Our Process: How a Fractional CFO Engagement Works
Working with a financial partner should feel clear from the first conversation. Each stage has a defined purpose, a realistic timeframe, and something concrete you receive at the end, and nothing begins until you have agreed to the scope in writing.
Reviewing a company’s financial records is sensitive work, and we treat it that way at every stage. Your information stays confidential throughout, and you will always know where things stand.
The Six Stages, Start to Finish
The timing below is what most Wichita businesses experience.
It potentially shifts depending on how much material there is and how it is organized.
Discovery (No Cost, No Obligation)
The first step is reaching out to us for a consultation. Once we hear from you, we send a short Discovery Form, so our first conversation begins with real information rather than twenty minutes of background questions. Then, we talk for about 45 to 60 minutes: where your business is now, where you would like it to go, and how we work. There is nothing to sign and nothing to decide. If we are not the right fit, we will say so and point you toward someone who is.
Proposal & Engagement Letter
If it feels like a good fit on both sides, your proposal and engagement letter arrive together, usually within three to five business days. They come as a pair so you can see the scope and the terms side by side. Take your time with them, and ask about anything that is unclear. You sign the letter only when it looks right to you, and the work begins after that.
Providing Your Records
A list of the needed records is provided with the engagement letter. Once you sign the engagement letter, we agree on a date that works for both of us for the documents to be available to begin. For most businesses that covers bank and credit card statements, loan documents, accounts receivable and payable aging, payroll, and prior tax returns, usually across two years. The IRS keeps a plain-English guide to which records to hold on to and for how long. Records rarely arrive all at once, and that is expected, so if you already work with a bookkeeper we are glad to coordinate directly. This stage typically takes one to two weeks.
Analysis
We begin with a quick first pass, looking for anything worth acting on right away, then build out the fuller picture through a financial audit and assessment. Depending on your goals, that can include cash flow forecasting, a look at how your debt is structured, or a breakdown of which products and customers are carrying the business. If we have a question about something, we raise it as we go rather than saving it for the end. Initial analysis usually takes one to three weeks.
Delivery
We sit down together and walk through what we found, leading with the findings and what they are worth to you. Each recommendation comes with three things: who owns it, what it is worth in dollars, and when it should happen. If anything needs adjusting, we update it and revisit it with you. Before we finish, we agree on what comes next.
Ongoing Support
Effective strategy needs time and sometimes adjustment, clients who want to achieve long-term growth and goals benefit from ongoing fractional CFO support. Regular meetings are planned out to ensure checkpoints and allow for revisiting discussions and action progress. You receive a Monthly Impact Report on the same day each month, tracking progress against the numbers we agreed on at delivery. Some improvements land early, such as clearer cash flow visibility and a budget that reflects how the business really operates. We also reevaluate scope every quarter, because needs change as a business grows.
Why We Start With Your Numbers
Our process works because it is grounded in your numbers rather than in general accounting rules. We spend the time in your operational data and your history, so the plan reflects how your business actually runs and stays usable day to day. The same approach applies across every service we offer and all of the businesses we serve, whatever the industry.
Being local helps too. We know the Wichita market, and we work alongside the resources already here, including the Kansas SBDC at Wichita State University.
It is also why the stages sit in this order. Current records come before any forecasting, because a forecast is only ever as good as the information behind it.
Confidentiality at Every Stage
Financial records are among the most sensitive documents a business has, and we treat them accordingly. We handle your records carefully, keep them secure, and never share them.
Stage 3 holds the most sensitive material, so we are particular about it. Your documents stay within our system for the life of the engagement, and we do not pass them around as email attachments. Discretion is part of the service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens in the Discovery Meeting?
After you reach out, we send you a short Discovery Form to complete before we meet. Then we talk for about 45 to 60 minutes about your business, your goals, and what would make the biggest difference. You can ask us anything about how we work. It costs nothing, and there is no obligation afterward.
Is the Discovery Meeting really free?
Yes, and there is nothing to sign or decide during it. If it feels like a good fit on both sides, you will receive a proposal and an engagement letter together, usually within three to five business days. Work begins only once you have signed.
How long does the whole process take?
From signed engagement letter to your delivery meeting, most engagements run about four to six weeks. Gathering records takes one to two weeks and analysis takes one to three. The range depends on how much material there is, how quickly it is provided for analysis and how it is organized.
What do you need from me to get started?
Along with the engagement letter, we will provide a list of the documents needed to initiate the scope of work. Once you sign the engagement letter, you will need to provide those items to begin the timeframe. These typically include any bank and credit card statements, loan documents, AR and AP aging, payroll records, and prior tax returns. We generally look back at two years. If something takes time to locate, we will help you track it down.
Do you keep my financial information confidential?
Yes. Confidentiality is a core promise at Momenti Strategy. We handle your records carefully, keep them secure, and never share them. We do not pass them around as email attachments, because trust is the foundation of the whole working relationship.