Digital Agencies Are Rethinking Full-Time CFOs, Bookkeepers, and CPAs
In today’s volatile business environment, digital agencies are under more pressure than ever. The economy is shifting, ad budgets are sensitive, and tariffs have added a new layer of uncertainty.
The result? Agencies are trimming teams. Difficult conversations are happening. And founders are being forced to decide: Who do we really need in-house, and who can we lean on fractionally?
At Agency CPAs, we’re seeing a clear trend: there’s a flee to fractional.
Tariffs, Tight Margins, and the Need for Flexibility
Tariff-driven price increases are forcing clients to look at spend more closely. Media budgets are shrinking. Margins are getting tighter. And agencies are feeling the ripple effects.
In response, they’re cutting fixed costs and looking for variable solutions that maintain quality without locking them into large salaries.
Fractional support is filling that gap. Instead of replacing a departing bookkeeper or CFO with another full-time hire, agencies are turning to us for fractional back-office operations—and in many cases, adding a strategic finance advisor they never had before.
Why Pay Full-Time for Part-Time Needs?
A full-time CFO might cost $200k+. A bookkeeper $60k+. And that doesn’t include payroll taxes, benefits, or management bandwidth.
With fractional services, you’re not just saving money, you’re aligning costs with actual need. You get:
- Clean, consistent books
- Proactive tax strategy
- A CFO-level view of margins, cash flow, and growth opportunities
All without the long-term risk or commitment.
You Already Sell Fractional Services—Why Not Use Them?
Your agency may already be offering fractional CMO, PPC, or creative services. Your clients don’t want a full-time hire – they want results, and they want them efficiently.
We operate the same way. Our team gives you the insights of an in-house financial team, with none of the overhead. We’ve helped agencies navigate everything from pricing restructures to cost-cutting plans to automating accounts receivable – all on a fractional basis.
It’s Not Just About Saving—It’s About Upgrading
Many of our clients come to us after a tough staffing decision. But they stay because they realize something. Our model doesn’t just backfill, it upgrades.
Rather than just hiring a part-time bookkeeper, they gain a firm with deep digital agency knowledge. They get:
- An operations lead who understands agency workflows
- A tax advisor who finds savings others miss
- A CFO who helps them forecast, plan, and lead with data
The Bottom Line
Tariffs, inflation, and economic pressure are forcing every agency to become leaner and more efficient. But the smartest ones aren’t just cutting – they’re evolving.
Fractional finance isn’t a downgrade—it’s a strategic upgrade.
If you’re ready to do more with less, let’s talk. We’ll show you how a fractional financial team can transform your agency.
