A fractional COO is an operations leader you share. It is the same job a full-time chief operating officer does, owning how the work actually runs, on the days a week your business needs it, without the salary of a full-time hire.
Why owners bring one in
Most owners who come to me are not short of work. They are short of a business that runs when they are not in the room. A fractional COO takes charge of the operating side, the processes, the team structure and the numbers that show whether it is working, so the owner can stop being the bottleneck. I work in person across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, and remotely elsewhere in Canada and the US.
What a fractional COO does
- Operations leadership. Someone senior owns delivery, not just advises on it.
- Checklists and systems. The work written down so it survives a person leaving.
- Team structure. Who does what, who decides what, and where the gaps are.
- Execution. The plan gets built, not filed.
- The numbers. A small set of measures that show whether any of it is working.
Operations consulting: fixing how the work gets done
Sometimes you do not need a COO, just a hard look at operations. I map how a job moves from the first call to the final invoice, find where time and money leak out, like rework, waiting, double entry or unclear hand-offs, and fix those steps first. Good operations show up as faster turnaround, fewer mistakes, happier customers and better margins.
Rolling out a plan
A plan only matters once it is running. I turn it into steps with an owner and a date, set up a simple dashboard of the few numbers that matter, help your team through the change, and review progress every quarter so it stays on track.
Opening a new location
A second location is where weak systems break. Before you sign a lease, we make sure location one runs without you and its processes are written down. Then we plan the opening: the budget and the timeline, the same tools and setup as your first site, hiring and training the new team against your checklists, and a plan for opening week.
When you need one, and when you do not
A fractional COO is the right call when the business is big enough to need operational leadership and not yet big enough to pay for it full time. The usual signs: the owner is still the final answer on everything, growth has stalled because delivery cannot keep up, or a second location or crew is on the table and nobody is sure the first one would survive the split.
It is the wrong call if what you need is one thing built, like a CRM, a booking system or a pricing model. That is a defined project, and it costs less bought that way: see custom AI software. It is also the wrong call if you want advice rather than someone to own the outcome. That is coaching, and I do that too.
How it starts
Every project starts with the System Audit: $497, one flat fee, tax included. I spend about 3 hours on your business. You show me on screen, or tell me, how you work now. Then you get my recommendations and a written 90-day action plan you keep. If you go ahead with implementation, it is $100 an hour and the $497 is credited in full. If I find your business cannot be audited, you get a full refund.
After that, the shape is yours: ongoing fractional COO support each month, or implementation by the hour if the work is defined and finite.
Questions
How is a fractional COO different from a business consultant?
A consultant recommends. A fractional COO owns the outcome and is in the business often enough to be accountable for it.
What does an operations consultant do?
An operations consultant maps how the work flows through your business, finds the steps that waste time or money, and fixes them, usually starting with the ones your customers feel.
How much time does it take?
It depends on what the audit finds. Some businesses need a day a week for a quarter; others need less, less often. Anyone who gives you a number before looking is guessing.
Can you help us open a second location?
Yes. We start by making sure the first location runs without you, then plan the opening, the team and the setup for the new one.
Do you work with businesses outside British Columbia?
Yes, remotely, across Canada and the US. In-person work is Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
What happens to the audit fee if we go ahead?
It is credited in full against implementation work.
