Outsourced CFO in Paris | Fractional Finance Director
Outsourced CFO Paris for startups and SMEs: cash flow, reporting, fundraising readiness and finance strategy. Hayot Expertise Paris 8.
Outsourced CFO in Paris — Fractional Finance Director for Startups and SMEs | Hayot Expertise#
Looking for an outsourced CFO in Paris to drive your financial strategy without the cost of a full-time hire? Hayot Expertise, located at 58 rue de Monceau (75008 Paris), provides experienced Finance Directors on a part-time, flexible basis — from 1 day per month to 3 days per week — to manage your cash flow, structure your reporting and support your fundraising operations. Focus on growth: we handle the finances.
What is a fractional CFO and why does it matter in 2026?#
Given today's economic complexity — rising cost of capital, tighter lending conditions, new regulatory requirements from the 2026 Finance Act — SME and startup leaders need real-time financial visibility. Yet hiring a senior CFO costs between €80,000 and €130,000 per year (salary + employer costs + benefits), with significant recruitment risk.
A fractional CFO provides a flexible answer: you access the expertise of an experienced Finance Director only for the time you actually need, with scope adjusted as your business evolves. This CFO-as-a-Service model has become standard in the startup ecosystem and is now expanding rapidly to SMEs and mid-sized companies.
Our financial management assignments#
Cash management and treasury#
- 13-week rolling cash forecast (short-term) and 12-18-month plan (medium-term)
- Daily cash monitoring via Agicap or Qonto
- Working capital optimisation: reduction of customer payment delays (DSO), negotiation of supplier terms (DPO)
- Short-term investment management: term deposits, money market funds for excess cash
- Financing plan: identification of funding needs at 6, 12 and 24 months, preparation of credit applications
Analytical reporting and dashboards#
- Fast monthly close (Day 5): P&L, balance sheet, cash flow statement
- Executive dashboard: KPIs (revenue, EBITDA, gross margin, working capital, DSO, DPO) in real time on Power BI or Pennylane Analytics
- Profit centre reporting: margin analysis by product line, strategic client or region
- Budget vs actual analysis: operational explanations and corrective action recommendations
- Investor reporting: standardised formats (monthly or quarterly VC reporting)
Business plans and financial forecasting#
- 3-5 year financial model: P&L, balance sheet, cash flow — built on documented, auditable assumptions
- Scenario planning: base, optimistic and pessimistic cases with sensitivity analysis on key variables
- Financial stress tests: simulation of revenue drops, interest rate rises, client payment delays
- Investor pitch deck financials: preparation of financial slides for VC and angel investor roadshows
Investor and banking relations#
- Banking relationships: negotiation of credit lines (factoring, revolving credit), covenant management
- Investor relations: board meeting preparation, due diligence responses, post-investment reporting obligations
- Bpifrance: guaranteed loan applications, innovation grants support
- M&A operations: support in acquisition audits, financial data room preparation
Management control and analytical accounting#
- Analytical accounting setup: cost allocation by cost centre, project or client
- Cost analysis: contribution margin by product, by distribution channel
- HR financial dashboard: cost per FTE, turnover, revenue per employee
Legal and tax structuring with the accounting team#
Working alongside our accounting and tax teams:
- Holding company creation and management: parent-subsidiary regime, tax consolidation, inter-entity cash optimisation — see our holding tax page
- Group restructuring: mergers, partial business transfers
- Digital finance transformation: migration to integrated ERP, Order-to-Cash and Purchase-to-Pay automation — see our digital transformation page
Who is this for?#
- Post-seed to Series B startups (revenue €500k – €10M): financial process structuring, investor reporting, cash runway management, next-round preparation
- Fast-growing SMEs (10–200 employees, revenue €5M – €50M): professionalising the finance function, preparing for external growth
- Post-acquisition management: financial audit, monitoring tool implementation, debt restructuring
- Companies under cash pressure: financial recovery plan, creditor negotiations, business continuity planning
- Multi-entity groups: consolidation, inter-company flow management, capital structure optimisation
Our start-up method#
Phase 1 — Flash audit (2 days)#
Complete analysis of your current financial situation: finance function organisation, existing tools, reporting quality, risk identification (working capital exposure, banking covenants). Deliverable: audit report with prioritised roadmap.
Phase 2 — Personalised engagement letter#
Precise definition of assigned missions, expected deliverables, intervention frequency and success metrics. Full transparency on fees.
Phase 3 — Tool setup (weeks 2-4)#
Connecting data sources (accounting, banking, invoicing, payroll), configuring Power BI or Pennylane Analytics dashboards, implementing fast monthly close processes.
Phase 4 — Operational launch (month 1)#
First monthly close, first management committee or investor report, first updated cash forecast. Your fractional CFO is fully operational within one month.
Phase 5 — Scale-up and adjustment#
The mission evolves with your needs: increasing or reducing intervention time, adding new assignments (fundraising, M&A, digital transformation) as your business develops.
Cost comparison#
| Solution | Estimated annual cost | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| In-house senior CFO | €80,000 – €130,000 | Full-time |
| Hayot outsourced CFO | €18,000 – €66,000 | Flexible, tailored |
| Standard accountant | €3,000 – €8,000 | Reactive, not proactive |
The outsourced CFO delivers 80% of the expertise at 15-25% of the cost of a full-time hire.
Indicative fees#
| Package | Intervention frequency | Indicative monthly fee (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| CFO Starter | 1-2 days / month | from €1,500 / month |
| CFO Growth | 1 day / week | from €3,200 / month |
| CFO Intensive | 2-3 days / week | from €5,500 / month |
| Project mission | Fundraising, M&A, crisis | on quote |
Why choose Hayot Expertise?#
- Paris 8, 58 rue de Monceau: local presence in the heart of Paris's business district
- 10+ years of experience with startups, SMEs and mid-sized companies across tech, services, industry and retail
- Mastery of the digital ecosystem: Power BI, Pennylane, Agicap, Qonto, Silae — no time wasted adapting tools
- Synergy with the accounting team: CFO and accountant work in the same firm, ensuring perfect alignment between management and compliance
- Guaranteed confidentiality: contractual NDA commitment, strictly controlled data access
- Network access: lawyers, banks, investment funds, Bpifrance — we open our network to you
Questions frequentes
Can an outsourced CFO sign accounts or tax returns?+
No. The outsourced CFO takes on a financial management and steering role. Signing annual accounts and tax returns remains the prerogative of the chartered accountant. At Hayot Expertise, both assignments are often combined within the same firm.
What is the difference between an outsourced CFO and an accountant?+
An accountant produces and certifies financial documents. An outsourced CFO is a proactive management role: steering financial strategy, managing banking relationships, structuring reporting and anticipating funding needs. The two complement each other.
How quickly can an outsourced CFO get up to speed?+
The ramp-up is gradual but fast. The first month covers the audit and familiarisation. From month two, the first deliverables (dashboard, cash forecast) are operational.
Can the outsourced CFO support a fundraising round?+
Absolutely. Business plan preparation, financial data room structuring, investor due diligence responses and term sheet negotiation are core missions.
Can you intervene urgently during a cash crisis?+
Yes. We offer crisis missions with a 48-hour onboarding: cash diagnosis, identification of immediate levers (factoring, payment deferrals, receivables mobilisation), bank dialogue.
Will your CFO work with our existing tools?+
We adapt to your existing tools wherever possible. If a migration to more powerful tools is needed, we manage it within the mission scope.
Can the outsourced CFO manage multi-entity consolidation?+
Yes. Group account consolidation, including foreign subsidiaries, is within our competencies. We use appropriate tools (Cegid, Sage, or advanced Excel models depending on group size).
Frequently asked questions
Can an outsourced CFO sign accounts or tax returns?
What is the difference between an outsourced CFO and an accountant?
How quickly can an outsourced CFO get up to speed?
Can the outsourced CFO support a fundraising round?
Can you intervene urgently during a cash crisis?
Will your CFO work with our existing tools?
Can the outsourced CFO manage multi-entity consolidation?
Need expert support?
Book a discovery meeting at our office
Article written by Samuel Hayot
Chartered Accountant, registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Regulated French accounting and audit firm based in Paris 8, built to support companies across France with a digital and decision-oriented approach.
A regulated French firm built for national business demand
This page keeps the Paris 8 anchor while clearly speaking to companies across France that want a more direct, digital and decision-oriented accounting partner.
Regulated firm
Samuel Hayot is a French chartered accountant and statutory auditor registered with the Paris professional bodies.
National reach
The firm is based in Paris 8 and operates with a delivery model designed for businesses located across France.
Modern stack
Pennylane, Dext, Silae and an automation-first setup built for visibility and speed.
Direct contact
Visible phone number, simple contact path, fast engagement letter and tighter qualification of the mandate.