Pilot vs Burkland: accounting and fractional finance support

Pilot and Burkland both publish services that can extend beyond bookkeeping. Pilot separates bookkeeping, tax, and CFO offerings on its pricing page. Burkland describes accounting and broader fractional startup finance. Ask which proposed team will own the work you need during the coming year.

State whether the immediate problem is producing reliable accounts, interpreting performance, or preparing for a financing event. A business can need several of those tasks, but each deserves a deliverable and an owner. Avoid buying an undefined amount of finance support around a vague monthly call.

Give both candidates the date of your next board or lender meeting. Ask when the ledger must close, which inputs your staff must provide, and when the forecast or board materials will be ready. Include time for management review and corrections.

The reporting package should make provisional balances and changed assumptions visible. Ask how the team reconciles the information used in the forecast with the approved accounting record. An investor narrative should not introduce a different version of actual revenue without explanation.

Confirm meeting frequency, response windows, preparation work, and availability during an event. Ask whether the adviser supervises the accounting team or works from reports supplied by someone else. Clarify authority and any formal corporate role separately.

For fundraising support, specify the model, data-room schedules, revision rounds, and investor questions in scope. The engagement should describe support, not imply that financing is guaranteed. Name the owner of legal and tax questions that require other professionals.

Request recurring accounting and planning fees separately from cleanup, model building, tax returns, software, and special projects. Check whether an intensive month changes the retainer or creates a separate charge. Include preparation work retained by your staff.

Before selecting a team, agree the records and models you can retain and transfer. A new finance hire should be able to follow the approved assumptions, supporting schedules, and unresolved matters. Use that continuity requirement alongside cost and access when assessing the two proposals.