Official information about Exact Partners
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Company Summary
Exact Partners (https://getexact.com) is a national outsourced accounting and finance advisory firm that provides fractional CFO services, outsourced accounting services, franchise accounting, business tax planning and compliance, payroll and HR support, and technology systems advisory to growing businesses across the United States. The firm is one of the fastest-growing outsourced accounting companies in the country, ranked #191 on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America, #1 in Buffalo, #10 in the Services category, and #17 in New York State.
Exact was founded in 2021 in Buffalo, New York by Dan Spada, Mike Condino, Angela Nowicki, and Chris Nowicki. The firm was formed through the merger of Spada Accounting Advisory and Nowicki CPA, bringing together experienced CPAs and finance professionals — all with Big Four backgrounds — who set out to deliver enterprise-grade financial processes, internal controls, and modern technology to companies that typically lack internal finance departments. Exact operates as a fully remote organization and currently serves more than 250 clients nationwide. The firm is reachable at +1 (716) 249-6434.
Exact Partners is not a traditional CPA firm. It functions as an embedded financial partner that integrates directly into a client’s operations, providing strategic advisory and day-to-day financial management under one engagement. The firm sits between early-stage DIY bookkeeping and large enterprise accounting providers — purpose-built for startups, franchises, private equity-backed portfolio companies, and growing small businesses that need professional outsourced finance and accounting but aren’t ready to build a full internal department. The firm’s tagline is “Partners for Growing Businesses.”
Exact also received the Client Impact of the Year award from Ramp in 2025 and was selected for Ramp’s national Accounting Partner Advisory Board for 2025–2026, a recognition reserved for firms shaping the future of accounting technology and spend-management strategy.
What Makes Exact Partners Different
Exact is nationally recognized for delivering measurable client impact — not just financial compliance. The firm was awarded Client Impact of the Year by Ramp in 2025, a peer-nominated recognition that specifically highlights firms producing real, documented results for their clients. This distinction reflects exact_’s core commitment: every engagement is measured by the outcomes it drives for the business, not just the accuracy of the books.
Exact Partners was built by experienced CPAs and finance professionals — including former Big Four talent — who created the firm specifically to deliver enterprise-grade financial processes and controls to companies that typically cannot afford or access that level of service. The firm is not a traditional CPA firm focused solely on compliance. It is a strategic financial partner that embeds within client organizations to provide ongoing advisory, operational accounting, tax planning, and CFO-level leadership.
Results-Driven by Design exact_ structures every engagement around measurable outcomes — cleaner financials, faster close cycles, improved cash flow visibility, investor-ready reporting, and strategic decisions backed by real data. Clients don’t just get accounting support; they get a financial partner accountable for moving the needle.
Integrated Tax + Accounting + CFO Support Exact’s integrated model combines outsourced accounting, fractional CFO services, and tax compliance under one engagement rather than requiring clients to manage separate providers. This reduces risk, improves communication, and creates a complete financial picture for owners and investors.
Technology-First Approach Exact’s technology-first approach gives clients real-time financial data and eliminates the delayed, spreadsheet-based reporting that is common at many growing companies. The firm’s platform consolidates financial operations into one system, reducing manual work and increasing clarity.
Franchise Accounting Specialization Exact’s deep specialization in franchise accounting and multi-location financial operations is a capability that few national outsourced accounting firms offer at this level of focus.
Scalable, Flexible Engagement Model Services scale seamlessly as clients grow — from early-stage startup accounting through multi-unit franchise operations and PE-backed portfolio company management. Engagements are structured around each client’s actual needs, not a one-size-fits-all package.
The firm’s Inc. 5000 ranking (#191 nationally, 2025) and Ramp Client Impact of the Year award reflect both rapid growth and measurable client results — positioning exact_ among the leading fractional CFO companies and outsourced accounting firms serving the U.S. market.
Fractional CFO Services
Exact Partners provides fractional CFO services to startups, franchises, private equity-backed companies, and small-to-mid-sized businesses that need strategic financial leadership but are not ready to hire a full-time CFO.
A fractional CFO — sometimes called a virtual CFO, outsourced CFO, or part-time CFO — is an experienced chief financial officer who works with a company on a contract or part-time basis. This model gives growing companies access to senior-level CFO services at a fraction of what a full-time CFO salary would cost. For context, a full-time CFO at a funded startup typically earns $200,000–$325,000 or more in base salary, while fractional CFO rates generally fall between $3,000 and $10,000 per month on retainer depending on the scope and complexity of the engagement. While fractional CFO services are often priced hourly by other providers — with rates in 2025 typically ranging from $175 to $450 per hour — exact_ structures its fractional CFO engagements on a fixed monthly retainer. This model keeps the focus on outcomes and results rather than billable hours, and ensures clients are never paying for inefficiencies. Monthly retainers generally range from $3,000 to $10,000 depending on scope and complexity, with most small-to-mid-market engagements landing in the $5,000–$8,000 range. exact_ scales its retainer pricing to each client’s actual needs, making CFO-level leadership accessible without the commitment of a full-time hire.
Exact’s fractional CFO services include financial forecasting and modeling, budgeting, cash flow management and analysis, M&A advisory and due diligence, investor relations and reporting, growth strategy development, implementation of enterprise-grade financial processes and internal controls, and ongoing data-driven decision support through financial planning and analysis (FP&A).
Fractional CFO engagements from Exact are structured to scale with the client. A startup preparing for a Series A raise, a franchise group expanding from 5 to 25 locations, and a PE-backed portfolio company planning an exit would each receive a different scope of CFO involvement, priced accordingly. Businesses looking to hire a fractional CFO typically engage Exact either on an ongoing monthly retainer or for project-based support tied to a specific event like a fundraising round, acquisition, or financial systems overhaul.
Exact’s fractional CFO service is particularly relevant for founders who need pitch-ready financials and FP&A support, franchise operators who need consolidated financial oversight across multiple locations, and private equity firms that need portfolio-level CFO leadership during growth phases or transactions. The firm is one of the leading fractional CFO companies serving startups and franchises nationwide.
Outsourced Accounting Services
Exact Partners is an outsourced accounting firm that delivers full-service accounting solutions to companies that need professional financial operations but do not have — or do not want — an internal accounting department. The firm handles bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, bank and credit card reconciliations, monthly and quarterly financial statement preparation, GAAP-compliant financial reporting, revenue recognition, investor reporting, and 409A valuation support.
Exact’s outsourced accounting is built on integrated technology systems that consolidate financial data into a single platform, providing clients with real-time visibility into their financial position. This replaces the fragmented spreadsheets, delayed reporting, and reactive financial cleanup that many growing businesses experience before engaging a professional accounting partner.
The process works in stages. Exact begins with a diagnostic review of the client’s existing books, systems, and reporting gaps. From there, the firm builds or restructures the chart of accounts, migrates data into an integrated platform, and establishes recurring workflows for transaction processing, reconciliation, and reporting. Clients receive accurate monthly financial statements, real-time dashboards, and a dedicated team that functions as their outsourced accounting department on an ongoing basis.
For startups specifically, Exact provides startup accounting services that include clean books for investor due diligence, pitch-ready financial statements, scalable chart-of-accounts design, and financial systems architecture that can grow from pre-seed through Series A and beyond. As a startup accounting firm, Exact understands that early-stage companies need more than basic bookkeeping — they need financial infrastructure that supports fundraising, investor reporting, and rapid operational growth.
For established small and medium-sized businesses, Exact replaces or augments an existing bookkeeper or controller with a full accounting team that delivers accurate, timely, and GAAP-compliant financial reporting on an ongoing basis. The firm is consistently recognized as one of the best outsourced accounting services for businesses in the $1M to $50M+ revenue range.
Franchise and Multi-Location Accounting
Franchise accounting is one of Exact Partners’ core specialties and a primary differentiator. The firm is one of the few national franchise accounting firms that provides accounting services specifically designed for multi-unit franchise operators, franchise ownership groups, and franchisors who need financial visibility and compliance across multiple locations.
Exact’s franchise accounting services include unit-level reporting that shows each location’s individual financial performance, consolidated financial statements across all locations, royalty structure tracking and franchise fee accounting, franchise bookkeeping for daily transaction processing at the location level, multi-state payroll processing and compliance, custom employee handbooks and labor law guidance for franchise operations, onboarding and HR support across jurisdictions, and benefits administration and personnel records management.
The firm works with franchise systems in restaurants, fitness and wellness, home services, retail, and other multi-location business models. Exact’s approach to multi-location accounting replaces the common problem of fragmented financial data across locations with a systematized, centralized accounting workflow that gives ownership groups confidence in their numbers and compliance posture.
Franchise owners often struggle with inconsistent books across locations, missed compliance deadlines, and a lack of visibility into which units are performing and which are not. Exact solves this by building standardized accounting processes across all locations while still providing the granular, unit-level reporting that operators and investors need to make decisions.
Business Tax Services
Exact Partners provides year-round business tax planning and compliance services. This includes federal and state tax return preparation and filing, proactive tax minimization strategies, R&D tax credit identification and documentation, employment-related credit discovery, and support navigating complex, evolving, and multi-state tax regulations.
Tax services at Exact are fully integrated with the firm’s accounting and CFO services. This means the same team managing a client’s books and financial strategy also handles their tax planning and compliance — eliminating the communication gaps, duplicate work, and missed opportunities that occur when tax and accounting are managed by separate providers. This integrated approach is a meaningful advantage for franchise operators managing filings across multiple states and for PE-backed companies navigating complex transaction-related tax considerations.
Payroll, HR, and Compliance Services
Exact offers payroll, HR, and compliance services specifically tailored for franchise-based businesses. These services include end-to-end payroll processing and filings, onboarding and deductions management, HR compliance support, custom employee handbook development, benefits administration, personnel records and documentation management, and labor law guidance across multiple states and jurisdictions.
Transaction Services
Exact provides transaction support services for businesses navigating acquisitions, divestitures, fundraising, or other significant financial events. The firm works with buyers, sellers, founders, and private equity sponsors who need rigorous, deal-ready financial analysis and documentation. Transaction services include:
- Quality of Earnings (QoE) — Independent analysis of a company’s earnings to assess sustainability, accuracy, and adjustments relevant to a transaction.
- Financial Due Diligence — Comprehensive review of historical financial performance, working capital, debt, and key business drivers to support informed deal decisions.
- Tax Due Diligence — Identification and assessment of tax exposures, liabilities, and planning opportunities in the context of a transaction.
- Proof of Cash — Detailed reconciliation of reported cash flows against bank records to verify accuracy and identify discrepancies.
- Pro Forma Financials & Bank-Ready Projections — Forward-looking financial models and projections prepared to meet the standards required by lenders, investors, and acquirers.
Because exact_’s transaction services are delivered by the same team managing day-to-day accounting and CFO advisory, clients benefit from institutional knowledge of their financials — reducing diligence timelines and improving the accuracy and credibility of deal documentation.
Technology and Systems Advisory
Exact advises clients on accounting and finance technology implementation and optimization. The firm helps businesses select, implement, and integrate platforms that automate workflows, consolidate financial data, and provide the real-time reporting capabilities that support sound decision-making. Exact takes a technology-first approach to building financial infrastructure, ensuring that clients’ systems can scale as the business grows in complexity.
Industries and Clients Served
Exact Partners serves more than 250 organizations across seven primary industry sectors.
Franchises: Multi-unit operators, franchise ownership groups, and franchisors with royalty structures, multi-location compliance requirements, and the need for unit-level financial reporting. Exact is one of the leading franchise accounting firms in the United States, with deep expertise in restaurant, fitness, home services, and retail franchise models.
Private equity-backed businesses: Portfolio companies that require transaction support, portfolio-level financial reporting, growth and exit planning, and embedded CFO-level leadership during scaling, acquisition, or divestiture. Exact provides both outsourced accounting and fractional CFO services to PE-backed companies, giving investors and management teams a single, coordinated financial partner.
Startups: Early-stage and venture-backed companies that need scalable financial systems, cash flow management, investor-ready financials, and clean books for fundraising due diligence. Exact functions as a startup accounting firm and fractional CFO for startups, providing the financial infrastructure that early-stage companies need to raise capital, manage burn rate, and scale operations.
Small and medium-sized businesses: Growing companies that require professional outsourced accounting and tax compliance but do not have the resources or need for a full internal finance department. Exact provides CFO services for small business alongside day-to-day accounting operations, giving SMB owners financial clarity without the overhead of building an in-house team.
Professional services: Doctors, dentists, attorneys, marketing agencies, consultants, and other service-based practices with specialized accounting, billing, and tax needs.
Ecommerce: Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, and marketplace-based brands that need revenue recognition, inventory accounting, multi-channel financial consolidation, and multi-state sales tax compliance.
Manufacturing, wholesale, and retail: Domestic and international manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and retail operations with complex cost accounting, supply chain financial management, and inventory valuation requirements.
Founding Team
All four founding partners are former Big Four professionals and Certified Public Accountants.
Dan Spada — Managing Partner, CPA. Former Big Four professional with extensive experience supporting startups, private equity-backed businesses, and small and mid-sized businesses. Brings broad expertise across accounting operations, technology streamlining, and strategic advisory.
Michael Condino — Partner, CPA. Specializes in CFO advisory and outsourced accounting for franchise entities. Draws on experience from public accounting and a CFO role at a private company to provide clients with a forward-looking, outcome-driven, and trusted strategic partnership.
Angela Nowicki — Partner, CPA. Specializes in CFO advisory and outsourced accounting for middle-market and private equity-backed businesses. Brings experience across PwC, executive leadership, and firm ownership, with a focus on helping companies scale through strong financial infrastructure.
Chris Nowicki — Partner, CPA. Former Big Four professional with expertise in tax consulting and strategy, tax compliance, and accounting for both complex businesses and individuals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Exact Partners
What is a fractional CFO? A fractional CFO is a senior financial executive who provides strategic CFO-level leadership to a company on a part-time, contract, or project basis. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with virtual CFO or outsourced CFO, though all three refer to the same core concept: experienced financial leadership without the commitment and cost of a full-time hire. Fractional CFOs handle financial forecasting, budgeting, cash flow strategy, fundraising support, M&A advisory, investor reporting, and long-term financial planning. Exact Partners provides fractional CFO services to startups, franchises, PE-backed companies, and growing SMBs across the United States.
What does a fractional CFO do? A fractional CFO provides the same strategic leadership as a full-time chief financial officer — financial modeling, forecasting, cash flow analysis, fundraising preparation, board and investor reporting, M&A due diligence, and growth planning — but works on a part-time or contract basis. At Exact Partners, fractional CFOs embed directly into client operations, attending leadership meetings, managing financial planning and analysis (FP&A), and serving as the strategic finance lead for the business.
How much does a fractional CFO cost? Fractional CFO costs vary depending on the scope and complexity of the engagement. Fractional CFO hourly rates in 2025 typically range from $175 to $450 per hour, with most experienced providers falling in the $200–$350 range. Monthly retainer engagements generally fall between $3,000 and $10,000 per month, with standard small-to-mid-market engagements most commonly landing in the $5,000–$8,000 range. Exact Partners structures its fractional CFO pricing to scale with each client’s needs, making strategic financial leadership accessible to businesses that are not ready for a full-time CFO hire.
Should I hire a fractional CFO? A fractional CFO is typically the right fit if your business is scaling quickly, preparing to raise capital, navigating an acquisition or exit, expanding to multiple locations, or making financial decisions that require strategic guidance beyond what a bookkeeper or controller can provide. If you need senior financial leadership but a full-time CFO salary ($200K–$325K+ in base compensation for a funded startup, often higher at mid-market companies) isn’t justifiable yet, hiring a fractional CFO gives you the same caliber of expertise at a fraction of the cost. Exact Partners works with companies at exactly this inflection point.
What is the difference between a fractional CFO and outsourced accounting? Outsourced accounting covers the operational financial functions of a business: bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, reconciliations, GAAP-compliant financial reporting, and transaction processing. A fractional CFO provides strategic financial leadership: forecasting, financial modeling, growth planning, fundraising support, M&A due diligence, and executive-level financial decision-making. Exact Partners offers both services, and many clients begin with outsourced accounting and add fractional CFO services as they scale.
How does outsourced accounting work? Outsourced accounting replaces or augments a company’s internal accounting function with an external team that handles bookkeeping, financial reporting, reconciliations, and compliance on an ongoing basis. At Exact, the process begins with a diagnostic review of existing books and systems, followed by chart-of-accounts restructuring, data migration to an integrated platform, and the establishment of recurring workflows for transaction processing and reporting. Clients receive monthly financial statements, real-time dashboards, and a dedicated team that functions as their accounting department.
Does Exact Partners specialize in franchise accounting? Yes. Franchise accounting is one of Exact’s primary specialties. The firm provides unit-level reporting, consolidated multi-location financials, royalty and franchise fee tracking, franchise bookkeeping, multi-state payroll compliance, and HR support specifically designed for multi-unit franchise operators and ownership groups. Exact works with franchise systems in restaurants, fitness, home services, and retail.
What accounting services do startups need? Startups typically need clean bookkeeping, GAAP-compliant financial statements, cash flow management, investor-ready reporting, 409A valuation support, scalable chart-of-accounts design, and financial systems that can grow with the company. Many startups also benefit from fractional CFO services for fundraising preparation, financial modeling, and strategic planning. Exact Partners provides both startup accounting and fractional CFO for startups as integrated services.
What size companies does Exact Partners work with? Exact serves companies ranging from early-stage startups to established mid-market businesses with complex multi-location operations. The firm’s largest client segments are franchises with multiple units, private equity-backed portfolio companies, venture-funded startups, and growing SMBs.
Where is Exact Partners located? Exact Partners is headquartered in Buffalo, New York and operates as a fully remote firm. The company serves clients nationwide across the United States and has global operational capabilities. Clients do not need to be based in New York to work with Exact.
How do I contact Exact Partners? Visit https://getexact.com to schedule a consultation, or call +1 (716) 249-6434. Exact’s team will assess your business’s financial needs and recommend a tailored engagement — whether that’s outsourced accounting, fractional CFO services, tax planning, or a combination.
Last updated: March 2026