COO Expertise When You Need It
I bet there are as many definitions of “Fractional COO” as there are fractional COOs. But when I ask my clients and colleagues, they mention things like:
- “knowing the top level of every aspect of the business”
- “knowing the answers and directions of 90% of the business”
- “an advisor to setting up and maintaining efficient workflows and processes, and how the business will engage across all departments”
- “defining and measuring the journey to success”
- “the focus is on business strategy”
- “they help people be more efficient in their business, connect all the pieces, foster integration among software, and just make a business run a lot smoother.”
As a Fractional COO, here’s how I think of my role: I’m an objective strategic advisor, bringing new ideas and perspectives to help my clients grow their businesses to the next level. My job is to identify what is holding the business back from growing profitably. Then I create solutions that fit with the culture of the business, are practical to implement, and will deliver more productivity (and thus, higher profit margins). My job is also to convey my findings and my proposed solutions in a way that makes sense to the owner, and to plan and guide the implementation of these operational changes in a way that enlists the buy-in of the staff. In the end, the business should run more smoothly, have the capacity to serve more customers, and see higher profit margins.
So who needs a Fractional COO?
Some businesses are growing intentionally, but running into frustrating roadblocks. The owner and the staff are getting stretched thin, and customers are experiencing some glitches. Everyone in the company feels like they’re juggling a lot of balls. This is a great time to bring in a Fractional COO to identify the issues and propose some changes to get things running smoothly again.
And some businesses are growing gradually; they’re not hitting roadblocks, but the owner is planning ahead for major changes down the road, or wants to prepare for future growth. That’s a great situation for a Fractional COO to provide regular strategy sessions so that the owner can talk through their plans and get some objective feedback and perspective.
Some businesses are ticking along just fine; they’re either at a stable size, or they are growing manageably and have the capacity to handle that growth. They’re not facing major changes and the owner is focused on keeping things running as usual. The owner isn’t necessarily looking for strategic advice. Although Fractional COO services may not be needed, we’re always happy to help business owners find other services they might need, from lawyers to accountants to financial planners and more.
What’s it like to work with a Fractional COO?
You’ll have an expert on call for regularly scheduled strategy discussions, as well as for things that pop up unexpectedly. And if you’re growing fast and want to make some bigger changes, you’ll get a thorough assessment and a practical plan for changes that will have a real impact on how things run in your business.
How do I learn more?
Schedule a free, no-commitment consultation to discuss your situation. Not ready for that yet? Check out the Case Studies page and the questions in the Are We the Right Fit for Your Business? page to see if we’re the right fit for you.
