Fractional CFO Onboarding Checklist
What to prepare and expect in the first 30 days—set your engagement up for success.
Key Takeaways
- •Prepare system access, documents, and introductions before day one
- •Expect 2-3 weeks of assessment before strategic recommendations
- •Schedule kickoff meeting with clear agenda and priorities
- •The first 30 days set the tone for the entire engagement
A smooth onboarding process accelerates the time to value from your fractional CFO engagement. The work you do before and during the first 30 days determines how quickly your fractional CFO can start delivering results.
This checklist covers everything you need to prepare before day one, what to expect during the first weeks, and how to set the engagement up for long-term success.
Before Day One: Preparation Checklist
Do this preparation before your fractional CFO starts. Having everything ready allows them to hit the ground running.
System Access
Documents to Gather
Financial Documents:
Legal/Corporate Documents:
People to Introduce
Pro Tip
Create a shared folder with all documents organized before day one. Your fractional CFO will spend less time hunting for files and more time adding value.
Week One: Kickoff & Discovery
Kickoff Meeting Agenda (90-120 minutes)
1. Business Overview (30 min)
History, business model, key products/services, competitive landscape
2. Current Financial State (20 min)
High-level financials, current challenges, known issues
3. Priorities & Goals (20 min)
What you want to accomplish, upcoming events (fundraise, board meetings)
4. Team & Relationships (15 min)
Who does what, key stakeholders, existing service providers
5. Working Rhythm (15 min)
Communication preferences, meeting cadence, expectations
What Your Fractional CFO Should Do in Week One
Confirm they can see everything needed, flag any access issues
Understand trends, identify obvious issues or questions
Understand current processes, pain points, and capabilities
Document initial findings to discuss at weekly check-in
Weeks 2-4: Assessment & Quick Wins
Week 2: Deep Dive
- Complete review of all financial data
- Meet with department heads to understand their financial needs
- Review key contracts and commitments
- Assess current financial processes and controls
- Identify immediate issues requiring attention
Week 3: Assessment & Roadmap
- Present initial findings and observations
- Identify quick wins that can be implemented immediately
- Develop prioritized roadmap for improvements
- Begin working on highest-priority items
- Establish regular reporting cadence
Week 4: First Deliverables
- Deliver written assessment with findings and recommendations
- Complete first quick wins
- Begin implementing priority improvements
- Conduct 30-day review with leadership
- Adjust scope/priorities based on initial findings
The 30-Day Assessment Document
By the end of week 4, your fractional CFO should provide a written assessment. This document serves as the foundation for the ongoing engagement.
What the Assessment Should Include
Current State:
- Financial health summary
- Process assessment
- Systems evaluation
- Team capability review
- Risk identification
Recommendations:
- Priority improvements (ranked)
- Quick wins already identified
- Longer-term initiatives
- Resource requirements
- Suggested timeline
Success Indicator
After 30 days, you should have significantly better clarity about your financial position and a clear plan for improvement. If you don't feel more confident about your finances, have a direct conversation about what's not working.
Common Onboarding Pitfalls to Avoid
Not Preparing Access in Advance
Don't wait until day one to start setting up system access. Every day your fractional CFO can't access your accounting system is a day of lost productivity.
Skipping the Team Introductions
Your fractional CFO needs relationships with people across the organization. Skipping introductions creates friction and limits their effectiveness.
Expecting Immediate Strategic Value
Good fractional CFOs need 2-3 weeks to understand your business before making strategic recommendations. Rushing this phase leads to poor advice.
Not Defining Clear Priorities
"Help us with finance" is too vague. Be specific about what you need most urgently so your fractional CFO can focus their limited time appropriately.
Hiding Problems
Be transparent about issues, messy books, or past mistakes. Your fractional CFO can't help fix problems they don't know about, and they'll find them anyway.
Setting Up for Long-Term Success
The first 30 days establish patterns that will continue throughout the engagement. Make sure you're building good habits from the start.
Habits to Establish Early
Weekly Cadence:
- Regular strategy/check-in calls
- Cash position updates
- Priority list review
Monthly Cadence:
- Financial close review
- Forecast updates
- Board prep (if applicable)
Questions to Discuss at the 30-Day Review
- Is the scope appropriate for our needs?
- Are communication cadence and style working?
- What's going well? What could be better?
- Any adjustments needed to priorities?
- What should the next 60 days look like?
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should fractional CFO onboarding take?
The formal onboarding process typically takes 2-4 weeks. By the end of week four, your fractional CFO should have a solid understanding of your business and have begun delivering value. Full integration into your financial operations usually takes 60-90 days.
What if my books are a mess before onboarding?
Be upfront about it. A good fractional CFO can work with imperfect books, and cleaning them up might be part of the initial scope. However, if your books are severely disorganized, consider getting a bookkeeper to do basic cleanup first—it's more cost-effective than having a CFO do data entry.
Should my fractional CFO meet my team during onboarding?
Yes. At minimum, they should meet anyone who touches financial data: bookkeeper, operations lead, sales leader. Ideally, they also meet with your leadership team to understand each department's financial needs and concerns. These relationships are essential for effectiveness.
What should I expect from the fractional CFO during onboarding?
Expect them to ask lots of questions, request access to systems, and dig into your data. They should provide a written assessment within 2-3 weeks outlining findings, priorities, and recommendations. Good fractional CFOs also identify quick wins they can deliver during onboarding.
Related Resources
Complete Hiring Guide
Full framework for finding and hiring
Scoping the Engagement
Define deliverables and expectations
What Does a Fractional CFO Do?
Day-to-day responsibilities
When to Make a Change
Signs it's time to transition
Ready to Get Started?
Eagle Rock CFO has a proven onboarding process that gets you to value quickly. Let's discuss how we can help your business.
Schedule a Conversation