A CFO is a senior finance leader who provides strategic financial guidance and leadership. They work at the executive level to drive financial success and growth for businesses of all sizes.
How CFOs SupporteCommerce Brands
Managing a company's finances is complex. You're handling multiple financial statements, cash flow management, budgeting decisions, and numerous financial obligations. Even if your revenue is strong, it can be difficult to understand your true financial position or how to optimize your financial performance.
This is where a CFO can help.
They provide structure, visibility and strategic support so you can:
✔ Monitor financial health ✔ Optimize working capital ✔ Improve profit margins ✔ Make strategic financial decisions ✔ Enhance cost management ✔ Scale operations efficiently
Signs You Might Need a CFO
While not every business needs a full-time CFO, here are common signs you could benefit from CFO leadership:
✔ Your company needs strategic financial leadership ✔ Financial decisions are becoming more complex ✔ You need stronger financial controls and governance ✔ The business requires sophisticated financial planning ✔ You're planning major transactions or corporate changes
How I Help You Understand What Does a CFO Do
I'm Judith Hobdell, and I help founders understand what a CFO does by showing how strategic financial leadership can drive growth.
Depending on your needs, I can act as your CFO or mentor you to build these skills.
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 aCFO Does
Whether you need financial strategy, performance tracking, or leadership, my services cover the essential responsibilities of a CFO without the full-time cost.
With my CFO expertise, you’ll be able to:
✔ Gain financial clarity
✔ 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’re asking what a CFO does, the role is about driving financial strategy and stability.
You don't need to manage every detail yourself. You just need the right systems, the right leadership, and a CFO who understands your vision.
A CFO's primary responsibility is financial strategy and management. They oversee financial planning, risk management, data analytics, and provide the financial expertise needed to support business decisions and growth.
What are the key responsibilities of a CFO?
Understanding what a CFO does and their impact on business success can help eCommerce founders improve organisational visibility, strengthen decision-making, and put scalable systems in place. By guiding you on financial leadership, management frameworks, and strategic planning, they ensure your growth is sustainable and backed by proven principles.
Do I need a full-time or part-time CFO?
What salary range can you expect for a CFO position?
Does a CFO's role vary by industry or company size?
What skills are essential for a successful CFO?
The CFO role is crucial for business success, focusing on financial strategy, risk management, and operational efficiency. They oversee financial planning, reporting, compliance, and provide strategic insights for business growth. As companies scale, having dedicated financial leadership becomes increasingly important for maintaining strong financial health and achieving strategic objectives.
CFO compensation reflects their crucial role in financial leadership and strategic planning. Their packages typically include base salary, performance bonuses, and sometimes equity, recognizing their responsibility for financial strategy, risk management, and business growth.
Understanding the CFO role requires recognizing their distinct responsibilities in financial strategy, risk management, and business planning. Through mentoring, I help leaders understand the scope and impact of the CFO position, and how it contributes to sustainable growth.
A CFO's key responsibilities include financial expertise, analytical skills, and strategic planning capabilities. They should excel in financial management, risk assessment, and providing data-driven insights for business growth. The role requires strong communication skills and the ability to translate complex financial information into actionable business strategies.
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