Services
The right scope for where you are.
Work with me as your ongoing controller, bring me in to implement a system, or start with a defined project.
Ongoing engagement
Fractional controller
I own your monthly close, financial reporting, and cash forecast, and stay available for decisions between meetings. You get one person accountable for the work.
What I own
- Monthly close, account reconciliations, and revenue recognition
- Billing, collections, payables, and expense oversight
- Payroll and equity administration coordination
- Monthly reporting, variance notes, and budget vs. actuals
- Rolling cash and operating forecasts
- Board financials, fundraising, and diligence support
- Tax, licenses, and compliance coordination
- Finance systems and day-to-day accounting and finance questions
How the engagement works
A flat monthly fee covers the scope we agree on after the intro call. We set the responsibilities, reporting schedule, and priorities up front, and agree on any scope changes before additional work starts. Either of us can end the engagement with 30 days’ notice.
Defined implementation project
Finance systems and automation
For teams whose systems create recurring manual work or unreliable data. I design and implement the connections between banking, spend, billing, the ledger, and reporting.
What the work can include
- A review of the current workflow and a practical implementation plan
- Ledger, billing, or spend system setup and migration
- Data mapping, reconciliations, and testing
- Automation with clear review points and documented processes
We agree on the systems, deliverables, and handoff before starting. I work with tools including Rillet, NetSuite, QuickBooks, Stripe, and Ramp, keeping what already works.
Talk through the scopeDefined project
One-time finance projects
For a specific problem that needs an experienced owner. Start here when the books are behind, diligence is approaching, or the team is preparing for its first finance hire.
Projects I take on
- Cleanup and catch-up: reconciled accounts and a plan for the next close
- Diligence preparation: financial schedules and organized supporting records
- First-hire readiness: documented processes, role definition, and onboarding
The scope, deliverables, and finish line are agreed up front. The handoff includes the work and documentation your team needs to keep going.
Talk through the scopeCommon questions
- How is this different from a bookkeeper? From a fractional CFO?
- Bookkeeping keeps the underlying transactions in order. My role adds ownership of the close, controls, reporting, forecasts, and finance systems. A fractional CFO usually focuses more on strategy, fundraising, and capital planning; early-stage teams can benefit from some overlap.
- How do you plug into our existing operations?
- I work directly with whoever already touches billing, payables, payroll, and customer operations. I own the accounting process and controls while routine operational tasks stay with the right people on your team. You get one clear owner without creating unnecessary handoffs.
- We're behind and our books are a mess. Is that a problem?
- No—that's often why a company calls me. If the cleanup is substantial, I'll scope it clearly up front, fix the foundation, and then move the company onto a normal close cadence.
- What tools do you work with? Will you make us switch?
- I've worked across QuickBooks, NetSuite, Rillet, Stripe, Ramp, Brex, Mercury, and plenty of tools around them. I won't recommend a migration for novelty's sake: we keep what works and replace what creates recurring manual work, weak controls, or unreliable data.
- How does AI factor into the work?
- I use AI to help map data, prepare reconciliations, investigate variances, and document processes. Every output has a review point, and I remain responsible for the work. At Flatfile, automation helped a one-person accounting team close two days faster.
- How many clients do you take on?
- I keep the roster small because I do the work myself. Capacity depends on scope, and I will tell you early if I cannot give the engagement enough attention.
- What happens when we outgrow you and need a full-time hire?
- Reaching the point where a full-time hire makes sense is a successful outcome. I've been the in-house leader taking over from a fractional controller, so I'll help define the role, document the function, and onboard the person who replaces me.
- Do you do taxes or audits?
- The core engagement covers accounting operations, reporting, forecasting, systems, and finance ownership. I coordinate with outside tax providers and auditors, but High Signal does not perform audit or attest work.
Start with a conversation.
We’ll work out what needs attention and the right scope.