// The Data Spine — Updated 2026
Operating Benchmarks
The numbers a good CFO holds the business to. We publish them openly so you can judge any firm's advice — and our rankings — against real targets.
eCommerce / DTC
For Shopify and direct-to-consumer brands.
| Metric | Benchmark |
|---|---|
| Gross Margin (DTC) | 55–65% |
| CM3 Target | 15–25% |
| CAC Payback | <6 mo |
| LTV:CAC Ratio | 3:1+ |
| Inventory Days | 45–75 |
| Blended ROAS Floor | 2.5–3.0× |
| MER (% Revenue) | 15–20% |
CPG / Consumer Goods
For brands selling through retail and wholesale.
| Metric | Benchmark |
|---|---|
| Gross Margin (CPG) | 35–50% |
| Trade Spend (% Gross) | 12–20% |
| Retailer Margin | 30–40% |
| Inventory Turns | 4–6×/yr |
| EBITDA Margin (scaled) | 10–18% |
SaaS / Subscription
For recurring-revenue software businesses.
| Metric | Benchmark |
|---|---|
| Rule of 40 | ≥40% |
| Gross Margin | 70–85% |
| Net Revenue Retention | >110% |
| CAC Payback | <18 mo |
| Burn Multiple | <1.5× |
CFO Cost
What fractional and interim CFO leadership actually costs.
| Metric | Benchmark |
|---|---|
| Fractional CFO Retainer | $4–15K/mo |
| Interim CFO Day Rate | $1.2–2.5K |
| Hourly (project) | $250–500 |
| Typical Hours / Month | 8–40 |
| Full-time CFO (loaded) | $280–450K/yr |
How to use these
If a firm can't explain how it would move these numbers for your business, it isn't a CFO — it's a bookkeeper with a title. The top-ranked firms in this index were scored partly on how rigorously they operate against benchmarks like these.