CFO Consulting Services

What CFO Consulting Services does

CFO Consulting Services, Inc. is a privately held professional services firm headquartered in Mobile, Alabama that provides fractional CFO consulting, bookkeeping, payroll processing, and tax savings advisory to small and medium-sized business owners in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. The firm was rebranded to its current name in 2019 after Karen C. Simmons sold her previous CPA practice (KCS CPA Group, PC); Simmons remains the founder and sole principal, supported by 11-50 employees across the corporate entity and related operating companies.

The business operates through four interconnected revenue streams: (1) CFO Consulting Services for strategic financial planning, oversight, and business advisory to SMBs; (2) Sweetbooks, Inc., a wholly owned bookkeeping subsidiary offering QuickBooks training and ongoing bookkeeping support; (3) a Payroll Vault franchise covering Mobile and Baldwin Counties that delivers payroll processing, timekeeping, and HR services on a transaction-fee basis; and (4) Flexible Benefits, Inc., a wholly owned tax-savings entity offering benefit savings plans. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagements are sold direct via phone, email, and website contact form, with growth driven by community referrals, civic board presence, and the Cheers To Business podcast that Simmons hosts. There is no proprietary technology platform; the firm's competitive basis is the practitioner's 30+ years of CPA experience, local civic entrenchment, and a cross-entity brand portfolio rather than a software product.

Name

CFO Consulting Services

Legal name

CFO Consulting Services, Inc.

Website

https://cfocsi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CFO Consulting Services is a Mobile, Alabama-based professional services firm providing fractional CFO consulting, bookkeeping, payroll processing, and tax savings advisory to small and medium-sized businesses across Mobile and Baldwin Counties, led by founder Karen C. Simmons, CPA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Consulting Services

NAICS

Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Outsourced Finance & CFO Services (BPAHABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Management & Performance Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAF)

Keywords

• Fractional CFO services
• Small business consulting
• Payroll processing services
• Bookkeeping services
• Tax savings advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Mobile

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. CFO Consulting Services: Fractional CFO and business consulting services for small to medium-sized businesses, including strategic planning, financial oversight, and business advisory. Billed as professional services, likely project-based or retainer engagements.
2. Payroll Vault Franchise: Payroll processing, timekeeping, and HR services offered through the Payroll Vault franchise covering Mobile and Baldwin Counties. Operates as a licensed franchisee. Revenue is transaction/usage-based on payroll volume processed for business clients.
3. Sweetbooks, Inc. (Bookkeeping): Bookkeeping services offered through Sweetbooks, Inc., a separate entity owned by Karen Simmons. Provides QuickBooks training and bookkeeping assistance to SMB clients.
4. Flexible Benefits, Inc. (Tax Savings): Tax savings benefit plans for employees and employers. Offers benefit savings plans — likely earns commissions or fees on plan enrollment/administration.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CFO Consulting Services delivers fractional CFO and business consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses, including strategic financial planning, financial oversight, and advisory. The practice supplements its core consulting with bookkeeping (Sweetbooks, Inc.), payroll processing and HR services through a Payroll Vault franchise covering Mobile and Baldwin Counties, and tax savings benefit plans via Flexible Benefits, Inc.

Product overview

CFO Consulting Services operates as a unified consulting practice led by Karen C. Simmons, CPA, offering CFO-level financial consulting alongside complementary service modules. The core offering is CFO Consulting Services for strategic financial guidance, supplemented by Sweetbooks, Inc. for bookkeeping, the Payroll Vault franchise for payroll/HR services, Flexible Benefits, Inc. for employee benefit tax savings, and co-ownership of Marine Exhaust Systems of Alabama for manufacturing operations. The firm also produces the Cheers To Business Podcast as a content and thought leadership channel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CFO Consulting Services Fractional CFO and business consulting services for small to medium-sized businesses, including financial strategic planning, financial oversight, tax planning, and business advisory delivered by Karen Simmons, CPA.
• Sweetbooks Bookkeeping Services Bookkeeping services company owned by Karen Simmons providing ongoing bookkeeping support, financial record management, and QuickBooks training for SMB clients.
• Payroll Vault Franchise Services Payroll processing, timekeeping, and HR services delivered through the Payroll Vault franchise for businesses in Mobile and Baldwin Counties, Alabama.
• Flexible Benefits Tax Savings Plans Tax savings benefit plans offered through Flexible Benefits, Inc. for employees and employers to optimize tax outcomes.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Payroll Vault FranchisecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKaren and her daughter Cadie purchased a Payroll Vault Franchise in January 2015 for Mobile County and surrounding areas, later expanding territory to include Baldwin County. The franchise offers payroll processing, timekeeping, and HR services. As of 2024, Karen is the sole owner. The franchise has won multiple awards including the 2015 Leap of Faith Award, 2015 Business Achievement Award, 2016 Driving to Success Award, 2016 Diamond Achievement Award, and 2017 Entrepreneur Award for Baldwin County.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bench: Tech-enabled bookkeeping and financial reporting platform for SMBs. Overlaps with Sweetbooks' bookkeeping offering and competes for the same small business customer profile.
• 1-800Accountant: Outsourced accounting, tax, and advisory services targeted at small businesses and entrepreneurs. Closely comparable in service mix (bookkeeping, tax, advisory) and SMB customer focus.
• Kruze Consulting: Fractional CFO and accounting services firm targeting venture-backed startups and SMBs. Highly comparable service offering and client profile, with a tech-enabled delivery model that contrasts with CFOCSI's high-touch local approach.
• Paro: Marketplace for fractional finance and accounting talent, including CFOs, bookkeepers, and controllers. Competes in the same outsourced-finance-for-SMBs category via an on-demand talent model.
• Ignite Spot: Outsourced bookkeeping, controller, and CFO services for small and mid-sized businesses. Direct overlap on fractional CFO and bookkeeping service lines targeting the SMB segment.
• Pilot: Outsourced bookkeeping, tax, and CFO services for startups and SMBs. Competes directly on the bookkeeping and fractional CFO value proposition, with a software-driven delivery model and national reach.

Broad incumbents

• Gusto: Cloud-based payroll, HR, and benefits platform for SMBs. Competes with the Payroll Vault franchise business on price and digital convenience, particularly for newer SMB clients.
• ADP: Global payroll and HR services provider. Competes with Payroll Vault's payroll processing offering at scale and is the dominant incumbent in the SMB payroll market.
• BDO USA: Top-tier national accounting and advisory firm offering outsourced CFO, tax, and consulting services. Larger incumbent with overlapping capabilities but serves a broader client mix.
• Paychex: Large national payroll, HR, and benefits provider. Direct franchise parent peer to CFOCSI's Payroll Vault operation and competes for the same SMB payroll client wallet.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cfocsi
• Facebookfacebook.com/cfocsi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cfocsi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CFO Consulting Services