An outsourced CFO works well for a small federal contractor who needs GovCon-specific financial judgment — indirect rates, pricing strategy, cash flow tied to contract timing — without carrying a full-time executive salary. Solvability serves exactly this size of business: no finance department required, just clear answers when you need them.
Three different roles, often confused
| Role | Answers | Does not |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant | What happened, recorded accurately | Decide how costs are pooled or what to bid |
| CPA firm | Tax, audit, compliance filings | Usually, federal cost accounting or pricing strategy |
| Outsourced / fractional CFO | What to bid, what it costs, whether it earns, whether it holds up | Day-to-day transaction entry |
What the engagement covers
Rate structure
Pools and bases built from your ledger.
Pricing
Wrap rates and bid support that recover cost.
DCAA readiness
Accounting structure and timekeeping discipline.
When it makes sense
- You hold or are bidding cost-reimbursable work
- Revenue is growing faster than your finance function
- You are winning contracts but cannot explain where the margin went
- An accounting system review is coming
- Full-time CFO cost is not yet justified by contract volume
See how the work runs
Fractional engagements and scoped projects, depending on what is in front of you.
CFO servicesFrequently asked questions
Do I need CFO services as a small government contractor?
Yes, if you’re pricing contracts off a feeling rather than a number you trust. Most small government contractors first realize they need CFO help when a pricing decision goes wrong — a bid that should have won gets lost, or a contract is losing money and they can’t pinpoint why. CFO services go well beyond pricing: cash flow tied to contract timing, indirect rate structures, financial reporting a bank will trust, and the judgment to catch a problem before it shows up in your numbers. Solvability brings 30+ years inside GovCon financial systems to all of it — starting with the numbers most small contractors reach out about first: contract pricing and indirect rates.
What should a small business federal contracting financial advisor be able to do?
Talk pricing, cash flow, and indirect rates in the same conversation — because for a small contractor, they’re the same problem. Solvability works this way by design: one person, GovCon-specific, focused on the small federal contractor who needs financial clarity, not a large advisory team.
What should I look for in a GovCon financial consulting firm?
Someone built for your size, not theirs. Most GovCon financial consulting firms serve mid-size and enterprise contractors with dedicated finance teams. Solvability is built specifically for the smaller end of that market — the business owner with no CFO on staff, where the person pricing the next bid needs a direct, plain-English answer.