The CFO Layer

For leaders who need financial leadership, not just financial information.

Built for businesses at $1m+ revenue or intentionally growing there.

The CFO Layer

For Founders who need financial leadership, not just financial information.

Built for businesses at $1m+ revenue or intentionally growing there.

A FINANCIAL SYSTEM THAT ACTUALLY WORKS

A plan the business can rely on and grow from.

Growth.

Investment.

Cash flow.

Exit.

A plan that prepares the business for what's ahead.

You have a bookkeeper.
You have an accountant.
You have reports.

Yet financial decisions keep getting heavier.

Hiring feels risky.
Pricing feels uncertain.
Cash flow feels tighter than it should.

You need to plan cashflow and profit for growth, investment, or exit - and you know guessing is no longer an option.

WE BUILT THE CFO LAYER TO FIX THAT.

How it works...

The CFO Layer works by putting a financial plan at the centre of the business.

Decisions are tested through the numbers before they are made - not explained after the fact.

It is delivered in two clear phases.

Phase 1: Financial Plan Build

We start by building the financial plan your business will actually run on.

This includes:

A deep review of how your business makes money and uses cash
Clear income drivers, cost structure, and assumptions
A forward-looking financial plan built to support growth decisions
Scenario visibility so you can see the impact of key choices before you make them

The plan is not static.

It evolves as the business evolves.

Phase 2: Ongoing CFO Oversight

Once the plan is in place, the CFO Layer stays with you.

Ongoing support includes:

Regular CFO-level strategy sessions
Reporting and KPIs tracked against the financial plan
Early identification of risks, pressure points, and opportunities
Alignment and oversight of your bookkeeper and accountant
Support with decisions around pricing, hiring, cash flow, and timing

The goal is not more information.

The goal is better decisions, made earlier.

When the CFO Layer Matters

The CFO Layer is not just for big moves.

It is how the business is run day to day.

It matters when you want:

Clear visibility over cash, tax, and obligations at all times
Confidence that decisions are grounded in a real financial plan
Less mental load from carrying the numbers in your head
A business that feels controlled, not reactive

Then...it's non-negotiable in moments like:

Hiring or restructuring roles
Revenue growing but cash not following
Paying yourself consistently and sustainably
Planning for tax, BAS, super, and large outflows
Changing pricing, offers, or delivery models
Considering funding, debt, or investment

The CFO Layer supports both business as usual and the decisions that shape what comes next.

This IS for you if...

Your business is at $1M+ revenue, or intentionally growing there in the next 12–18 months
You already have a bookkeeper and an accountant, but still feel the weight of financial decisions
You are making (or about to make) high-stakes decisions around hiring, pricing, investment, or cash flow
Growth is starting to expose gaps in structure, forecasting, or visibility
You are ready for a financial plan the business can rely on and grow from.
You value clarity, structure, and long-term thinking over reactive decisions
You know you cannot scale chaos

You know you are ready for The CFO Layer without the full time CFO price tag.

This is NOT for you if...

You are still putting your financial foundations in place
You need help primarily with bookkeeping, tax, or transaction processing
You want reports explained, rather than taking ownership of financial direction
You are not yet ready to plan forward and make decisions against a financial plan

That said — if what you need right now is:

High-quality bookkeeping, accounting, or compliance support, Inline Partners is designed exactly for that.
Done-with-you education, financial foundations, and ongoing support to build confidence with your numbers, Finance Like a Boss is the place for you.

The CFO Layer is intentionally senior.

It is built for businesses that already understand their finances - and are ready to lead with them.

Why The CFO Layer is different...

This is not bookkeeping.
Not tax advice.
Not commentary.

The CFO Layer is different because it changes how financial decisions are made - not just how numbers are reported.

It starts with a CFO-level financial plan that defines:

what you are working toward
what you can afford
what trade-offs matter
what timing actually looks like

Every forecast, report, and KPI exists to serve that plan.

Decisions are run through the numbers before they happen - not explained after the fact.

Oversight stays close to the detail, so small issues are caught early instead of becoming expensive problems.

This is not information.

And it is not a one-off strategy.

It is the layer that turns financial data into day-to-day leadership decisions.

That is how businesses scale with control, not chaos.

What’s Included

✔ CFO-Level Financial Plan

A clear, forward-looking financial plan built specifically for your business model, revenue drivers, cost structure, and growth intent.

This becomes the foundation every financial decision is made against.

✔ Custom Forecasting & Scenarios

Done-with-you forecasting covering income, expenses, wages, tax, super, and cash flow - including scenario analysis.

So you can see the impact of decisions before you make them.

✔ Ongoing CFO Strategy Sessions

Regular one-to-one CFO-level strategy sessions focused on what is coming next, not just what has already happened.

This is where decisions get pressure-tested and prioritised.

✔ Reporting & KPI Alignment

Management reporting and KPIs designed to track performance against the financial plan.

So the numbers highlight what needs attention, not just what occurred.

✔ Oversight of Advisors & Systems

Active oversight of your bookkeeper, accountant, and financial systems.

So everyone is working from the same plan, with clear direction and accountability.

✔ Decision Support at Critical Points

Support with real business decisions - pricing, hiring, cash flow management, funding, investment timing, and risk.

So growth is deliberate, not reactive.

This is not training. It is not information. It is CFO-level financial leadership designed to support growth with structure and control.

Meet Lauren Evans

I am Lauren Evans, Founder of The CFO Layer.

I am a Chartered Accountant, experienced CFO, and Partner at Inline Partners.

For over 22 years, I have worked hands-on with businesses from early growth through to multi-million-dollar scale. My work focuses on one thing: helping founders and CEOs move from understanding their numbers to leading the business with them.

The CFO Layer was created to formalise how I work at this level - starting with a clear financial plan, then staying close enough to ensure it is actually used to run the business.

I am not a CFO who sits on the sidelines.

I get hands-on in the detail - building the plan, shaping the reporting, setting the structure, and working alongside business owners, bookkeepers, and accountants to make sure financial decisions are grounded and timely.

My approach combines:

CFO-level financial strategy
Practical, build-it-with-you execution
Smart use of technology, automation, and modelling

I am a long-time user and advocate of Xero, and an unapologetic Excel nerd and I love using financial technology to make leadership easier, not harder.

Beyond the work, I am a fellow business owner and a mum of two who cares deeply about building businesses that scale with minimal financial stress and without consuming the people behind them.

Your Investment

You could…

👉 Pay $10–15K+ for a transaction-driven model built to serve a moment in time.

👉 Spend $5-25K per month outsourcing your financial thinking to a fractional CFO who tells you what to do - but does not stay close enough to actually build it with you.

And still end up with:

Reports you review but do not run the business from

Decisions that feel heavy because the plan is not clear

Financial complexity that grows as the business grows

The problem is not the spend.

It is the lack of connection between planning, reporting, and decisions.

The CFO Layer is different

The CFO Layer installs financial leadership into the business, not advice on top of it.

We build the financial plan with you - then stay close enough to ensure it is actually used to run the business as it scales.

You are not handed a spreadsheet and left to figure it out.

And you are not outsourcing decision-making entirely.

You get a CFO-level financial plan, ongoing leadership, and hands-on support - without the cost or commitment of a full-time CFO.

What this gives you

A financial plan the business actually runs on

Ongoing CFO oversight as decisions arise

Alignment between you, your bookkeeper, and your accountant

Early visibility on pressure points and risk

Confidence to make decisions without second-guessing

This is not about learning finance.

It is about leading the business with structure in place.

Investment

Phase 1: Financial Plan Build
upfront $5,000 + GST

Phase 2: CFO Leadership & Oversight
$1,750 + GST per month
(No lock-in contracts)

The longer you wait, the harder it gets.

At this stage, delay does not keep things stable.

It quietly increases pressure.

Every month you wait:

🚩Decisions are still being made without a clear financial plan to anchor them

🚩Cash flow pressure builds in the background, even if revenue looks strong

🚩Hiring, pricing, and investment decisions carry more weight - and more risk

🚩Tax, super, and obligations keep coming - and growing, regardless of readiness

🚩The business continues to grow, without the structure to support it

Growth does not fix this.

It amplifies it.

The earlier the financial plan is in place, the easier it is to lead deliberately - instead of reacting once pressure forces the issue.

This is not about urgency.

It is about timing.

The right time to install financial leadership is before complexity compounds.

FAQs

Is this the same as hiring a fractional CFO?

Yes - this is fractional CFO support.

Although a little more structured.

The CFO Layer begins with building a clear financial plan upfront, then uses that plan to guide reporting, decisions, and priorities as the business evolves. Everything runs off the plan.

Many fractional CFO arrangements start with reports and commentary.

The CFO Layer starts with direction - then stays close enough to ensure it is actually implemented.

Is there a minimum term?

No.

The base financial plan build is completed upfront and typically takes around 30 days.

After that, ongoing CFO support is entirely up to you.

There are no lock-in contracts.

That said, we generally recommend a minimum of six months of ongoing support to fully embed the plan, build rhythm, and see the compounding benefit of CFO-level leadership.

You stay because it is working - not because you are locked in.

What happens in the first 90 days?

The first 90 days are about building clarity and momentum.

We start by building the CFO-level financial plan - getting clear on how the business actually makes money, uses cash, and supports growth.

Assumptions are tested, pressure points are identified, and priorities are set.

Once the plan is in place:

✔️Reporting is aligned to the plan

✔️Early risks and opportunities become visible

✔️Decisions are made with context, not urgency

By the end of the first 90 days, you are no longer guessing.

You are running the business from a plan.

What if I already have an accountant and bookkeeper?

That is exactly when The CFO Layer adds the most value.

Accountants and bookkeepers do essential work, but they are not responsible for setting financial direction or helping you make forward-looking decisions.

The CFO Layer sits above them...building the financial plan, setting priorities, and ensuring everyone is working toward the same outcomes.

Nothing is replaced. Everything is aligned.

Strong advisors make this work better, not redundant.

However - if you are after a new Accountant and/or Bookkeeper just ask me as Inline Partners has you covered.

How hands-on is this, really?

Very.

The CFO Layer is not commentary or direction from a distance.

We build the financial plan together, shape the reporting, pressure-test assumptions, and work through real decisions as they arise.

This is not “here is what you should do.”

It is building it with you, then staying close enough to make sure it is actually used.

You will not be handed a model and left to interpret it.

And you will not be outsourcing thinking entirely.

It is hands-on CFO leadership, applied where it matters.

How much time will this require from me?

Less than you think - and far less than reacting without a plan.

You will need to be available for:

✔️The initial planning work

✔️A monthly CFO strategy session

✔️Occasional input as decisions arise

The goal is not to add more meetings or admin.

The goal is to reduce mental load, second-guessing, and last-minute decision pressure.

Most clients find that once the plan is in place, finance takes up less headspace - not more.

Is this personalised to my business?

Yes. Completely.

The CFO Layer is built around your business model, revenue drivers, cost structure, and growth plans. Nothing is templated, and nothing is generic.

The financial plan, forecasts, KPIs, and decision support are all designed specifically for how your business operates - and evolve as the business evolves.

This is not a framework applied to you.

It is CFO-level work built for you.

Why not just hire a full-time CFO?

For many businesses, that will eventually make sense.

A full-time CFO typically costs $250K–$300K+ per year, before bonuses, equity, or long-term commitment. That level of hire also assumes there is already enough scale, complexity, and internal capability to fully utilise the role.

The CFO Layer prepares the business for that step.

Through this process:

✔️The financial plan is built and embedded

✔️Reporting, decision-making, and operating rhythm are established

✔️Roles, responsibilities, and expectations are clarified

✔️Financial systems and SOPs are put in place

This means that when the time comes to hire a full-time CFO:

✔️The role is well-defined

✔️The environment is ready

✔️And the transition is far smoother

I can also support the process of hiring a full-time CFO when the time is right...ensuring the role is set up for success, not frustration.

For many businesses, The CFO Layer is the right step before a permanent CFO hire.

And for some, it removes the need for one entirely.

Either way, it allows you to lead with CFO-level structure now, without overcommitting too early.

What happens if we stop working together?

Everything stays with you.

The financial plan is built in Fathom and is designed to be owned by your business - not locked to me. If we stop working together, the Fathom subscription is transferred to you immediately, no questions asked.

The CFO Layer exists to support your business by building financial IP that belongs to you: plans, models, systems, and structure your team can continue to use and rely on.

If we part ways:

✔️The full financial plan and models remain yours

✔️Reporting, KPIs, and structure stay in place

✔️Systems and SOPs continue to operate

✔️This work is not about creating dependency...it's to set you up for success

It is about leaving the business stronger, clearer, and better structured than when we started.

That is also why there are no long-term contracts.

You stay because it is working - not because you are locked in.