Marketing Agency CFO Services: Fractional Solutions for Creative Agencies
Strategic financial leadership to improve utilization, strengthen profit-per-employee, and stabilize cash flow for agencies scaling beyond the owner-operator stage. Expert fractional CFO services are a cost-effective way for marketing agencies and business owners to access high-level financial leadership tailored to their unique business needs.
Bennett Financials supports agency founders, business owners, and leadership teams by connecting delivery metrics (time, utilization, scope, retainer structure) to financial outcomes—so growth translates into margin, retained earnings discipline, and enterprise value, not just bigger billings. Fractional CFOs typically support multiple companies, providing the expertise of an entire team—including CFOs, controllers, and accountants—on a flexible, part-time basis.
These services allow agencies to scale with the support of a leadership team, without the expense of a full-time CFO.
See the companies we’ve served.
Building Your Roadmap
Financial Strategy Built for Time, Talent, and Margin
Agencies don’t lose profitability because the work isn’t good—they lose it because the business model is fragile: payroll is fixed, scope creeps, utilization drifts, and pricing doesn’t keep pace with delivery effort. Many agencies struggle with business performance and maintaining healthy profit margins as they grow. When that happens, revenue can rise while profit stays flat (or drops), creating stress on cash flow and owner distributions.
We help marketing and creative agencies build a CFO-grade financial operating model that aligns resource planning, client profitability, and pricing with how the work actually gets delivered. Our CFOs use data-driven insights and strategic insights to provide actionable recommendations that improve profitability. Advanced financial reporting and dashboards deliver actionable insights into key performance indicators, including project profit margins. CFOs perform deep dives into client and project profitability to identify resource allocation and pricing strategies. The goal is consistent: better margin control, clearer decision-making, and predictable financial performance as the team grows.
Where Agencies Leak Profit (and How We Restore Control)
Most agency profit erosion comes from compounding operational friction—not one catastrophic event. A few common culprits: under-scoped projects, inconsistent time capture, retainers that don’t match workload, unmeasured non-billable drain, and leadership flying blind on true cost of service delivery. As agencies grow, they often outgrow manual accounting processes, making it challenging to manage complex financials effectively.
We help agency leadership pinpoint what’s driving margin volatility and rebuild the levers that create stability: capacity visibility, scope discipline, pricing logic, and cash planning tied to payroll reality. Implementing robust internal controls and integrating modern accounting software can help restore financial stability and streamline daily financial operations. Outsourced accounting and CFO services help marketing agencies streamline financial operations and improve internal controls, providing professional management and access to specialized expertise. This creates a more resilient agency—one that can grow headcount without losing control of profitability.
How We Support Agency Leadership
We function as a strategic finance partner, providing expert guidance and experienced insight when big decisions are on the line. Our outsourced CFO services offer agency leaders a clearer view of their company’s overall financial health, supporting regular reviews and informed decision-making. We help drive growth and profitability by delivering strategic financial guidance, ensuring clarity across utilization, client profitability, and cash flow—so decisions are grounded in economics, not gut feel.
Utilization & Capacity Intelligence
We bring visibility into capacity by role and team so leadership can manage utilization intentionally, reduce “hidden bench,” and make hiring decisions based on demand and margin—not stress.
Client & Project Profitability
We connect delivery effort to financial outcomes so you can identify which retainers and projects generate real margin—and which ones look good on revenue but quietly consume the team.
Pricing, Retainers, and Scope Discipline
We help translate your delivery reality into pricing logic—so retainers reflect workload, projects are scoped for profitability, and change orders are handled consistently.
Cash Flow Stability Built Around Payroll Reality
We implement cash planning that reflects agency rhythms—payroll cycles, seasonality, and client payment timing—so leadership can make confident decisions without reactive cash pressure.
Optimized Financial Processes for Efficiency
For marketing and creative agencies, efficiency isn’t just about delivering great work—it’s about building financial processes that support growth, scalability, and smarter decision-making. Optimized financial operations are the backbone of a resilient agency, enabling business owners to cut costs, boost efficiency, and focus on what drives value.
Outsourced CFO services bring the financial expertise and strategic guidance agencies need to streamline their financial management. With a seasoned financial expert—such as a chief financial officer—on your side, you gain access to a comprehensive financial strategy tailored to your business goals, without the full-time cost. This means you can leverage the collective knowledge and extensive experience of a consulting firm, ensuring your agency benefits from best-in-class financial practices.
Accurate, up-to-date financial reporting is essential for informed decision-making. Outsourced CFOs deliver expert financial guidance on everything from financial statements and key performance indicators to cash flow forecasting and financial analysis. This level of insight empowers agency leaders to make data-driven decisions, manage cash flow proactively, and respond quickly to financial challenges.
Cash flow management is another critical area where outsourced CFO services add value. By implementing robust cash management strategies—including accounts payable oversight and pricing strategies—agencies can avoid cash crunches, maintain healthy operations, and invest confidently in new business or growth initiatives. A virtual CFO can also help you develop a financial roadmap, ensuring your financial planning and budgeting are always aligned with your long-term business objectives.
The result? Agencies gain the ability to scale efficiently, reduce risk, and make smarter financial decisions—without the overhead of a full-time CFO. Outsourced CFO solutions are especially powerful for small businesses or agencies with limited resources, providing expert financial guidance at a fraction of the cost.
A CFO Framework Focused on Agency Enterprise Value
Our work strengthens the financial engine behind the agency—so growth creates margin, retained earnings discipline, and a business that can scale beyond the founder. For marketing agencies, outsourcing CFO functions allows internal teams to free up resources and focus on their core business activities. Outsourced CFO services also help marketing agencies implement robust financial systems, supporting transitions from founder-led financials to portfolio financial management. CFOs bridge traditional silos between finance, sales, and marketing, improving cross-departmental alignment toward shared goals. In marketing agencies, CFOs transform marketing from a cost center into a profit driver by overseeing financial health, planning, and analysis. Modern marketing agency CFOs serve as strategic navigators and co-pilots for growth, aligning creative efforts with commercial outcomes.
Core Areas of Impact
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Utilization and capacity visibility by role/team
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Profit-per-employee improvement through resource discipline
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Client and project profitability clarity (retainers + project work)
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Pricing and scoping alignment to protect margin
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Cash flow planning built around payroll and delivery cycles
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Leadership reporting that turns metrics into decisions
Outcome-Oriented Perspective
When utilization, pricing, and delivery economics are aligned, agencies stop trading time for money. Better visibility leads to better choices—what to staff, what to reprice, what to fix operationally, and what to stop doing—so profit becomes repeatable.
“With Arron's leadership, we grew from zero to $300K MRR. His skills in finance and strategy have been invaluable. Aaron is more than a fractional CFO; he’s a dedicated partner who safeguards our brand and supports our growth.”
Taylor Hersom
Eden Data, Chairman
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Fractional CFO do for a marketing or creative agency?
A Fractional CFO provides strategic financial leadership focused on agency economics—utilization, client profitability, pricing, cash flow planning, and performance reporting. The role connects delivery operations to financial outcomes so leadership can scale profitably with control.
What is utilization rate in an agency, and why does it matter?
Utilization rate measures how much of your team’s available time is spent on billable or value-generating work. It matters because payroll is typically an agency’s largest expense—small utilization shifts can materially change profit-per-employee and overall margin.
How can a Fractional CFO improve agency profitability?
Profit improves when the agency can consistently measure and manage the drivers: utilization by role, true cost of delivery, retainer/project profitability, scope control, and pricing alignment. A Fractional CFO helps create the reporting and decision framework to improve those levers systematically.
How do you figure out which clients are actually profitable?
Client profitability is determined by the true delivery cost—not just revenue. That means understanding time invested, team mix, overhead allocation, and scope behavior. With consistent time capture and a clear cost model, leadership can reprice, rescope, or restructure work with confidence.
How do agencies stabilize cash flow when payments are inconsistent?
Stability comes from planning around payroll reality and client payment timing. With a forward-looking cash view and disciplined billing/collections processes, leadership can reduce surprises, plan hiring more confidently, and avoid reactive decisions driven by short-term cash pressure.
How do you optimize retainers so they stop bleeding margin?
Retainers work when workload and expectations match the monthly fee. Optimization typically includes clarifying scope, setting capacity assumptions, defining overage rules, and monitoring delivery effort so retainers remain profitable as client needs evolve.
When should an agency consider hiring a Fractional CFO?
Agencies usually consider a Fractional CFO when growth increases complexity—more staff, more clients, mixed retainers/projects, margin volatility, or unclear profitability. If leadership is making hiring and pricing decisions without confident financial visibility, it’s typically the right time.
Case Studies
“He’s more than just a CFO—he brings creative ideas, deep experience, and valuable insights from different industries that have transformed our business.”
Daniel Passarelli
Co-Founder, RHFL
Know Which Clients Actually Pay
We map true cost-to-deliver by client, retainer, and project—so you can reprice, rescope, or exit accounts that quietly drain profit.