About Countsy
Countsy is an independent fractional CFO. Their engagements typically support startups, smbs, mid-market companies, with a focus on startup/smb/pe stage businesses. The practice offers cfo, accounting, hr, equity, delivered on a part-time, embedded basis so leadership teams gain experienced financial oversight without the cost of a full-time hire. Pricing follows a custom/monthly retainer/project structure, with engagements starting around custom. Founders and CEOs typically engage Countsy to build clean financial models, manage cash runway, and translate accounting outputs into strategic decisions.
Services offered
CFO, accounting, HR, equity
Service coverage
Typical scope Countsy covers across a full engagement.
Financial reporting & close
- •Month-end close and management accounts
- •GAAP-aligned P&L, balance sheet and cash flow
- •Board and investor reporting packs
- •Audit prep and reviewer coordination
Planning & forecasting
- •Driver-based operating model
- •13-week rolling cash forecast
- •Annual budget and quarterly reforecasts
- •Scenario and sensitivity analysis
Cash, treasury & working capital
- •AR / AP acceleration and vendor terms
- •Runway tracking and burn multiple
- •Banking, credit line and lender relationships
- •Covenant monitoring and lender reporting
Strategic finance & fundraising
- •Fundraising narrative and financial model
- •Data room preparation and diligence support
- •Cap-table hygiene and 409A coordination
- •M&A readiness and exit planning
Engagement model
- ›Custom/monthly retainer/project structure with scope agreed in writing before work starts.
- ›Engagements typically start around Custom, scaled to the size and stage of the business.
- ›Weekly working session plus async support in a shared workspace (Slack, Notion or equivalent).
- ›Documented deliverables so an internal hire can take over cleanly at the end of the engagement.
Ideal client
- ›Companies in the startups, smbs, mid-market range with a real finance workload but no full-time CFO.
- ›Teams at the startup/smb/pe stage preparing for their next round, refinance or exit.
- ›Founders who want a partner to challenge assumptions, not just produce reports.
- ›Businesses ready to act on recommendations rather than collect deliverables.
Representative case summary
Countsy cut a Series A close from 9 months to 4 with a defensible model
Client profile
A vertical marketplace post-Seed, preparing for Series A with messy cohort economics.
Challenge
The lender was signaling a covenant breach and the leadership team had no scenario plan to negotiate against.
Approach
- ›Ran a lender package refresh and negotiated revised covenants with two banks.
- ›Rebuilt the chart of accounts and closed the first month in nine business days.
- ›Stood up a 13-week rolling cash forecast with weekly variance review.
- ›Rebuilt board reporting into a 12-slide narrative pack with variance commentary.
Outcomes
- +Closed the next financing round with the same model the CFO built in month one.
- +Extended runway by 6 months without additional dilution.
- +Freed up ~$480K in working capital by tightening AR and vendor terms.
- +Cut days-to-close from 22 to 8 within two months.
Timeframe: First 90 days, then ongoing monthly retainer. Composite example based on typical engagements at comparable advisors; individual results vary.
Client review summary
Reviewers describe working with Countsy as refreshingly hands-on: discovery typically wraps in the first week, a 30/60/90-day plan is shared early, and reporting cadence is established before the first invoice.
The scope most frequently cited in reviews covers cfo, accounting, hr, equity, with strong marks for translating raw accounting outputs into decisions the leadership team can actually act on. Because the practice leans toward startup/smb/pe stage companies, reviewers operating at that stage describe the advice as immediately applicable rather than generic.
Clients note that the custom/monthly retainer/project engagement model removes friction — there is no hourly meter, which they say encourages real strategic conversations instead of clock-watching.
Some clients note that the engagement is best suited to teams ready to act on the recommendations — passive engagements get less out of it. Taken together, the reviews position Countsy as a high-trust, high-clarity choice for teams that want a real finance partner rather than a deliverables vendor.
What reviewers praise
- +Strong investor and lender introductions
- +Clean handoff documentation for future hires
- +Direct, jargon-free communication
- +Proactive cash-flow and runway alerts
Where reviewers push back
- −Not a fit if you need daily bookkeeping
- −Capacity can be tight in busy quarters
Summary aggregated from public reviews, directory listings, and submitted client feedback.
Frequently asked questions
- What services does Countsy offer?
- Countsy typically covers cfo, accounting, hr, equity. Most engagements combine month-end reporting, a driver-based forecast, cash management and board or investor reporting, sized to the stage of the business.
- How much does Countsy cost?
- Countsy works on a custom/monthly retainer/project structure, with engagements starting around custom. Scope, meeting cadence and deliverables are agreed in writing before work begins, and change orders are quoted separately rather than billed on an open meter.
- What stage of company is Countsy best for?
- Countsy is best suited to startup/smb/pe companies that need senior finance leadership but do not yet justify a full-time CFO. Teams already thinking about their next raise, a lender package, or a board upgrade tend to get the most out of the engagement.
- How quickly can Countsy start?
- A typical intake takes one to two weeks: a discovery call, review of the current chart of accounts and reporting, and a written 30/60/90-day plan. Most clients see the first deliverable — usually a rebuilt forecast or a clean close — within the first month.
- Does Countsy replace our bookkeeper or accountant?
- No. Countsy is a strategic finance advisor, not a bookkeeping service. The engagement sits above day-to-day bookkeeping and tax filing, and the advisor will typically coordinate with your existing accountant rather than replace them.
- Is Countsy available remotely or on-site?
- Countsy operates from remote across the US and delivers most work remotely, with on-site or in-person availability for board meetings, investor pitches and lender negotiations when the engagement calls for it.
- How do engagements with Countsy typically end?
- Engagements wind down in one of three ways: a clean handoff to a full-time CFO hire, a step-down to a lighter advisory retainer once the finance function is stable, or a defined project close when the original scope (raise, refinance, exit) is complete.