Fred Olive · Fractional CFO

Finance leadership for founder-led businesses, without the full-time hire

For businesses turning over A$1-10M that have outgrown a bookkeeper but aren't ready for a Head of Finance.

$3.4M: raised across three equity crowdfunding rounds
2: subsidiaries set up, in New Zealand and Singapore
50+: contractors paid without chasing a single invoice
~40: startups mentored through muru-D

When to call

The business has grown but finance hasn't kept up

You're raising capital

Investors or a crowdfunding platform will test every number. The model, the documents and the story all need to reconcile.

Cash keeps surprising you

The P&L looks healthy but the bank balance doesn't match. Growth is absorbing cash faster than anyone forecast.

You're hiring or opening overseas

A subsidiary or an employer of record? Local employment law applies either way, and the setup is expensive to undo.

Nobody uses the reporting

Pages of KPIs, and none of them change a decision. Or admin that grows with every new hire or contractor.

How I work

Start small, continue if it's worth it

Step 1

Diagnostic

A fixed-fee first project on your most pressing issue: a 13-week cash flow model, a reporting pack, getting ready for a raise, or whatever the business needs first. Fee agreed upfront.

Step 2

Fractional CFO

Ongoing, part-time finance leadership, sized to what the business needs. Remote-first, in English or French.

Case studies

What it looked like in practice

From my time as fractional CFO at RecycleSmart and BC Strategy. All figures in AUD.

Capital raising $3.4M Three CSF rounds: what equity crowdfunding actually costs Platform fees, advertising, team time, and the obligations that start once the money lands. Read the case study → International expansion NZ · SG Two subsidiaries and an employer of record When a second entity is worth it, what it costs to run, and when an employer of record does the job. Read the case study → Contractor payments 50+ Paying contractors without chasing a single invoice How recipient-created tax invoices moved drivers from monthly to fortnightly pay, with no extra admin. Read the case study → Metrics and reporting 2-3 The KPIs that really matter for your business Most systems produce pages of KPIs. Pick the two or three that change decisions and ignore the rest. Read the case study →

About

I'm Fred Olive

I started at Bain & Company, worked on pricing strategy at Telstra, and mentored around 40 startups through muru-D.

As fractional CFO at RecycleSmart and BC Strategy, I ran three equity crowdfunding rounds, set up subsidiaries in New Zealand and Singapore, and built the reporting and payment systems that let both businesses scale without adding finance headcount.

I work remotely from the Gold Coast, in English and French. That last part helps if you're a French company setting up in Australia.

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