Build vs. Partner: The Defining Decision for Accounting Firms and Fractional CFOs

By TED ROSE, ROSE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS

For the past 15 years, CPA.com has told accounting firms they needed to build a financial operations practice—what became known as Client Accounting Services (CAS). Over time, the model evolved into CAAS (Client Accounting and Advisory Services), signaling a shift from transactional bookkeeping to higher-value advisory.

But that evolution has collided with a hard reality: we’re experiencing the largest shortage of accountants in decades.

Firms across the country are struggling to recruit, train, and retain the talent needed to manage daily financial operations. Many have turned to offshoring as a stopgap. Meanwhile, CPA.com has worked to connect firms with technology providers—but technology alone doesn’t close the gap.



Upgrading and running financial operations requires fundamentally different skills and capabilities from being a trusted advisor.

The Fork in the Road

Every accounting and fractional CFO firm now faces the same strategic question:

Do we want to become experts in financial operations—or do we want to remain trusted advisors guiding clients through transformation?

Both paths are valuable—but they require different investments, skills, and business models.

This moment is similar to what happened with payroll 30 years ago. Many accounting firms once offered outsourced payroll services. Today, payroll is a standalone industry (and now includes HR outsourcing), and accounting firms advise on vendor selection, compliance, and integration rather than running the payroll or HR processes themselves.

Financial operations are heading in the same direction.

The Rise of Finance-as-a-Service (FaaS)

Until recently, firms didn’t have a viable alternative to building their own financial operations infrastructure. They had to piece together technology, people, and processes on their own.

That’s no longer the case.

Today, a new option exists: Finance-as-a-Service (FaaS) partnerships—led by firms like Rose Financial Solutions powered by Easby, our AI-enabled platform that automates and manages the financial back office.

FaaS allows CPA firms and fractional CFOs to buy, not build, their financial operations capability—instantly accessing scalable infrastructure, expert talent, and automation without compromising their core advisory focus.

The Decision

The question for firm leaders is no longer “if” financial operations will evolve—but how you’ll participate in that evolution.

You can:

1. Build it – Invest years and significant capital to develop operational expertise, infrastructure, and automation capabilities in-house.
2. Partner – Collaborate with a FaaS firm like ROSE to deliver operational excellence while you stay focused on client strategy, guidance, and transformation.

Both paths can succeed. But only one keeps your firm aligned with what clients truly value—trusted advice grounded in financial clarity.

Ted Rose

President, CEO, and Founder

In 1994 Ted Rose founded Rose Financial Solutions (ROSE), the Premier U.S. Based Finance and Accounting Outsourcing Firm. In 2010, the Blackbook of Outsourcing named ROSE the #1 FAO firm in the world based on client satisfaction. As the president and CEO of ROSE, he provides executives with financial clarity. Ted has also acted as the CFO for a number of growth companies and assisted with various rounds of financing and M&A transactions.