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A fractional controller who owns your monthly close.

The process discipline and review layer of a senior controller — without the $120k+ full-time hire. Osprey runs your close, AP, payroll process, and reporting on one flat monthly fee, with the accounting team attached.

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Fluent in the stack you already use

What a controller actually does

Not more data entry — the oversight, review, and process discipline that make your numbers trustworthy.

Close oversight & a real review layer

Every account reconciled, every entry reviewed, and someone senior signing off before the numbers reach you.

AP, payroll process & spend controls

Approval workflows, payment scheduling, and spend controls that stop surprises before they hit the bank account.

Reporting discipline & consistency

The same reporting package, built the same way, every month — so trends are real and comparisons mean something.

A month-end calendar that actually lands

A published close calendar with owners and deadlines — financials delivered on the same day every month.

Accountant vs. controller vs. CFO — who does what

A fractional controller is an experienced accounting leader who runs your monthly close, review process, and financial controls on a part-time basis — senior oversight without a full-time salary.

Accountant
Records the past		 Controller
Runs the process		 CFO
Decides the future
Close & reconciliation ✓ Prepares entries and reconciles accounts ✓ Owns the close calendar, reviews & signs off — Reads the finished results
AP & payroll process ✓ Processes bills and payroll runs ✓ Designs approval workflows & spend controls —
Reporting & KPIs ✓ Produces the statements ✓ Ensures accuracy, consistency & on-time delivery ✓ Interprets them for decisions
Controls & review — ✓ Owns the review layer & error-catching — Relies on it
Forecasting & strategy — — Supplies the clean data ✓ Owns forecasting, pricing & capital decisions

When a business needs controller-level support

It's rarely about revenue size. It's about the symptoms.

The owner is the review layer

Every number gets double-checked by you, because nobody else catches the errors — and your evenings pay for it.

The close lands weeks late

By the time last month's financials arrive, they're a history lesson — too stale to act on and nobody trusts them anyway.

AP is a scramble

Bills surface at the deadline, approvals happen by text message, and nobody knows what's going out the door this week.

Nobody owns the process

Transactions get recorded, but no one owns the calendar, the checklist, or the question “is this actually right?”

What's included monthly

The full controller function, delivered on a fixed rhythm — with the accounting team attached.

  • ✓Monthly close owned end to end, on a published calendar
  • ✓Every account reconciled, reviewed, and signed off
  • ✓AP workflow with approval routing and payment scheduling
  • ✓Payroll process coordination and review
  • ✓Spend controls and vendor management oversight
  • ✓A consistent monthly reporting package, delivered on time
  • ✓Cash position and AR/AP aging tracked weekly
  • ✓Clean, current financials your CPA can work from at tax time

One flat monthly fee, quoted up front.

No hourly billing, no surprise invoices. You'll know exactly what it costs before you commit.

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The honest answers.

What's the difference between a controller and a CFO? +
A controller runs the accounting process — the monthly close, reconciliations, AP and payroll workflows, and the review layer that keeps reporting accurate. A CFO uses those numbers to make forward-looking decisions: forecasting, pricing, hiring, and financing. If your reporting is late, inconsistent, or unreviewed, a controller is usually the missing piece. If the numbers are solid but nobody is using them to steer, that's CFO territory. Osprey covers both, so you don't have to guess the line.
Does a fractional controller replace my in-house staff? +
Not necessarily. If you already have in-house accounting staff, we work with them — adding the review layer, close calendar, and process discipline that a controller provides, without disrupting the team you've built. If you don't have in-house staff, our accounting team handles the transaction work and the controller function together, as one service.
What does a fractional controller cost? +
One flat monthly fee, quoted up front based on your business's size, complexity, and the support you need. No hourly billing and no surprises. A full-time controller typically runs $120k+ per year before benefits; a fractional controller delivers the same oversight for a fraction of that. For a detailed breakdown of what outsourced controller services cost across the market, see our pricing guide.
How fast can we get started? +
Most businesses are fully set up within their first 30 days, including any system clean-up and the first close on our calendar. It starts with a 20–30 minute discovery call — no obligation, and you'll leave with a clear read on your current close process.

Further reading

Guides on the controller function — what it costs, and how to know when you need it.

Guide Pricing

What Does an Outsourced Controller Cost? (And What You Get)

What outsourced controller services typically cost compared to a full-time hire, what a controller actually does, and how the role differs from a CFO.

Read guide →
Guide Growth

5 Signs Your Business Has Outgrown Its Accounting Setup

Late financials, cash surprises, and an owner stuck reviewing every number — five concrete signs it's time for controller-level support, and what fixing each one looks like.

Read guide →

Ready for a close that runs itself?

Schedule a 20–30 minute discovery call. We'll walk through your current close process and show you exactly where a controller changes it.

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Run the business.We'll run the close.
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