any, the future investor or acquirer. When any of those parties has a financial question, the fractional controller is the person they talk to, not the owner.

A full-time controller in the Atlanta metro area costs $110,000 to $160,000 in base salary plus 25 to 30% in benefits and payroll tax, so the loaded cost is $140,000 to $210,000 a year. For a Cumming small business in the $1M to $10M revenue range, that is a meaningful chunk of overhead and almost always overkill.

Fractional controller services typically costs $2,500 to $7,500 per month depending on hours, which works out to $30,000 to $90,000 a year. Roughly a quarter the cost of a full-time hire, with the same senior-level oversight. For most businesses in this revenue band, the fractional model is genuinely the right answer, not just a cheap substitute.

Once you cross $10M to $15M in revenue, the workload typically warrants a full-time hire. We will tell you straight when you have hit that point and help you write the job description, interview candidates, and transition the role.

Each month (or each quarter for lighter engagements) we hold a 60-minute leadership review with the owner and any other key leaders. The conversation walks through the prior month's results, the year-to-date trend, the budget variance, the current cash position and 13-week forecast, and any operational issues surfacing in the financials.

This is the meeting that turns financial reporting into actual decisions. Should we hire? Can we afford the new equipment? Is it time to raise prices? Should we cut a marginal product line? The fractional controller participates in these decisions with the financial picture in front of them, not as a passive report producer.

Fractional controller services is priced based on hours per month and complexity. Light engagements (8 to 12 hours per month, simpler businesses) start at $2,500 a month. Standard engagements (15 to 20 hours per month, mid-complexity businesses) typically run $4,000 to $6,000 a month. Heavier engagements (20 to 30 hours per month, complex multi-entity or fast-growth businesses) run $6,000 to $9,000 a month.

For most Cumming-area engagements, fractional controller is bundled with monthly bookkeeping (provided by us) so the controller is supervising work we are already doing, which keeps the engagement efficient. Bundling typically reduces the combined fee by 10 to 15% versus the parts purchased separately.