Fractional CFO Tampa Strategic Finance Without the Full-Time Price Tag
Your investor wants monthly burn reports. Your metrics don't tie to your P&L. And you're not confident anyone has looked closely at how revenue gets recognized.
I'm Ben Cohen. I've spent nearly two decades in finance leadership, four of them at PwC advising Fortune 500 and global clients, and before that running acquisition and divestiture operations in-house at Johnson & Johnson. I've sat on the buyer's side of diligence, so I know which numbers get tested and which ones quietly break a deal.
Why Tampa Companies Choose Fractional CFO Services
Here's my question: do you need someone in your Tampa office five days a week, or the right strategic guidance at moments that matter?
I work with Tampa-area founders virtually - plus I fly in when it counts. One client was celebrating 40% MoM growth while bleeding $200K monthly. We rebuilt their unit economics in three weeks, identified which customer segments actually generated profit, and cut burn by 35%. That's knowing sustainable growth versus growth that kills companies.
Most fractional CFOs say they "provide strategic guidance." Here's what I actually do:
- Sit in your Series A pitch and explain why your CAC payback worries investors
- Build cash flow models showing whether you can afford that Channelside lease
- Tell you - before you sign - that your revenue projections assume 180% sales efficiency you've never hit
What "Fractional CFO" Actually Means
Not every problem needs a full-time CFO on a full-time salary. Sometimes it's one scoped project that removes a recurring monthly headache and prevents an expensive mistake.
Financial Planning That Drives Decisions
It's 11pm Thursday. Your CTO wants four engineers to rebuild the platform. Your sales leader needs three AEs to hit Q3. Your bank account says "pick one."
I build scenario models showing exactly what each decision does to your runway, which assumptions must hold true, and what your Series A valuation needs to be if you do both.
Financial Operations That Work
Your sales team closes a deal. Contract logged. Revenue recognition schedules auto-populate. Deferred revenue hits the balance sheet correctly. All before anyone asks "why doesn't ARR match bank deposits?"
I run financial system implementations and data migrations, including the unglamorous part: moving history over without corrupting it. The goal isn't complexity, it's infrastructure that matches where you're going.
M&A Support When It Moves Fast
Acquisition interest arrives on a Monday. Suddenly you have days, not months, to produce quality of earnings documentation, explain customer concentration, and justify why gross margins moved the way they did.
I've led financial due diligence at a Fortune 100 company. I know what buyers scrutinize versus what founders think matters.
How It Works
Week 1
Discovery
Discovery call where I listen instead of pitching. I review your financial model, recent investor update, and what keeps you up at night. Bad fit? I'll tell you and refer someone better.
Week 2-3
Audit & Quick Wins
Financial audit and quick wins. I find the gaps - metrics you're not tracking, the cash timing issues you haven't modeled, the board questions you keep deflecting. We fix 2-3 immediately.
Month 2+
Strategic Partnership
Strategic partnership. Monthly reviews, board prep, scenario modeling. Available on Slack for "quick questions" that are never quick. When you need me in Tampa for investor meetings or board sessions? I book the flight.
Guides for Tampa Business Owners
Fractional CFO vs Full-Time CFO in Tampa
Most advice picks a revenue number. That's the wrong test. A former PwC Senior Manager on the trigger that actually decides this for Tampa Bay companies.
Read the guidePreparing Your Financials to Sell a Business in Tampa
Diligence rarely kills a deal over performance. It kills deals over numbers nobody can explain. From a CFO who ran buy-side diligence at Johnson & Johnson.
Read the guideProfitable on Paper But No Cash in the Bank
Profit is calculated, cash is counted. A Tampa fractional CFO on the five places money hides and the cost-cutting reflex that closes companies.
Read the guideInvestor-Ready Financial Reporting in Tampa
Investors reject models they can't follow, not models that are wrong. A CFO with public-company investor relations experience on what actually holds up.
Read the guideFractional CFO for Healthcare Services Businesses in Tampa
Healthcare services businesses live or die on reimbursement timing and labour cost per unit. A Tampa fractional CFO on modelling both properly.
Read the guideFAQ: Fractional CFO Services in Tampa
Meet Ben Cohen, your fractional CFO
I'm Ben Cohen, founder of Visionary Arc Finance and the CFO behind Fractional CFO Tampa. I've spent nearly two decades in finance leadership, including four years at PwC as a Senior Manager advising Fortune 500 and global clients on financial strategy, risk, and performance improvement.
Before that I ran acquisition and divestiture operations in-house at Johnson & Johnson, handling diligence and separation planning on live deals. I've also managed investor relations for a publicly listed company and built the finance function at a growth-stage business alongside its CEO.
I've supported C-level executives across technology, manufacturing, and services with one common need: financial clarity at moments when clarity mattered. Most didn't need another full-time hire. They needed the right answer at the right time.
Engagements are delivered remotely to Tampa Bay companies. You work with me directly.
Ready to Talk Numbers?
I personally respond to every inquiry within 24 hours. Use the contact form or reach out directly to discuss your specific situation. Worst case, we have a good conversation and I point you toward better resources. Best case, we prevent your next financial headache before it starts.
Because the difference between a Tampa company that scales and one that plateaus usually isn't the market opportunity. It's knowing exactly what your numbers are telling you and what to do about it.