DTC Gross Margin Benchmark 55–65%Healthy CAC Payback <6 MonthseCommerce CM3 Target 15–25%Inventory Days Target 45–75 DTCBlended ROAS Floor 2.5–3.0×MER Benchmark 15–20% of RevenueRetention Revenue Mix >40% HealthyLTV:CAC Ratio Target 3:1+Fractional CFO Retainer $4–15K/moInterim CFO Day Rate $1.2–2.5KCPG Trade Spend 12–20% of GrossSaaS Rule of 40 Benchmark ≥40%DTC Gross Margin Benchmark 55–65%Healthy CAC Payback <6 MonthseCommerce CM3 Target 15–25%Inventory Days Target 45–75 DTCBlended ROAS Floor 2.5–3.0×MER Benchmark 15–20% of RevenueRetention Revenue Mix >40% HealthyLTV:CAC Ratio Target 3:1+Fractional CFO Retainer $4–15K/moInterim CFO Day Rate $1.2–2.5KCPG Trade Spend 12–20% of GrossSaaS Rule of 40 Benchmark ≥40%
Index / How It Works

// The Hiring Guide

How to Hire a CFO

A four-step path from "we probably need finance leadership" to a signed engagement with the right firm for your stage.

1. Decide: fractional or interim?

A fractional CFO is ongoing and part-time — the right call when you need senior judgment a few days a month. An interim CFO is full-time but temporary — for covering a departure, steering a turnaround, or carrying a transaction.

2. Match to your industry

The hardest finance problems are industry-specific. Inventory and trade spend in CPG; CAC payback and contribution margin in DTC; Rule of 40 and net revenue retention in SaaS; JV waterfalls in real estate. Start from your vertical:

eCommerce · Consumer Goods · DTC · CPG · Omni-Channel · Retail & Wholesale · SaaS · Clean Tech · Green Tech

3. Calibrate to your revenue band

The right firm at $5M is rarely the right firm at $150M. Below ~$10M you mostly need clean reporting and a model. From $20M up you need someone who has run multi-channel margin, working capital and board reporting at scale — and ideally taken a company through a transaction. Our rankings are calibrated by band, and several top firms specialise in the $80M–$200M range.

4. Pressure-test against benchmarks

In a first call, ask how they'd move your key numbers — gross margin, CAC payback, inventory days, EBITDA. A real CFO answers in specifics. Our operating benchmarks give you the targets to hold them to.

★ Shortcut

If you want the fastest path: start with the fractional CFO ranking, filter to your industry, and shortlist the top two or three.