About Alex
I spent 15+ years in corporate finance before starting this practice. My background spans Fortune 500 companies, PE-backed firms, mid-market businesses, and government organizations. I've held roles in FP&A, financial reporting, and finance leadership — including as CFO. I've also started, grown, and sold my own company, so I know what it is to make payroll and pricing decisions as the owner.
I started Alex Smith Finance because of a gap that kept showing up. Companies doing a few million to around $10 million need a CFO. They cannot afford a $250,000 hire. They have a bookkeeper or a CPA, and they are still making decisions off numbers that are late, incomplete, or wrong.
That is the seat I fill. I make the financials trustworthy, then I sit with you and use them — where the business is growing, where money is leaking, what to do next. Finance is the work. Industry is second. I'm based in Arizona's North Valley and I work with owners here and remotely.
How I Work
Every engagement starts with a conversation. I learn the business, look at the current numbers, and figure out whether a fractional CFO seat is the right fit. Then I put together a clear scope and a monthly price. A day a week is typically about $5,000 a month. More scope, different number. No hourly billing.
From there, I own the close and the review. Accounts are reconciled. The statements are something you can actually use. If something looks off, I flag it. If I see a leak or an opportunity, I say so. When you call, you get me.
What I Believe
- Your numbers should help you run the business, not just satisfy the IRS.
- Clean books take real time and judgment. That work is the foundation. The value is what we do with them.
- You should understand your own financials. I explain things in plain language, not accounting jargon.
- A $2M–$10M company deserves a real finance seat. Not a bookkeeper they outgrew, and not a full-time CFO they cannot afford.