5.0 out of 5 based on 41 reviews
Fractional Controller Services
Senior accounting oversight without the cost of a full-time controller. Ensuring your books are accurate, the month-end close is timely, and financial reporting is reliable.
2-4 weeksFoundation Buildout
Fixed close dateSame date every month
CPAReviewed
★★★★★“Since adding Alex with Stronghold Accounting for our bookkeeping, it has truly been a Godsend for our business. Alex cleaned up a difficult QuickBooks transition and became a game changer for our month-to-month bookkeeping.”Patty LeslieTampa
★★★★★“I like that you're helping me strategize, not just giving me numbers. There were still blind spots that you've been able to uncover for me. I didn't think that was possible.”JoelService-business owner
★★★★★“Alex and his team helped bring the books current and continue to provide monthly support while helping plan for growth.”Dr. MaloneLake Mary
★★★★★“Alex is sharp, detail-oriented, and genuinely passionate about his work. He explains the numbers clearly and helps business owners gain more control over their finances.”Baxter McCoyOrlando
★★★★★“Since adding Alex with Stronghold Accounting for our bookkeeping, it has truly been a Godsend for our business. Alex cleaned up a difficult QuickBooks transition and became a game changer for our month-to-month bookkeeping.”Patty LeslieTampa
★★★★★“I like that you're helping me strategize, not just giving me numbers. There were still blind spots that you've been able to uncover for me. I didn't think that was possible.”JoelService-business owner
★★★★★“Alex and his team helped bring the books current and continue to provide monthly support while helping plan for growth.”Dr. MaloneLake Mary
★★★★★“Alex is sharp, detail-oriented, and genuinely passionate about his work. He explains the numbers clearly and helps business owners gain more control over their finances.”Baxter McCoyOrlando
★★★★★“Since adding Alex with Stronghold Accounting for our bookkeeping, it has truly been a Godsend for our business. Alex cleaned up a difficult QuickBooks transition and became a game changer for our month-to-month bookkeeping.”Patty LeslieTampa
★★★★★“I like that you're helping me strategize, not just giving me numbers. There were still blind spots that you've been able to uncover for me. I didn't think that was possible.”JoelService-business owner
★★★★★“Alex and his team helped bring the books current and continue to provide monthly support while helping plan for growth.”Dr. MaloneLake Mary
★★★★★“Alex is sharp, detail-oriented, and genuinely passionate about his work. He explains the numbers clearly and helps business owners gain more control over their finances.”Baxter McCoyOrlando
What a fractional controller does
A fractional controller owns the accounting function part-time: the monthly close, the reconciliation and review process, the reporting calendar, and the controls that keep the numbers reliable. It is the layer between a bookkeeper who records transactions and an owner who has to make decisions from the result.
When a business needs one
You are preparing for a loan, an audit or diligence and the process will not survive scrutiny.
You have a bookkeeper who is good at the work but was never meant to design the process.
You have thought about hiring a controller and cannot justify the salary.
Nobody owns the review. Errors are found by whoever happens to notice.
Reporting is inconsistent month to month, so trends are unreadable.
The close takes three weeks and nobody can say why.
Outsourced controller services usually make sense somewhere between a business that needs bookkeeping and one that needs a finance department. If a full-time controller is clearly affordable, hire one.
What we take ownership of
The monthly closeA defined calendar with a fixed close date, not a moving target.
Reconciliation oversightStandards for what has to tie out and evidence that it did.
ReportingThe same statements, in the same format, on the same date every month.
Internal controlsInternal controls, sized for a small business rather than copied from a corporate manual.
Chart of accountsChart of accounts and coding policy, so categorization stops depending on who did it.
SupervisionSupervision of the bookkeeping team, ours or yours.
Year-end readinessYear-end readiness, so the close package goes to your preparer complete.
DocumentationDocumentation, so the process survives a staff change.
How it works
Step 1AssessmentHow the close runs today, where it breaks, who does what.
Step 2Process designA close calendar, a review standard and a reporting format.
Step 3ImplementationThe Foundation Buildout typically takes 2-4 weeks and establishes the close calendar, reporting standard, and operating controls.
Step 4Ongoing ownershipWe run the cycle each month and report against it.
What it costs
Priced above bookkeepingFractional controller work is priced above monthly bookkeeping because the scope is oversight rather than production.
Controllership work is included in CPASystem™ and CPASystem™ Plus; Essentials is bare-bones bookkeeping without controller-level oversight.
See pricing →Why Stronghold
A licensed CPA does the oversight. The value of a controller is judgment about what needs checking. That is a licensed skill.We can run the bookkeeping underneath it. One team, one standard, no gap between the person recording and the person reviewing.Process that outlives us. The close calendar and the coding policy are documented and yours. If you bring the function in-house later, you keep the system.
Proof
For a specialty contractor with about $4.2 million in annual revenue, Stronghold rebuilt two years of accounting activity, identified about $96,000 in misclassified or misallocated costs, and found a category of projects running roughly eight percentage points below target margin.Specialty contractor
Controller, bookkeeper, or something else
| Responsibility | Bookkeeper | Fractional controller |
|---|---|---|
| Records transactions | Yes | Oversees it |
| Reconciles accounts | Yes | Sets the standard and reviews |
| Owns the close calendar | No | Yes |
| Designs the reporting format | No | Yes |
| Sets internal controls | No | Yes |
| Supervises other staff | No | Yes |
| Licensed and accountable | Not usually | Yes, CPA |
Fractional CFO services are available through an integrated partner. Stronghold handles the books, monthly close, and controller-level process; the CFO partner can support forecasting, fundraising, and board reporting when the business needs it.
Alex M. Riccio, CPAFounder & CEO
A licensed CPA does the oversight. The value of a controller is judgment about what needs checking. That is a licensed skill.
Talk to Alex →Related services
Services you'll need with a fractional controller
Common questions
Controller questions
What is the difference between a controller and a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper produces the numbers. A controller owns the process that makes them trustworthy and is accountable for the review. See the comparison above.
Do you offer fractional CFO services?
Fractional CFO services are available through our integrated partner. Stronghold handles the books, monthly close, and controller-level process; the CFO partner can support forecasting, fundraising, and board reporting when the business needs it.
Can you supervise our existing bookkeeper?
Yes. That is a common arrangement, and it is often the cheapest version of this service.
How many hours a month is this?
The service is scoped around responsibility for the close and accounting process rather than a fixed block of hours.
Do we need this if you already do our bookkeeping?
CPASystem™ and CPASystem™ Plus already include controllership. Essentials does not.
Do you prepare tax returns?
Stronghold handles proactive tax planning and works with an integrated tax-preparation partner for filing. We coordinate the year-end handoff so the books, planning, and return preparation stay connected.