What to Expect When You Hire a CFO: The First 90 Days
Series Title: From Numbers to Strategy: Leveraging CFO Expertise to Grow Your Business
Part 2: What to Expect When You Hire a CFO: The First 90 Days
Hiring a CFO is a major milestone for any business—but if you’ve never worked with one before, it can be unclear what they actually do in the early days. After all, you didn’t bring them in just to organize spreadsheets—you brought them in to help you grow.
This post picks up where Part 1 left off—exploring what happens once you’ve chosen the right type of CFO (part-time, fractional, interim, advisory or full-time) and are ready to start seeing results.
Here’s what you can expect in the first 90 days of a CFO engagement.
Phase 1: Onboarding & Discovery (Weeks 1–3)
In the beginning, your CFO’s role is to listen, assess, and learn. They need a full picture of your current financial setup, future goals and identifying gaps.
Typical onboarding activities include:
Reviewing your financial statements, tax filings, and current budget and forecasts.
Analyzing accounting systems, cash flow, and internal controls.
Meeting with leadership to understand company vision, operations, and pain points.
Identifying gaps in reporting, compliance, or budgeting processes.
This phase is also about setting priorities—what’s urgent vs. what’s foundational.
Phase 2: Building the Financial Infrastructure (Weeks 4–6)
Once your CFO understands where things stand, they begin building or upgrading the financial foundation your business runs on.
You can expect deliverables such as:
Cleaned-up and standardized financial reports.
A rolling 12-month forecast (revenue, expenses, cash flow).
Custom dashboards to track KPIs aligned with your business goals.
Improved systems for budgeting, tracking, and scenario planning.
If you didn’t already have these tools, this is the point where you’ll start seeing clarity—and actionable data.
Phase 3: Strategic Planning & Momentum (Weeks 7–12)
With the groundwork in place, your CFO becomes a strategic partner. They work directly with you—the founder, CEO, or owner—to make smarter financial decisions that drive growth.
This collaboration often includes:
Setting revenue and margin targets based on realistic models.
Evaluating investment opportunities or major expenses.
Identifying cost-saving measures or efficiency improvements.
Preparing for valuation or outside funding (lines of credit, investors, etc.).
They’ll also lead financial conversations with your team—translating data into decisions everyone can understand and act on.
How to Know It’s Working
Not sure if your CFO is driving value—or just organizing data?
Here are a few early signs your CFO is making a real impact:
You have new visibility into your cash flow and profitability.
You’re making decisions faster and with more confidence.
Your team is aligned around financial goals and performance metrics.
You feel like you're leading your finances—not reacting to them.
If, on the other hand, you’re only getting reports with no recommendations—or you still feel unsure about your numbers—it’s time to ask for more proactive guidance.
The First 90 Days Matter
Think of your CFO’s first three months as setting the tone for your future growth. It’s a mix of cleanup, setup, and strategy—all designed to give you control over your business’s financial future.
Whether your CFO is part-time or full-time, the early wins will come from collaboration, clarity, and quick momentum. And the value? That only grows with time.
👉 If you’re ready to see what a CFO can do for your business, don’t wait another quarter. Talk to a CFO today and start building the financial strategy that fuels your growth.
Coming Up Next in the Series:
Part 3: Using Financial Strategy to Scale – How CFOs Drive Growth with Confidence
In the final part of our series, we’ll show how CFOs move from reporting to real strategy—fueling smart decisions, confident scaling, and long-term success.