When and Which to Hire First: a Bookkeeper, Controller, or Fractional CFO for Your Business?

When and Which to Hire First: a Bookkeeper, Controller, or Fractional CFO for Your Business?Too many entrepreneurs confuse revenue with profit and neglect their accounting until it’s a mess. In this episode, Steve Taylor, CFP® and host of the Do It For Yourself podcast, sits down with Matt Tatum, the CEO of Decimal, to unpack how small business owners can scale their accounting and financial systems as they grow. They dive into the operational side of bookkeeping, the true cost of tools (time + price), and when to bring in a fractional CFO.0:00 – Introduction & the revenue vs. profit myth0:42 – Matt Tait's background and why Decimal was founded1:54 – Early signs that your accounting systems need to grow4:06 – Bookkeeping vs. operational processes: beyond QuickBooks5:12 – Automating collections and paying bills seamlessly7:07 – Understanding your numbers: monthly reporting & forecasting9:16 – Gut feel vs. data: scaling beyond your intuition13:18 – Outsourcing vs. insourcing: bookkeeper, controller, or CFO?20:35 – Fractional CFOs, peer groups & business coaching28:38 – How to start fixing your finance systems & finding the right advisor30:59 – Final thoughts and where to learn more about Decimal