The Fractional CFO Firm to Early Stage Pioneers
7 Lessons in Finance from a 7-Time Founder
Plan your expenses and deductions strategically each year
Egestas tincidunt ipsum in leo suspendisse turpis ultrices blandit augue eu amet vitae morbi egestas sed sem cras accumsan ipsum suscipit duis molestie elit libero malesuada lorem ut netus sagittis lacus pellentesque viverra velit cursus sapien sed iaculis cras at egestas duis maecenas nibh suscipit duis litum molestie elit libero malesuada lorem curabitur diam eros.
- Morbi fringilla molestie magna sed dictum. Praesent pharetra turpis augue.
- Cras mi purus, viverra vitae felis sit amet, tincidunt fringilla lorem.
- non mattis urna ex nec sem. Donec varius diam et suscipit venenati proin tincidunt
- Quisque euismod posuere lacus sit amet volutpat. Praesent vel imperdiet
Maintain accurate and organized financial records for easy reporting
Tincidunt pharetra at nec morbi senectus ut in lorem senectus nunc felis ipsum vulputate enim gravida ipsum amet lacus habitasse eget tristique nam molestie et in risus sed fermentum neque elit eu diam donec vitae ultricies nec urna cras congue et arcu nunc aliquam at.
Talk to a tax professional for expert guidance
At mattis sit fusce mattis amet sagittis egestas ipsum nunc scelerisque id pulvinar sit viverra euismod. Metus ac elementum libero arcu pellentesque magna lacus duis viverra pharetra phasellus eget orci vitae ullamcorper viverra sed accumsan elit adipiscing dignissim nullam facilisis aenean tincidunt elit. Non rhoncus ut felis vitae massa mi ornare et elit. In dapibus.
- Morbi fringilla molestie magna sed dictum. Praesent pharetra turpis augue.
- Cras mi purus, viverra vitae felis sit amet, tincidunt fringilla lorem.
- non mattis urna ex nec sem. Donec varius diam et suscipit venenati proin tincidunt
- Quisque euismod posuere lacus sit amet volutpat. Praesent vel imperdiet
Personalized Marketing: AI helps in analyzing customer data to create personalized marketing campaigns
At mattis sit fusce mattis amet sagittis egestas ipsum nunc. Scelerisque id pulvinar sit viverra euismod. Metus ac elementum libero arcu pellentesque magna lacus duis viverra. Pharetra phasellus eget orci vitae ullamcorper viverra sed accumsan. Elit adipiscing dignissim nullam facilisis aenean tincidunt elit. Non rhoncus ut felis vitae massa. Elementum elit ipsum tellus hac mi ornare et elit. In dapibus.
“Amet pretium consectetur dui aliquam. Nisi quam facilisi consequat felis sit elit dapibus ipsum nullam est libero pulvinar purus et risus facilisis”
Use accounting and tax software to make management easier
Placerat dui faucibus non accumsan interdum auctor semper consequat vitae egestas malesuada quam aliquam est ultrices enim tristique facilisis est pellentesque lectus ac arcu bibendum urna nisl pharetra bibendum felis senectus dolor commodo quam elementum sapien suscipit qat non elit sagittis aliquam a cursus praesent diam lectus tellus mi lobortis in amet ac imperdiet feugiat tristique nulla eros mauris id aenean a sagittis et pellentesque integer ultricies sit non habitant in cras posuere dolor fames.
Till CFO's Chairman and Co-Founder, Ben Chatraw, shares his hard-earned lessons below—read on to discover what the 6-time founder thinks are the most important financial lessons every business leader should know.
1. Use Your CFO for Offense, Not Just Defense
In my last startup, I wore the CEO and CFO hats simultaneously for nearly three years. Like many founders, I initially saw the CFO role as an overhead cost—just something to help free up my bandwidth. But hiring a full-time CFO transformed the trajectory of our business. Far from merely “keeping the books,” he restructured our capital stack, expanded our balance sheet, and played a vital role in our growth and ultimate acquisition. A strong CFO is an offensive weapon, driving revenue, earning investor trust, and creating leverage at every stage.
2. Excellence Begets Excellence
In startups, we become the sum of the people, processes, and systems we choose to surround ourselves with. Excellence attracts excellence, setting off a virtuous cycle that elevates everyone involved. This applies as much to financial systems as it does to people. Don’t build on sand. Lay a foundation of solid financial reporting, efficient processes, and high standards that inspire trust from investors and build resilience.
3. Know Your Capital Stack and Your Waterfall
Many CEOs I meet have a rough Excel of their capital stack but don’t know it. As founders, our equity is precious, and we must protect it by building a capital stack on terms we can live with, alongside investors who add real value. Be intentional and stay educated about how your financing will impact your future.
4. Structure Finance for Where You Want to Go
Think ahead—always. Finance systems built for today’s needs are outdated by the time they’re functional. Need to raise capital? Produce GAAP-compliant, audit-ready financials, and implement a financial tech stack, financial controls, and models at the level of the company you will be in 3 years, not just where you are today. This speaks volumes to investors and ensures you’re prepared for growth. It’s also likely to get you a better valuation!
5. Your CFO: Thought Partner and Guardrail
Don’t confuse a CFO with a bookkeeper or controller. A great CFO is a trusted advisor, balancing your vision with pragmatic guidance. Invest in this relationship; it’s a partnership that sets guardrails, guiding your strategy and growth.
6. You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Operating without a CFO may feel fine—until it doesn’t. You might manage basic finances, but what happens when it’s time for an audit or acquisition? An experienced CFO anticipates what you don’t know, saving headaches and unlocking value that otherwise might go unnoticed.
7. Cash is King
In any startup, cash is lifeblood. Watch it like a hawk. Know your burn rate, runway, and cash flow at all times. If you can’t, ask your CFO to make it central to your KPIs. Cash management is the difference between survival and success.
At Till CFO, we understand the challenges of high-growth firms that cannot yet afford a full-time CFO. We offer a world-class finance team for companies in growth mode, providing expertise in accounting, forecasting, treasury, and strategic CFO services—because excellence in finance sets the foundation for excellence in everything else.
