Fractional CFO for small businesses & startups

Know your numbers.
Automate the back office.

I help small business owners and founders run a finance function that doesn't depend on them. Clean books, forecasts you can defend, and back-office systems that keep working when you're not in the room.

Fractional CFO Systems & automation AI-leveraged delivery
Get in touch See what I do
What I do

Three ways I work with owners

Most engagements mix all three. I start from the decision you're trying to make, then build the books, forecasts, and systems backward from that.

Fractional CFO & advisory

The financial picture behind your decisions, built on numbers that hold up under questions.

  • 13-week cash flow forecasting
  • Unit economics, margin, and pricing
  • Board and investor reporting

Finance operations

The day-to-day that keeps books clean and current, with a month-end close that actually closes.

  • Month-end close and reconciliations
  • AP/AR run on Bill.com and Ramp
  • QuickBooks Online and Expensify cleanup

Systems & automation

The systems so finance runs without one person holding it together in their head.

  • SOPs and written process
  • Tool selection and stack design
  • AI workflows that cut manual work
Who it's for

You've outgrown your bookkeeping, but a full-time hire is overkill

I work with small businesses, funded startups, and solo operators who need a real finance function without the headcount. The value I add is in the operations and CFO layer, so I don't take tax-only or accounting-only work.

Probably a fit if

  • Your books are behind or you don't trust the numbers
  • Your forecast is a guess and cash feels tight to plan
  • The back office lives in one person's head
  • You're raising or reporting and the numbers need to hold up
About

Hi, I'm Howard Chou

I came up through startup and SaaS finance before going independent. Now I run Chou Consulting as a fractional CFO and finance-operations partner for owners who want their numbers handled.

The work is operational and systems-driven. I align the process, add automation, and leave you with books that tie out, a forecast you can stand behind, and systems the next person can run. Every number ties to a source, and assumptions stay visible.

Most owners are buried in reports and short on ones they trust. I build fewer, better ones, on books that hold up.

Howard Chou, Chou Consulting

Contact

Let's talk

Tell me what's slowing down your finance function. If it's a fit, I'll say so. If it isn't, I'll point you somewhere better.

Based in Los Angeles. Working with clients remotely.