Protea CPA & Advisory, PLLC · Raleigh, NC
Fractional CFO and tax advisory, from the CPA who already knows your books
We close your books by Business Day 10, lead the financial decisions, and prepare the return — so your strategy and your tax plan come from the same numbers.
The Foundation
Your close, delivered by Business Day 10 — or that month is free.
Financial Cockpit
Your books, always current
Cash Position
$487,250
AR Outstanding
$124,800
Cash Runway
11 mo
13-Week Cash Flow
Illustrative — your numbers updated monthly
10
Business Days
Guaranteed close date. Every month, in writing.
100%
Fixed Fee
No hourly billing. No surprise invoices. Ever.
2
Practices
CFO & accounting · Tax. One firm.
1
CPA, Start to Finish
Same CPA on your books and your return. No handoff.
What We Offer
Two practices. One CPA. One set of books.
Half of what we do is tax. Half is running and steering the finance function. Most firms split those across people who never talk. We don't.
Fixed Fee · Monthly
CFO & Accounting
Controller from $2,500/mo · CFO from $5,000/mo
Month-end close you can set your watch by, then the forward-looking work on top of it — cash, margins, lenders, and the decisions in between.
- Month-end close by Business Day 10 — guaranteed
- Weekly bank & credit card reconciliations
- 13-week rolling cash flow forecast
- Job costing & WIP schedules
- KPI dashboards & budget vs. actuals
- Lender, surety & board-ready packages
- Multi-entity & intercompany accounting
Fixed Fee · Per Engagement
Business Tax
Fixed fee — quoted upfront
Entity and owner returns prepared by the CPA who already knows the numbers, with planning done before year-end — not after.
- S-Corp, C-Corp, partnership & LLC returns
- Owner 1040 — coordinated with the entity return
- Proactive tax planning & strategy
- Multi-state, sales & use, and nexus
- PTE election & SALT cap modeling
- Trust, estate & nonprofit returns
- Bundle discount for monthly clients
Beyond the Close
When it's time to buy, sell, or raise.
Exit and transaction advisory, built on the CFO relationship you already have.
Know What You're Buying
Bookkeeping vs. Controller vs. CFO
These aren't three versions of the same thing. Each answers a different question — and serves a different moment in your business.
| Bookkeeping Commodity baseline | Controller Protea operates here | Fractional CFO Protea's CFO practice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Recording the past | Controlling the present | Steering the future |
| Answers | "Are the transactions recorded?" | "Can I trust these numbers — and are they on time?" | "Where are we headed, and how do we fund it?" |
| Scope | Transaction entry & categorization, bank/card reconciliation, AP/AR data entry, payroll processing | Month-end close, GAAP-basis financials, internal controls, reporting package, cash management, systems & process design | Forecasting & FP&A, budget vs. actuals, KPIs & unit economics, capital / banking & surety strategy, pricing, board- and lender-ready reporting, M&A readiness |
| You get | Clean, categorized books | Timely, reliable financials by Business Day 10 | Decisions, direction, and access to capital |
| Analogy | Keeps the score | Enforces the rules | Calls the plays |
Bookkeeping
Commodity baseline
Focus
Recording the past
Answers
"Are the transactions recorded?"
Scope
Transaction entry & categorization, bank/card reconciliation, AP/AR data entry, payroll processing
You get
Clean, categorized books
Analogy
Keeps the score
Controller
Protea operates here
Focus
Controlling the present
Answers
"Can I trust these numbers — and are they on time?"
Scope
Month-end close, GAAP-basis financials, internal controls, reporting package, cash management, systems & process design
You get
Timely, reliable financials by Business Day 10
Analogy
Enforces the rules
Fractional CFO
Protea's CFO practice
Focus
Steering the future
Answers
"Where are we headed, and how do we fund it?"
Scope
Forecasting & FP&A, budget vs. actuals, KPIs & unit economics, capital / banking & surety strategy, pricing, board- and lender-ready reporting, M&A readiness
You get
Decisions, direction, and access to capital
Analogy
Calls the plays
How the Two Halves Connect
The close feeds the return. The return shapes next year.
Clean monthly books make the return accurate and on time. The return, in turn, surfaces the decisions that matter for next year — entity structure, owner compensation, timing, and where you owe across state lines. When the same CPA sits on both sides, tax planning starts in June instead of March, and your CFO-level decisions are made with the tax consequences already in view.
How It Works
From month-end to financials in 10 business days
Every step mapped, every month. No chasing, no guessing when your books will close.
BD 1
Month closes
Books are locked for the prior period.
BD 3
Records due to us
You deliver any outstanding docs. We get to work.
BD 5
Reconciliations done
All accounts reconciled. First-pass P&L ready.
BD 8
Review & adjustments
Final entries, accruals, and CPA review.
BD 10
Financials delivered
Complete package in your hands. Guaranteed.
The Guarantee
Miss Business Day 10 — and that month is free.
We commit to the close date in writing. Your financials are in your hands by Business Day 10 — every month. Miss it, and you don't pay for that month's close.
Free 2-Minute Assessment
Financial Close Health Check
5 questions. Instant score. Find out whether your books are helping you make decisions — or holding you back.
Q1 / 5
Does your month-end close consistently happen by Business Day 10 or earlier?
Integrated with the tools you already use
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions we get from businesses considering Protea.
Ready to Talk?
Let's see if we're a fit
Book a free 20-minute consultation. No pitch deck, no pressure — just a real conversation about your business and whether Protea is the right financial partner.