What Is a Virtual CFO Service? A Guide for eCommerce Business Owners
If you're running a growing eCommerce brand and your financials feel messy or unclear, you may have come across the term Virtual CFO.
But what exactly are virtual CFO services, and how do they support online businesses?
Virtual CFO services (Chief Financial Officer) are provided by finance professionals who work remotely to deliver high-level support with:
✔ Strategic business planning ✔ Cash flow management ✔ Budget forecasting ✔ Performance analytics ✔ Business advisory services
Unlike an in-house CFO, a Virtual CFO works part-time or flexibly, offering you the insights and structure of a senior finance leader without the cost of hiring full time.
How Virtual CFO Services Help eCommerce Brands
Running a business is complex. You're managing multiple financial aspects, cash flows, budgets, and dozens of moving parts. Even if your revenue is strong, it can be difficult to understand where your money is going or how to optimise your financial operations.
This is where a Virtual CFO can help.
They provide structure, visibility and strategic support so you can:
✔ Monitor financial health ✔ Optimise operational costs ✔ Improve profit margins ✔ Make data-backed financial decisions ✔ Enhance cash flow management ✔ Scale your business strategically
Signs You Might Need a Virtual CFO
You might not need a full-time finance hire, but here are common signs you could benefit from Virtual CFO support:
✔ You're generating $1M+ in revenue, but cash still feels tight ✔ You don't know what you can safely spend on inventory, ads or team ✔ Your reporting is inconsistent or unclear ✔ You're not paying yourself consistently ✔ You're preparing to grow or sell, but your numbers are not in shape
How I Work As Your Virtual CFO
I'm Judith Hobdell, and I provide CFO virtual services for founders who want strategic finance leadership with flexible, remote delivery.
I can own the finance function as your vCFO or guide you to run it internally.
Build Profit, Cash & Clarity in 3 Simple Steps
Transform your eCommerce business from profit-bleeding chaos to strategic financial clarity, without the overwhelm or guesswork.
01
Apply for Your Free Clarity Call
Let's have a real conversation about where your profit is hiding and how to reclaim it.
Complete our short questionnaire to see if you qualify for a strategic clarity session. We'll explore what's really happening behind your numbers, uncover your biggest profit opportunities, and determine if our approach is right for your business. No pressure, no fluff, just honest insights into strengthening your financial foundation.
03
Build With Clarity
Work directly with me to implement the proven Financial Clarity system that's transformed 300+ eCommerce brands.
With 24/7 access to me and strategic CFO guidance, you'll finally know exactly where your money is going, make confident decisions based on real data, and pay yourself what you're worth. No more cash flow surprises, no more profit mysteries, just clear visibility and control over your future.
02
Discover Your Hidden Profit Leaks
During our call, I'll perform a live analysis of your financial blind spots and show you exactly where money is disappearing.
You'll gain immediate insights into where to recapture hidden profit and optimize your cash flow. I'll reveal the specific areas where most eCommerce brands leak money without knowing it, and show you how the right systems can transform your business.
Jordan Barnett☑ Co-founder, Kapow Meggings ★★★★★ 5.0
Judith helped drag the accounts and analytics of our fashion ecom business out of a messy and chaotic place. She is a clear thinker, with a strong strategic mind, and is able to provide a clarity of thinking that is necessary when it comes to finance. Judith has a wealth of experience and brought not just practical hands-on implementation, but also guidance on industry benchmarks, and how to put our figures in a broader context. We spent just over 6 months cleaning up accounts and putting in place new finance streams and processes for the business. She helped kickstart the beginning of a journey we hope to move forward into future success!
William Christopher Alexander☑ Partner & Head Of eCommerce, Karma & Luck
★★★★★ 5.0
I've had the pleasure of connecting with and working together with Judith many times in the past 5 years. Judith is a natural leader when it comes to business systems implementation and management. She has a magnetic personality, which allows her to lead her team and encourages them to leverage their own resources to think creatively to solve problems. She's also a great mom, a positive spirit, and a shrewd business woman.
Hyacinth Bado☑ Head of Accountability, Enhanced Australia
★★★★★ 5.0
Judith is a great manager/mentor.Working with her is a continual learning, as she keeps sharing her skills and knowledge to the team and for the growth of the company. She always makes sure the team is working efficiently. She is intellectually resourceful and implements that knowledge to ensure the right systems are in place. I look forward to seeing our company grow under her vision and leadership. I highly recommend working with her!
Lawrence Petruzzelli☑ MDB Taxation & Business Advisor
★★★★★ 5.0
I highly recommend Judith for anything in eCommerce Judith has helped a number of my clients who run large eCommerce businesses to keep their books super clean and set up amazing A2X integrations making doing their accounts and tax super easy. I highly recommend Judith for anything in ecommerce
David☑ Founder & CEO, Gripped Fitness Audio
★★★★★ 5.0
Her analytical no BS approach to implementing systems, procedures and improving efficiencies has ensured growth which is calculated and predictable. Not to mention she is an absolute whiz when it comes to understanding the numbers side of the business coupled with marketing insights to increase profitability and decrease expenses. Truly a pleasure to work with!
Mike Michalowicz ☑ Author of Profit First
★★★★★ 5.0
Proud to report that Judith and the team are Certified in the Profit First methodology. It means they have the tools, the know how, and the experience to bring permanent profit to your business. If that is what you're looking for, you've come to the right place!
Ben Barnett ☑ Co-founder, Kapow Meggings
★★★★★ 5.0
Judith is a lightning bolt of clear thinking & decisive action. She recently started working with our eCommerce business to give us clarity in terms of financial decision making, and has been able to shed tremendous insight into what has been a daunting area for us as small business owners - financial analytics.
Judith has a wealth of expertise and is as competent deep diving into bookkeeping minutiae as she is building marketing dashboards, cashflow forecasts, and providing top level business strategy (amongst many other things!). As a small business owner it's hard to be strong across all areas of business, and for us, in terms of the financial landscape, it is very much a case of 'we don't know what we don't know'- Judith is who you want to talk to to help fix that. Highly recommend.
What You'll Walk Away With
Whether I join you on a project or provide ongoing support, my virtual CFO services give you strategic leadership without the need for a full-time hire.
With virtual CFO services, you’ll be able to:
✔ Gain expert financial guidance
✔ Improve profitability and cash flow
✔ Make confident business decisions
✔ Build a stronger, more scalable business
Final Thoughts: Your Next Step TowardsSmarter Business Decisions
If you want financial leadership without the overhead, a virtual CFO delivers high-level expertise remotely.
You don't need an in-house executive. You just need the right systems, the right insight, and a CFO who understands your goals.
While CEOs focus on overall company vision and leadership, Virtual CFOs specialise in financial strategy and management. CEOs make high-level business decisions, while Virtual CFOs provide the financial expertise and analysis to support those decisions.
How can virtual CFO services help an eCommerce business grow?
Understanding the differences between C-suite roles can help eCommerce founders improve organisational visibility, strengthen decision-making, and put scalable systems in place. By guiding you on executive team structure, management frameworks, and strategic planning, they ensure your growth is sustainable and backed by proven leadership principles.
Should I choose ongoing virtual CFO services or short-term support?
How much do virtual CFO services typically cost?
Can virtual CFO services be customised for my business goals?
What should I look for when choosing virtual CFO services?
Ongoing collaboration between a CEO and a Virtual CFO is essential for sustainable growth. While a founder can technically handle both roles in the early stages, the demands of strategic leadership and financial management are very different. As your business scales, separating these responsibilities allows the CEO to focus on vision and growth, while the Virtual CFO delivers the financial insight and structure needed to achieve it.
CEO and Virtual CFO salaries vary widely based on company size, industry, and growth stage. While CEOs are often compensated more due to their ultimate responsibility for business performance, Virtual CFO packages reflect the strategic financial leadership they bring — including bonuses, equity, and performance incentives that can be highly competitive. The real difference comes down to responsibilities, not just pay.
Yes, but it can be challenging. While one person can technically hold both CEO and Virtual CFO roles in a smaller business, it often means juggling strategic leadership with deep financial management. This can lead to competing priorities and missed opportunities. Through mentoring, I help founders assess whether splitting the roles or managing both effectively is the best path for sustainable growth.
For CEOs, look for strong leadership, strategic vision, and decision-making abilities. Virtual CFOs should have financial expertise, analytical skills, and strategic planning capabilities. COOs need operational excellence, process optimisation skills, and strong execution abilities. All three should have excellent communication skills, but their technical expertise areas differ significantly.
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