the month-end close, run by people who have been the controller.
A team of CPAs who have run finance in fintech, crypto, AI, construction, and multi-entity international groups. We work inside your accounting system for the days per month you need. Clean close, reliable statements, audit-ready files.
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thegap.
Your bookkeeper is fine. Your accountant does year-end. And yet the close takes three weeks, the balance sheet has reconciling items nobody can explain, the bank wants monthly statements you cannot produce on time, and the auditor's list arrives before you are ready. That is not a bookkeeping problem. It is a missing controller.
- A full-time controller in Canada costs $120,000 or more; most growing companies need one for four to ten days a month
- Late or unreliable statements are the first thing a lender, investor, or acquirer notices
- An audit, review, or bank covenant is usually what exposes the gap
- MSBs, fintechs, and crypto companies also need financials that satisfy a bank and FINTRAC, not just the CRA
whatafractionalcontrollerdoeshere.
An embedded operator inside your accounting system who owns the close, the statements, the controls, and the bookkeeper. Not a review call once a quarter.
month-end close, on a calendar
A documented close checklist with owners and deadlines. Reconciliations, accruals, revenue recognition, intercompany, and review, closed within ten business days and getting faster each month.
financial statements you can hand to anyone
Monthly income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow with variance commentary against budget. Formatted for the board, the bank, and the auditor without reworking them three times.
audit, review, and lender readiness
Working papers, support schedules, and a PBC list that is ready before the auditor asks. We have sat on both sides of the audit table and know what gets a file through cleanly.
controls, policies, and systems
Approval workflows, segregation of duties, expense and AP controls, and a clean chart of accounts. QuickBooks Online, Xero, or NetSuite configured to produce the reports you need instead of fighting them.
multi-entity and consolidation
Intercompany, consolidation, foreign currency, and group reporting for companies with more than one entity or jurisdiction. Built from running finance across international structures.
regulated-business reporting, with compliance alongside
MSBs, fintechs, and crypto companies need financials that satisfy a bank and a regulator, not just the CRA. We pair the controller seat with a named FINTRAC compliance officer and Comply+ for reporting when you need the full stack.
fractionalcontrollerorfractionalcfo?
Most companies that ask for a CFO need a controller first, and the honest answer is sometimes both. Here is how we draw the line.
| Fractional Controller | Fractional CFO | |
|---|---|---|
| Core question | Are the numbers right, on time, and defensible? | Where is the business going, and can we afford it? |
| Typical deliverables | Month-end close, financial statements, reconciliations, audit file, controls, systems | Forecast, board pack, fundraising model, treasury policy, pricing and unit economics |
| Who you talk to | Auditors, bookkeepers, the bank, the CRA | Investors, lenders, the board, acquirers |
| When you need it | Close takes weeks, reports are late or wrong, an audit or review is coming, you have outgrown bookkeeping | Raising money, scaling past $2M revenue, adding a board, considering an exit |
| Cost vs full-time | A fraction of a $120K+ controller hire | A fraction of a $250K+ CFO hire |
Once the close is reliable, the CFO layer (forecasting, board reporting, fundraising) sits naturally on top. Many clients start with the controller and add the CFO seat when they raise or add a board.
whorunsyourclose.
questionswegetasked.
What is a fractional controller?
A fractional controller is a senior accountant, usually a CPA, who runs your accounting and financial reporting function on a part-time basis. They own the month-end close, the financial statements, controls, and systems, and they manage your bookkeeper. You get a controller-level operator for the days per month you need instead of a full-time salary.
What does a fractional controller cost in Canada?
Engagements are a fixed monthly retainer scoped to the size and complexity of the close, and typically cost a fraction of a full-time controller, which runs $120,000 or more in Canada once benefits are included. We quote after a short review of your books and systems so the retainer reflects the actual work.
How is a fractional controller different from a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records transactions. A controller makes sure the resulting financial statements are accurate, complete, and produced on time, and builds the controls and processes that keep them that way. If your bookkeeper is good but your reports are still late or unreliable, the missing piece is a controller.
How is a fractional controller different from a fractional CFO?
The controller makes sure the numbers are right. The CFO uses them to make decisions about strategy, fundraising, and growth. Many companies need the controller first. We offer both and will tell you which you need.
Do you work with companies outside Alberta and British Columbia?
Yes. The team is based in Edmonton and Kelowna and works with clients across Canada and internationally. Engagements are remote-first, inside your accounting system, with on-site time when it is useful.
How long does it take to get the close under control?
The first month is a clean-up and diagnostic: reconciliations caught up, chart of accounts fixed, close checklist written. Most clients are on a ten-business-day close by the third month, with reporting going out the same week.
Talk to our finance team.
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