CPA vs. Fractional CFO: Why Your Construction Business Needs Both
Jun 15, 2023
Do you have the right financial people on your team?
If you have a CPA and a controller, it’s tempting to think you have finance and accounting covered. But if you want to grow your business (and who doesn’t?), you need strategic, high-level financial expertise. Most contractors making $5 million to $50 million in annual revenue don’t have that expertise on staff—and it’s limiting their growth.
Let’s look at what a certified public accountant (CPA) and a fractional chief financial officer (CFO) do—and why you need both if you want to grow.
CPA vs. fractional CFO
A CPA is an expert in accounting and tax compliance and helps your business with day-to-day accounting services like bookkeeping, tax planning, financial statement preparation, and audits in addition to maintaining accurate financial records. Their role is to ensure that your business is complying with all tax laws and regulations and legally minimizing tax liabilities.
A fractional CFO is a financial strategist who focuses on providing high-level advice and guidance to your business—for today as well as for the future. A fractional CFO develops financial plans, handles forecasting and budgeting, and identifies promising opportunities to improve financial performance and grow your business. Speaking of growth, a fractional CFO will also help to guide capital raising and financial reporting and oversee any compliance issues.
While a CPA and a fractional CFO both play a role in comprehensive financial management, a fractional CFO provides services that go beyond the scope of CPA services, including:
Developing and implementing financial strategies. A fractional CFO will work with you to develop long-term strategies that align with your goals and objectives for your business. Then, they implement these strategies and monitoring your business’s performance to ensure effectiveness and progress toward your goals over time.
Financial analysis and forecasting. A fractional CFO conducts detailed financial analysis and forecasting to identify trends and opportunities and reduce risks. Ultimately, the goal is to create financial clarity to help you make better decisions.
Managing and optimizing cashflow. Cashflow can be a challenge for any business, but high upfront costs and seasonality can add difficulty for contractors. A savvy fractional CFO can help reduce the cashflow crunch by developing and implementing strategies to optimize access to working capital (while reducing risk). These can include identifying inefficiencies that might be eating into your profitability.
Guiding financing and capital raising. Growing your business introduces new financial complexity. A fractional CFO can help to secure financing and raise capital by developing financing strategies, preparing financial statements, and conducting due diligence. They can also help to identify potential sources of funding and even negotiate terms with investors and lenders.
Navigating growth opportunities. Know you want to grow, but not sure exactly how? This is where a fractional CFO can make all the difference for your firm, providing guidance on mergers and acquisitions, valuations, and other high-level financial decisions that can determine the future for your business.
A fractional CFO’s role is to help you make the best financial decisions for your business. Not all fractional CFOs, though, are created equal—be sure to look for one that understands the construction industry. This is where DAAXIT can help. We only work with firms in the construction industry, helping them take their businesses to the next level and attain financial freedom.
Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association representing more than 21,000 members. Based on the merit shop philosophy, we help our members develop people, win work and deliver work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which they work.
Buzzworthy Marketing helps you create predictable website revenue through digital marketing. Like most businesses, you struggle with the complexities of getting predictable revenue from your website. At Buzzworthy, we have simplified the digital marketing process so you can stay focused on your company while we deliver drastic increases in ROI from your website.
Buzzworthy is a website marketing firm that focuses on the needs of service-centric businesses. We use proven ROI-driven techniques to increase your website traffic, conversion rate, and overall digital visibility and authority.
Michael “Buzz” Buzinski Founder
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Holly Hoffman, owner, is a former Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) auditor, contractor sales tax specialist implementing all contractor tax law changes between 2015-2019 for Wisconsin, and managed the DOR’s Speaker’s Bureau. Holly has provided sales tax seminars to contractors for 10 years. In 2019, Holly left DOR to work directly on behalf of contractors through her own consulting company, Sales Tax Advisory Network. Focused on education and compliance, Holly is breaking the mold for the accountant-client relationship.
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Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) actively promotes merit, or performance-based construction. From a modest start by six Baltimore contractors in 1950, ABC has enjoyed a growing membership, now totaling more than 22,000 firms nationally and more than 900 in the Wisconsin Chapter, each dedicated to the principles of free enterprise. These beliefs translate into a healthy, competitive and professional climate, the results of which are proudly reflected in ABC members’ construction accomplishments.
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Established in 1916, the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce is a business and community resource organization that continuously works to serve and strengthen the Kenosha Area.
https://kenoshaareachamber.com/ Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce 600 52nd Street, Suite 130 Kenosha, WI 53140 (262) 654-1234
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ASA Chicago is an independent, nonprofit trade association representing the subcontracting industry and its affiliates. Servicing union and non-union subcontractor members, trade suppliers, and servicers, the group is one of the largest trade associations in the Chicagoland area addressing the business initiatives of the subcontractor.
MEYER LAW is an award-winning, woman-owned law firm that specializes in helping companies from startups to large corporations with corporate, contracts, employment, intellectual property, fundraising and privacy matters. The team at Meyer Law has helped thousands of companies from startups that have been featured on Shark Tank to fast-growing companies on the Inc.500 to some of the largest companies in the world, and mentored thousands of companies at incubators and accelerators across the United States such as 1871, WeWork Labs and Techstars. Tricia Meyer, Founder + Managing Attorney of Meyer Law has been named on the Forbes Next 1000 list, is one of the Most Influential Female Lawyers in Chicago according to Crain’s Chicago Business and been recognized as a top 10 technology lawyer. Meyer Law has also received several awards, including most recently being recognized for the fourth year in a row by LawFirm 500 as one of the fastest growing law firms in the United States!
Tri-County Contractor’s Association (TCCA) was founded in 1971 with a mission to advance the construction industry in Southeastern Wisconsin, specifically Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth counties, and provide the tri-county area with a healthy and cost-competitive commercial construction industry. TCCA Members are general contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers who are members of the community who have a long-term interest in the growth of the construction industry. TCCA Members maintain the highest ethical standards and provide the commercial contracting expertise, construction capabilities and people needed to support future growth and prosperity.
https://tccawi.org/ 600 52nd Street, Suite 130, Kenosha, WI 53140 (262) 925-3163
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The combination of maintaining high fixed costs for leases and administrative personnel plus the increasing costs of employees, supplies, and raw materials made profitability seem all but impossible.
Even worse, the ongoing supply chain disruptions, materials price increases, the effects of Covid, and supply chain constraints made for a vision that only saw troubles ahead. When every cost increases faster than you could ever imagine and the consumer market is unknown, figuring out what to do can seem nearly impossible for a contractor. A company running 5% net negative income is in crisis mode.
Management might need to be counterintuitive
During a period when a company is consistently losing money due to labor costs, materials costs, and inflation, few things scare owners more than raising prices. Yet, price increases are the only thing that will return them to profitability in such an environment.
Your CFO (Chief Financial Officer) has your back
This exact situation played out for a $18 million/yr client of Daaxit, and the experience of an expert fractional CFO saved the day.
With the knowledge of how to analyze markets, test them, and extrapolate what happens next, the Daaxit fractional CFO increased material rates by 20% and raised the time rate by 40%. Subsequent upper management meetings revealed that customers didn’t even blink at the prices in a market plagued with supply chain constraints and employee shortages.
Great results were produced
Aaron Mills’ prior experience told him prices could be raised without an equivalent loss of business. As such, this company is now running at an exceptional 12% EBITDA, and sales have increased by three million.
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Misinterpreting financials
It is common among business owners to have improperly organized financial statements or not know how to read them. This leads to poor financial management decisions despite having on-staff bookkeepers, accountants, and third-party CPAs.
In this situation, the owner thought his gross profit was 40%, half of which was net profit, for 20%. His equipment expenditures were made under the assumption of a 20% net profit when his actual situation showed that he was lucky to net 10%.
He was broke due to the burden of millions in equipment loans.
Because the business owner’s CPA firm and bookkeeper didn’t maintain accurate financials, he didn’t realize the business’s cash flow couldn’t cover.the loan payments. He thought he was making money when he was not.
The Daaxit solution
First and foremost, Daaxit froze future asset purchases to get a grasp on the numbers and refinanced the company to keep it sustainable. Stepping up to the challenge, Daaxit also negotiated with creditors to lower the interest rate, increase the line of credit, and create the cushion needed to catch up cash flow.
More time to succeed
Reducing rates, refinancing, and negotiating with creditors bought time to adjust the company’s course.
After reworking the financials, some work on growing revenue and increasing profits resulted in a 35% gross profit and 15% net income.
How did a CPA and bookkeeper go so wrong?
CPA firms specialize in tax issues and not necessarily business operations and finance. They do taxes and base financials on the tax implications. The lack of operational experience means they can’t enter a business like a CFO and advise an owner of what is happening monthly. Additionally, CPA firms don’t check in monthly on the company’s financials like Daaxit.
Bookkeepers don’t have CFO skills, and entering transactions and interpreting them are very different. They don’t know the effect of their entries on the financials, and any mistake can result in a very adverse impact.
A fractional CFO makes all the difference due to knowing what the numbers work, how they should look, and what matters to the industry.
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The visibility and controls were insufficient due to more management layers.
Changing to a company that fits their revenue
Companies have tremendously different needs at different levels of revenue. One of the greatest mistakes in business is not realizing the changing needs of the business that come with growth.
It was time to implement a complete ERP system that could track work in progress (WIP) by month and enable communications that told project managers where they stood. Project managers were held accountable.
If you don’t know where you’re failing, you can’t fix it. Enhanced and correct information meant the company could now pivot and correct as needed. Financial transparency allowed the company to know what made money and what didn’t.
Incredible Results
Taking a company from $30 million per year to $90 million per year in just four years is an incredible transformation. That was the result of CFO-level expertise that understood the business and its needs at size. Financial transparency, educating management, and holding project managers accountable tripled the company’s gross revenues in four years and allowed the owners to exit 12X EBITA.
Well Built Construction Consulting partners with industry-leading companies to drive innovation and elevate standards across the building industry. Through strategic collaboration and radical transparency, we empower construction leaders to make bold, forward-thinking decisions. Our comprehensive consulting services transform challenges into growth opportunities, creating a stronger, more profitable future rooted in trust, collaboration, and excellence.
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Address: 526 Bryant St, Palo Alto CA 94301, United States
Lumber is an all-in-one construction workforce management platform that seamlessly streamlines payroll, time tracking, safety, compliance, field productivity, rewards, and recognition for building contractors.
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Molly’s background as a registered nurse gives her a special perspective in managing internal relations. Her accounting background began in skilled trades, extending back to her formative years when she helped to keep the books for the plumbing and HVAC business that her father owned and operated. Molly has a can-do attitude, tackling the needs of the DAAXIT team and clients with ease to ensure a pleasant and hassle-free experience for all.
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As our Director of Business Development, DJ Smith is driven by a singular mission: empowering business owners to unlock true profitability and transform their lives. With over 30 years of diverse experience in sales leadership across various industries, DJ brings a unique blend of strategic insight and genuine partnership to every interaction. Having personally experienced the challenges of messy financials, DJ deeply understands the critical need for financial clarity and is passionate about helping contractors navigate these complexities. He excels at building transparent, long-term relationships, focusing on providing top-tier service that delivers tangible results, including significantly growing profits and successfully turning around unprofitable companies. Outside of work, DJ is a dedicated single father of a 16-year-old son, and finds balance enjoying camping, hiking, golf, and disc golf, proudly holding the title of DAAXIT’s resident cat lover.
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Rebecca has worked with global brands, startups, and high-growth organizations, successfully executing integrated marketing strategies across digital, social media, and traditional channels. She is well-versed in marketing automation, SEO, social media strategy, and influencer partnerships. Passionate about brand storytelling and digital innovation, she thrives on developing creative solutions that connect brands with their audiences in meaningful ways. In her spare time, Rebecca is a canine behavior consultant and trainer and enjoys hiking and kayaking throughout the state of Wisconsin with her husband, adult son, and her two dogs.
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With more than 30 years of experience in the construction industry, Brian began his financial career as a CPA, auditor, reviewer, consultant and tax preparer before he refined his focus to work as a Chief Financial Officer. His successes include the implementation of sustainable systems and internal control procedures. With extensive experience, Brian offers valuable insights into building accounting teams, enhancing financial reporting and creating financial forecasting tools to achieve the goals of his clients.
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Doug has an extensive background in construction financials, going back 40 years. Doug began his career as a CPA and progressed into roles as a Controller and as a Chief Financial Officer. Additionally, Doug has done extensive work in the implementation of construction industry financial software. Doug’s many years of well-rounded and construction industry focused experience, make him the perfect fit to confidently guide the successful financial oversight that DAAXIT is proud to provide to our client partners..
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Don has been a three-time CFO between 2013 and 2024, including many years in various finance and accounting leadership roles leading up to CFO and now FCFO. Most of his career was spent in the property restoration, distribution, and healthcare industries. He has lived most of his life in the Chicago, Ill. area but also spent four years in San Diego, Calif. Don and his wife have been married for over 35 years. They have three adult children and two grandchildren. Don love dogs, traveling, cycling, golf & pickleball.
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Gary has, for more than 10 years in the construction industry, developed a progressive track record of leading and managing finance, accounting, administration, sales enterprise systems, and controls. He excels at implementing procedures that enhance financial and operational functionality, bringing exceptional value to his clients. His experience spans across a range of industries, having begun in public accounting. Gary showcases strong business and financial acumen, analytical agility, and superior client focus. His positive attitude and engaging personality make him a pleasure to work with.
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Eric is a certified public accountant with 28 years of experience as a finance and operations professional in both public and private companies, serving as CFO of multiple entities.
Eric's experience covers a variety of company types and sectors, including mechanical services (HVAC, plumbing, electrical), manufacturing (specialty chemicals, advanced materials, cutting tools, recycling, building materials), biotechnology, nanotechnology, and ecommerce.
Eric has held positions in accounting, finance, and operations, with experience in areas such as capital raising, operations scale-up, pricing and product strategy, financial planning and analysis, and SEC reporting. Eric’s career has been invested in high-growth companies ranging from start-ups to the middle market.
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Daax, the DAAXIT namesake, has a nose for snacks and a heart of gold. She keeps the team smiling and on their toes. She patrols the office regularly, making sure everyone is working hard… or at least sharing their lunch. Between treat negotiations and impromptu cuddle breaks, she reminds us that joy is serious business.
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Joe has vast experience driving operational, financial, and legal excellence in a not just construction companies, but in a wide array of industries and organizations including not-for-profit, architecture, and Big-4 consulting. Joe is a leading-edge thinker, innovator, who drives organizational direction and mission in changing markets.
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Why Financial Expertise is Essential for Construction Businesses
In the construction industry, financial management is crucial for the success and sustainability of your business. From managing day-to-day expenses to securing financing for projects, having the right financial expertise can make all the difference. A CPA and a fractional CFO bring different skill sets to the table, with the CPA handling accounting and tax compliance tasks, while the fractional CFO focuses on strategic financial planning and growth opportunities.
By having both a CPA and a fractional CFO on your team, you can ensure that your construction business has a solid financial foundation and is well-positioned for long-term success. With their expertise and guidance, you can make informed financial decisions, navigate challenges like labor costs and inflation, and drive profitability in a competitive market.
