Author Profile
Sydney Smart
CPA, MST | Fractional CFO & Controller
Sydney Smart is a Certified Public Accountant, Fractional CFO, and Controller with over 17 years of experience across public accounting and corporate finance. She holds a Master's degree in Taxation from Georgia State University, is a licensed CPA through the Georgia Society of CPAs, and is a certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor. Sydney spent 13 years as a Senior Tax Manager at Hungeling CPA preparing and reviewing hundreds of tax returns annually for corporate, partnership, and individual clients before moving into corporate controller roles. As Founder of Simply Smart Consulting, she partners with founders and growth-focused businesses to build financial systems that scale — budgeting, cash flow forecasting, GAAP compliance, and real-time KPI reporting. She reviews Nexairi's accounting and finance coverage to ensure accuracy for the CPAs, CFOs, and operators who rely on it.
Latest Articles
Accounting
Preparing for Funding in 2026: What Investors and Lenders Actually Look for in Your Financials
The financials you prepare today determine the offers you get this quarter. Here is what investors and lenders are actually examining - and why late May is the right time to get your books ready.
Finance
What "Agentic AI" Actually Means for Your Finance Team
86% of finance teams have hit an AI accuracy problem. Here's what agentic AI means for CFOs, where it fails and three questions to ask before you sign anything.
Accounting
Fractional CFO vs. Bookkeeper: The Difference in Impact
Bookkeeping keeps your records clean. A fractional CFO turns those records into cash flow, margin, hiring, pricing and growth decisions you can act on.
Finance
How to Measure AI ROI as a CFO (Before Your Board Asks)
Only 7% of CFOs see high AI ROI despite real productivity gains. Here are the three metrics that translate your AI spend into language any board trusts.
Accounting
Why Most Businesses Miss Out on Tax Savings Each Year
Year-round tax planning reduces liability by 15-25% compared to April-only filing. Learn quarterly checkpoints, strategic deductions, retirement optimization, and entity decisions that CFOs use to cut tax burden.
Accounting
Is Your Business Budget Built to Grow or Just to Survive
Most business budgets are built to survive. Here's how to build one that grows your company - with scenario planning, rolling forecasts and the right metrics to track.
Accounting
The CEO Financial Dashboard: What to Watch Every Week
A CPA's guide to the 6 weekly metrics every CEO should track: revenue vs. forecast, cash position, burn rate, gross profit margin and accounts receivable aging.
Finance
QuickBooks Copilot Review 2026: Performance, Accuracy & Real-World Results
QuickBooks Copilot saves 2-4 hours/week with 70-90% accuracy. But it needs CPA review, struggles with tax nuance, and won't scale to complex GL. Best for straightforward SMBs.
Finance
Why Profitable Businesses Still Run Out of Cash - And How AI Is Changing That
Profitable businesses fail from poor cash flow. Track metrics in real time, use AI for forecasting and spend analysis, then apply expert CFO strategy.
Finance
How AI Is Supercharging Fractional CFOs for Year-Round Financial Planning
AI detects financial anomalies and forecasts cash positions in real-time. Fractional CFOs convert those signals into strategic decisions: hire, invest, or hold cash.
Finance
Last-Minute Tax Readiness: How to Avoid Filing Mistakes
CPA Sydney Smart's practical tax checklist: organize documents, claim overlooked deductions, understand extensions and file with confidence before April 15.