Business CFO Services
Budgets, forecasts, cash flow and the bank conversations, run on a set schedule by a fractional CFO for companies not ready to hire one full time.
How We Work as Your CFO
Most owner-led companies reach a size where the decisions get bigger than the information. The books are accurate and the statements arrive on time, but nobody is turning them into a budget, a forecast or a set of numbers to steer by — so the biggest calls, whether to hire, borrow, expand or hold, get made on instinct and a bank balance.
At Gatewood, a fractional CFO sits with your numbers on a schedule: a budget set each year, a forecast kept current, a dashboard of the measures that matter to your business, and a working session on what the statements are actually telling you. You get the discipline of a finance chief at the hours your company needs rather than the hours a salary would buy, and because the same firm keeps your books and advises your household, nothing has to be explained twice.
What Our Service Includes
Budget and Forecast
KPI Dashboard
Cash Flow Management
Financial Statement Review
Banking and Lender Relationship Management
Strategic Planning Session
Your Integrated Financial Plan
For many business owners, the company is the largest asset the household owns. How you pay yourself, which retirement plan you sponsor, when you reinvest and how you eventually retire or sell all shape your personal plan and your retirement, this year and in the years that follow.
That is why Gatewood includes the value of your business in your personal plan, and why one team manages both around one set of goals.
Every service on this wheel works from the same plan, so each one you use adds to a single picture: the business side shows what the company earns, owes and is worth, and the household side shows what that means for your income, savings, taxes and family. You can begin with the service you need most today and add others as your business and household change.
Your Household Plan
For the Families Behind the Business
Behind every business are families who depend on it.
The owner's household depends on what the company is worth and what it distributes. Each employee's household depends on the paycheck, the benefits and the plan they were enrolled in on their first day. We have never met a business decision that stopped at the business — which is why we built the firm to serve the family behind it.
Your fractional CFO sets the budget and reads the numbers, and the rest of the firm acts on what they find: Gatewood Tax and Accounting on what the plan means for the return, your Wealth Advisor on what the company can afford to pay its owner, and your Wealth Planner on what that figure does to the household.
That is what we call Firm-to-Family®, and it is why your plan is supported by a diverse and experienced team rather than one person.
Frequently Asked Questions
CFO services use the numbers. Accounting produces them.
Accounting is the record: transactions categorized, accounts reconciled, payroll run, filings made, and monthly statements produced so the history is accurate and complete. It looks backward and it runs on deadlines.
CFO services begin where that ends — budgets and forecasts, a KPI dashboard, cash flow management, the lender and board conversations, and an annual strategic planning session. It looks forward and it runs on decisions.
Most companies need the first before the second is worth paying for, because a forecast built on books nobody has reconciled is a guess with a spreadsheet around it.
A full-time CFO is a salary, benefits and a search. A fractional CFO is the same discipline at the hours your company actually needs.
Most owner-led companies have enough financial complexity to need the thinking and not enough to need it forty hours a week. The work that matters — the budget, the forecast, the dashboard, the lender package, the annual plan — fits a set schedule rather than a desk.
When the day comes that you do need someone full time, we will say so.
No. Your advisory fee covers business strategy planning, investment management and insurance management.
CFO services are quoted on their own fee schedule, because the work depends on the size and complexity of the company and on how often you want to meet. Business accounting and business tax preparation are also quoted separately.
The usual sign is that the questions have outgrown the answers. You are being asked for a forecast you do not have, you cannot say what next quarter's cash looks like, or you are making a hiring or borrowing decision on a feeling.
Send us your last three months of financial statements and we will tell you what we would want to see built first, and whether that is something you need us for.
Hear What Our Clients Say
“My wife and I moved to St. Louis four years ago and became Gatewood clients in 2024, on a referral from our daughter-in-law. Her father was an established attorney who had said good things about the team, and that recommendation was passed down to us. That introduction set an expectation, and the people there have matched it. We've met a lot of the team by now, and the impression has been consistent with every one of them. Each person we're introduced to is professional, smart, and they work together well as a group — which says something about the people Gatewood hires…” Read more.
“A friend of a friend referred us to the team over 20 years ago, and we've been together ever since. My wife and I have changed jobs and time zones more than once, but they've been a constant through it all. Even when moving to different parts of the country, we always keep our ties to St. Louis wherever possible, and we appreciate the Midwestern values of Gatewood. The relationship we’ve developed over the years has built trust in the team that they are honest and always have our best interests in mind. They’ve helped us with everything from moving our 401(k)s to managing our investments day-to-day…” Read more.
“My husband and I began working with Brian in 2019 and have been very pleased with the level of service we’ve received ever since. Our client care team, Nina and Jake, have taken the time to truly listen to our goals and actively make adjustments to reflect our evolving needs over time. What I appreciate most is the combination of knowledgeable, focused guidance always delivered with genuine care and humility. We've been so impressed with their timeliness and attention that we've introduced them to our parents, siblings and adult children and now they are advising three generations of our family. Their support with tax planning, administrative tasks, and retirement income planning has become even more comprehensive over time, and I always feel that our questions are fully addressed promptly and thoughtfully…” Read more.
“As a client of Gatewood for over 10 years now, I am very pleased with the experience I’ve had with my team. Whenever I have questions or need advice, they are always available with professional and helpful guidance. They really get to know their customers so that they can provide personalized service and are very responsive when I contact them and they do a great job managing my portfolio. I had a turning point in my life, and they were very helpful in analyzing financial impacts and helping to manage through it. I highly recommend their services.” Read more.
“What has stood out most over our decade-long relationship with Gatewood is how genuinely they listen. Our advisor takes the time to understand our full financial picture and has made a point to build a relationship with my wife as well, so she feels comfortable working with the team whether I'm present or not. Having everything coordinated in one place, with great online tools at our disposal, has been invaluable. Our team is responsive whenever we have questions and has always followed through with care and professionalism. Beyond the planning itself, it's the personal relationships we've developed that make this partnership something we're truly grateful for.” Read more.
“Our relationship with Gatewood Wealth Solutions has evolved over the years right along with our family. From building and protecting our wealth to retirement and estate planning, Gatewood has guided us and enabled our objectives. It’s assuring to know skilled professionals we trust are working with us to optimize what we have worked for all our lives.” Read more.
Important Disclosure: The statements provided are testimonials by clients of the financial professional. The clients listed have not been paid or received any other compensation for making these statements. As a result, the client does not receive any material incentives or benefits for providing the testimonial. These views may not be representative of the views of other clients and are not indicative of future performance or success.
Let's Build Your Wealth With Purpose
With expertise and care, we're here to build a personalized plan for wealth that instills confidence for all of life’s key moments. Schedule a conversation with our team today.