Fractional controller
Where bookkeeping and payroll end, oversight begins.
Numbers you can trust, closed on time.
Month-end close, reviews and reports, with senior oversight.
Clients
Why owners add a fractional controller
Your books get done, but nobody senior checks them before you rely on them. The close drifts, and numbers change after you have read them. A fractional controller picks up where bookkeeping and payroll end.
What your controller runs
Month-end close
Each month closed with accruals booked and reconciliations reviewed, so the numbers are final when you read them.
Reporting and KPIs
A monthly budget vs actual report and core management reporting, with the KPIs you track.
AP and payroll review
AP oversight, payroll review and supervision of the bookkeepers who keep your books current.
Compliance and audits
Compliance oversight and audit readiness, so your file holds up when someone asks for support.
Year-end and cleanup
Year-end prep with your accountant, and cleanup when the books need work before the close can run.
Regular client calls keep the close on track. Scope is set on the call.
Between your bookkeeping and your CFO
Cloud bookkeeping records the month. Your controller closes and checks it, and produces the budget vs actual report. Your fractional CFO builds the budget, runs the variance review and owns the forecast. See Pricing for where to start.
Who this is for
Canadian businesses with $1M to $10M in revenue, and funded startups before revenue. Larger companies are a fit when the work suits an outsourced model.
How we start
01
Book a call.
Where the close breaks and what to fix first.
02
Scope the close.
What gets reviewed, the reporting pack, the cadence.
03
First close live.
Books closed, reviewed and reported on cadence.
Fractional controller questions
What does a fractional controller do?
A fractional controller picks up where bookkeeping and payroll end. At Think, that covers the month-end close, accruals, reconciliation review, AP oversight, payroll review, bookkeeper supervision, a monthly budget vs actual report, basic management reporting with KPIs, compliance oversight, audit readiness, cleanup and year-end prep with your accountant.
How is a controller different from a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records the month: receipts, bank reconciliations, bills and invoices. A controller is the senior person who reviews that work, closes the month and produces the reports, instead of leaving it with junior bookkeepers or payroll staff. Your controller also supervises the bookkeepers who keep your books current.
Controller or fractional CFO: which do I need?
A controller looks back: the close, the reviews and the monthly budget vs actual report. A fractional CFO looks ahead: building the budget, running the variance review and the cash flow forecast. If you cannot trust last month’s numbers yet, start with the controller.
Do you work in Xero and QuickBooks Online?
Yes. We work in Xero or QuickBooks Online, and connect tools such as Wagepoint for payroll, Dext for receipts, Plooto for payables and A2X for ecommerce settlements. Your controller works in the same cloud file as your bookkeeping, so reviews happen on the real numbers.
How is it priced?
Starting from C$1,000 per quarter, with pricing adjusted or customized from there. What moves it is the work behind your close: transaction volume, payroll size, number of companies and catch-up months. We confirm your fee on the call before you commit.