You’ve Outgrown Startup Mode—Now What?
You’re not a startup anymore. You’re not exactly a giant either. You’re in that weird middle stage where you’ve scaled past scrappy spreadsheets and late-night QuickBooks panic, but you’re not quite ready to build out a 10-person finance department.
Revenue is solid. Growth is happening. Maybe you’re even flirting with a few sexy licensing deals or thinking about a future exit. But here’s the problem:
Your finance operation is a mess.
You’re not alone. Most e-commerce and CPG brands in the $10M–$30M range hit this exact wall. You’re growing faster than your internal systems can keep up. You’re asking bigger questions, making bigger bets—but your numbers feel fuzzy.
So now you’re wondering: Do I need a CFO? Or just a controller? Or both?
Let’s break it down.
Why This Stage of Growth Exposes Financial Gaps in E-commerce and CPG Brands
When you’re doing $1M or $2M a year, you can survive on duct tape and determination. But once you’re in the $10M+ club, that approach becomes dangerous.
At this level, you’re managing:
- More SKUs
- More sales channels
- Complex cash flow cycles
- Licensing and royalty reports
- A growing team and bigger decisions
The cracks start to show:
- You don’t trust your financial reports.
- Cash flow surprises you more often than it should.
- Profitability feels like a black box.
- Month-end close feels like a fire drill.
You might be investing in marketing, partnerships, or inventory—without a clear understanding of ROI. It’s not that you’re doing something wrong. You just haven’t built the financial backbone needed to support where you’re headed.
This isn’t just operational friction—it’s a risk to your growth and your eventual exit.
Controller vs. CFO: What’s the Difference for Your CPG or E-commerce Brand?
Let’s kill the confusion. Here’s a no-BS breakdown:
| Role | Focus | Key Responsibilities |
| Bookkeeper | Transactional | Recording transactions, reconciling accounts, basic reporting |
| Controller | Operational | Monthly close, financial reporting, systems, compliance |
| CFO | Strategic | Financial planning, scenario modeling, capital strategy, exit prep |
Reality check: Most brands in the $10M–$30M range don’t need a full-time CFO—yet.
What you do need is a rock-solid controller who:
- Delivers accurate, timely financial reports
- Keeps your systems humming
- Gives you visibility into your margins and cash
When you’re ready for the next level (capital raise, acquisition prep, or scaling globally), bring in fractional CFO support to handle the high-stakes strategy—without the full-time price tag.
How to Build a Right-Sized Finance Team (Without Overhiring)
Here’s how to figure out what you really need:
Identify Your Pain Points
- Are reports always late or unclear?
- Do you know which products or channels are most profitable?
- Are you constantly in reactive cash mode?
If you answered yes to any of the above, it’s time to rethink your finance structure.
Prioritize ROI
You don’t need a mountain of dashboards. You need:
- Clean books
- Smart reporting
- A forward-looking view of cash and margin
Think of your finance function like your product supply chain—when it’s tight, things flow. When it’s loose, you bleed.
Build a Hybrid Model
Most high-growth e-commerce and CPG brands thrive with a structure like this:
- Controller (fractional or full-time, depending on complexity)
- Bookkeeper (offshore or onshore)
- Fractional CFO (for strategic planning, funding, or exit)
This setup gives you the horsepower without bloating your payroll.
What the Right Finance Team Unlocks
This isn’t about finance for finance’s sake. The right setup will:
- Give you confidence in your numbers
- Help you make smart decisions around inventory, hiring, and launches
- Show you exactly where your profit is coming from (and what’s just eating cash)
- Prepare you for investors, licensing partners, or buyers
Example: A client of ours scaled to $5M+ and locked down major licensing deals. But their internal finance setup was chaos. Royalty reporting was manual, product profitability was unclear, and cash flow was always a guess. Once we dropped in a controller and cleaned things up, they could scale confidently—and prep for an eventual exit.
Imagine how much faster you could move if you weren’t second-guessing your numbers.
Bottom Line: Don’t Overbuild. Don’t Underhire. Build Smart.
You don’t need to commit to a $200K+ CFO right now. But you do need a finance setup that supports where you are—and where you’re going.
You need to be able to:
- Navigate licensing, supplier financing, and product launches
- Make capital allocation decisions with confidence
- Walk into exit conversations with a clean, audit-ready back office
Your future buyer (or investor) is going to ask tough questions. Let’s make sure you have the answers ready.
Ready to Build a Finance Team That Scales With You?
Let’s talk. We’ll review your current setup, identify the gaps, and design a right-sized finance function using controller support and fractional CFO strategy—tailored for fast-growing CPG and e-commerce brands.
👉 Book a Free Consultation to take the first step.