What’s the difference between managed accounting and a fractional CFO?

Managed accounting handles the day-to-day financial operations of your business — bookkeeping, reconciliations, and monthly reporting. A fractional CFO adds a strategic layer: interpreting those numbers, building forecasts, and advising on major business decisions. Many ClearlyKept clients use both services together for complete financial coverage.

How much do ClearlyKept’s services cost?

Our pricing is customized based on your business size, complexity, and the scope of services you need. After an initial assessment, we’ll provide a clear, flat-rate proposal so you know exactly what to expect each month — no surprises.

Do I need to be using a specific accounting software?

We work with the most widely used small business accounting platforms, including QuickBooks Online and Xero. If your books are currently on a different system — or have no system at all — we’ll help you get set up correctly from the start.

Can I start with just bookkeeping and add CFO services later?

Absolutely. Many clients begin with our managed accounting services and add strategic forecasting or fractional CFO support as their business grows and their needs evolve. Our engagements are designed to scale with you.

Is ClearlyKept a good fit for a business outside of Charlotte, NC?

Yes. While ClearlyKept is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, we serve clients across the United States. Our model is built for remote partnership — clean digital workflows, regular video meetings, and responsive communication that doesn’t require you to be local.

Fractional CFO and Accounting Services

Built for Growing Businesses

ClearlyKept provides fractional CFO and managed accounting services for small and mid-sized businesses. We combine hands-on bookkeeping, financial reporting, and strategic CFO guidance under one roof. We serve companies who need Fortune 500-grade financial partnership without a Fortune 500 budget.

You have built something worth protecting. Your business is growing, your team is expanding, and the financial decisions in front of you are getting bigger and more complex. What you need isn’t just someone to keep the books. You need a financial partner who understands where you are today and can help you plan confidently for what comes next.

That’s what ClearlyKept is built to do.

We bring together the precision of a dedicated accounting team with the strategic perspective of a fractional CFO. You get clear numbers, thoughtful forecasts, and a trusted advisor in your corner, all without the cost of building an in-house finance department.

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Our Services

Managed accounting from ClearlyKept covers monthly bookkeeping, bank and credit card reconciliations, financial reporting, and management dashboards. This gives you an accurate, real-time picture of your business finances every month without the overhead of a full-time hire.
Your books are the foundation everything else is built on. If they’re messy, late, or hard to understand, every decision you make is based on guesswork. ClearlyKept handles the full accounting cycle for you. We promise accuracy, consistency, and a delivery schedule you can count on.
What’s included:
Monthly bookkeeping — Every transaction categorized, coded, and reconciled. No backlogs, no surprises.
Bank and credit card reconciliations — We reconcile every account monthly so discrepancies surface immediately, not at year-end.
Financial reporting — Monthly profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports delivered in plain language.
Management dashboards — Custom dashboards that translate your financial data into the metrics that actually matter to your business — by location, by product line, or by whatever lens you need.
When your books are clean and current, you can answer the questions that matter: Are we profitable? Where are we overspending? Are we on track?
ClearlyKept’s strategic forecasting services include annual budgeting, rolling cash flow forecasts, and scenario modeling. We help you anticipate challenges, plan for growth, and walk into any boardroom, bank meeting, or investor conversation with confidence.
Knowing your historical numbers is important. Knowing where you’re headed is everything. Our strategic forecasting services give you a forward-looking view of your business so you can make moves with clarity instead of anxiety.
What’s included:
Annual budgeting — We work with you to build a budget that reflects your actual goals, not just last year’s numbers plus a percentage.
Cash flow forecasting — Rolling 13-week and monthly forecasts so you always know what’s coming in, what’s going out, and when you need to act.
Scenario modeling — What happens if you hire two people? Open a new location? Lose your largest client? We model the outcomes before you commit.
Variance analysis — Monthly reviews that compare actuals against your plan, explain the gaps, and inform the next decision.
Most business owners make financial decisions based on gut instinct or last month’s bank balance. Strategic forecasting means your instincts are informed by data, and your decisions are backed by a plan.
A ClearlyKept fractional CFO delivers C-suite financial leadership on a part-time, flexible basis. They provide CFO-level review, operational insight, and a continuously updated financial roadmap aligned to your growth goals, without the cost of a full-time executive hire.
Some financial challenges go beyond the balance sheet. You’re evaluating a major investment. You’re preparing for a bank conversation. You’re thinking about selling, merging, or raising capital. These moments call for more than accurate books, they call for strategic guidance.
Our fractional CFO services give you access to executive-level financial leadership exactly when you need it.
What’s included:
CFO-level financial review — Monthly deep-dive into your financials to identify trends, risks, and opportunities your day-to-day team may not see.
Operational insight — Finance isn’t separate from operations. We look at how your business runs and where the numbers reflect inefficiencies worth addressing.
Financial roadmap — A living document aligned to your goals. Whether that’s profitability, expansion, exit, or all three, we review and updated with you regularly.
Board-ready reporting — Investor decks, lender packages, and board presentations built on solid financial foundations.
Growth and M&A support — Preparing for a raise, an acquisition, or a sale? We’ve done this before. We’ll guide you through the process with confidence.
Ready to learn more about what a fractional CFO can do for your business? Explore our Fractional CFO services

How We Work

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all accounting.

We ensure your financial systems, reporting, and strategy are built around your business from day one, not retrofitted to a generic template. Every client relationship starts with understanding your business deeply before we touch a single spreadsheet.

Step 1: Assess

We begin with a comprehensive review of your current financial state: your books, your processes, your reporting, and the goals you’re trying to reach. We want to know what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s keeping you up at night.

Step 2: Design

Based on what we learn, we build a custom service structure tailored to your business. That means the right scope of managed accounting, the right forecasting cadence, and the right level of CFO involvement.

Step 3: Execute

Once we’re aligned, we get to work. Your books get cleaned up or caught up. Your reporting gets streamlined. Your roadmap takes shape. And from there, we operate as a true extension of your team. We are proactive, responsive, and invested in your outcomes.

Who We Serve

ClearlyKept serves U.S.-based small and mid-size businesses in four core industries, each with distinct financial needs that require specialized accounting and CFO expertise.

Franchise Businesses — Multi-unit operators, franchisees, and franchise brands navigating royalties, unit economics, and system-wide growth. (Link to /industries/franchise)

Professional Services Firms — Consultants, agencies, law firms, and service businesses managing project-based revenue and utilization. (Link to /industries/professional-services)

Retail & Consumer Brands — Product-based companies managing inventory, margins, and multi-channel complexity. (Link to /industries/retail)

Software & Technology Companies — SaaS and tech companies tracking ARR, churn, CAC/LTV, and investor-ready metrics. (Link to /industries/saas)

Tell Us About Your Business

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Get Clear on Your Finances?

Managed accounting handles the day-to-day financial operations of your business (bookkeeping, reconciliations, and monthly reporting). A fractional CFO adds a strategic layer: interpreting those numbers, building forecasts, and advising on major business decisions. Many ClearlyKept clients use both services together for complete financial coverage.
Our pricing is customized based on your business size, complexity, and the scope of services you need. We don’t believe in charging for what you don’t use. After an initial assessment, we’ll provide a clear, flat-rate proposal so you know exactly what to expect each month. No surprises.
We work with the most widely used small business accounting platforms, including QuickBooks Online and Xero. If your books are currently on a different system (or have no system at all) we’ll help you get set up correctly from the start.
Absolutely. Many clients begin with our managed accounting services and add strategic forecasting or fractional CFO support as their business grows and their needs evolve. Our engagements are designed to scale with you.
Yes. While ClearlyKept is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, we serve clients across the United States. Our model is built for remote partnership. We promise clean digital workflows, regular video meetings, and responsive communication that doesn’t require you to be local.