The average cost to replace an employee is estimated to run anywhere from 1.5-2 times the employees annual salary. Simply put, we’re not employee, so the risk to reward ratio puts you in a great spot.

Fractionals provide a less-risky-more-expertise side to the business. Instead of needing to train us, we’re busy in the background building out a training schedule for YOUR new hires. Instead of realizing too late that your latest in-office hire doesn’t jive with the team, we’re over here, remotely in the backgound, minding our own business. Well….minding your…business…..

…you get it. 

We get that. Bringing in new people, especially someone that isn’t necessarily in the day-to-day dynamics, can (and probably will) be intimidating to your team. We’re looking to be in your corner, but we’re not going to do that at the expense of your team, as a whole. Your team sees more than you think, and they have a pulse on what’s going on. While we’re working with you for the “bigger picture”, we’re working with them on the day-to-day details to make sure the business runs smoothly, with a culture that lasts. 

Good news, we’re ready!

But for real, we understand the need for having people in-the-office for specific jobs. Let’s look at it this way – you’re hiring someone that will:
1. Not cost you a salary
2. Bring ready-to-use expertise to your business
3. Provide a way to KEEP your people longer

The idea of Fractional work isn’t to replace your people. It is to bring a team together to make sure they’re on the same page and moving in the same direction. THAT is half the battle. If you continuously lose your best people because your business is all over the place and you have no margin to “be human” with them, you’re losing. Losing good people, losing good clients, and ultimately, losing the legacy that could have been created.  Internally, your team suffers. Externally, it could mean lost customer relationships and trust.

Consulting (Strategy) Vs. Fractional

 Consulting focuses on the plan. What is happening now? What do you want to happen in the future? What the plan is to make changes to get you and your team where you need to be? This could look like consulting a start-up to make sure everything is set-up properly, or working with an established team to audit their current systems. 

 Fractional focuses on the work. This tier is typically a longer agreement (12+ months) and is much more in-depth. The time alloted for Fractional work is more than consulting, because the Fractional is doing some of the work alongside your team. They are meeting with department heads, training them on how to smooth out processes, and planning next steps for the business, with the owner.

This is very similar to “Owner Consulting”, but with department heads/leaders of the business involved, as well. 

In our experience, this is a really great option for businesses for a few reasons. Owners have plenty to work on in the business (payroll, financials, hiring, and generally “wearing all the hats). The leaders in the business see that, but also see where everyone else in the business is, personally and professionally. The owner isn’t always the boots-on-the-ground, and we need that insight. We can get the “Big Picture” of the business from the owner, but if we don’t know what’s going on in the actual hands-on work of the business, only so much change will happen. 

What does this look like in real life? 
– We meet with the owner for our one-on-one meetings to get the bigger picture of what is being built within the business. We ALSO meet with the leaders to help put the macro with the micro, day-to-day. We’re able to build a much better plan and next steps out of the two. 
–  Working with department heads to put words to the “feeling” of culture breakdown
– Be a voice for the owner and the leaders to get on the same page and build, together, instead of feeling like they’re moving in opposite directions. 

This is the big leagues. This usually comes after working through the consulting tiers, especially after the business has grown through building the foundational needs. This is also a good option for businesses who have been in operation for years and have a team. This combines the best of Owner + Leader Consulting and compounds it. We start in a similar place and Owner + Leader because we need to know where the business is heading and what it looks like “now”. We then quickly move into making sure the foundation is solid with the product, client communication, billing/financials, and “how” the business runs. Can we hire more people with training already built out? Can we sell the business as is it now? If the answer is “no”, we get to work WITH you and your team. This means your Fractional COO is working in the background, building and organizing and fixing. That is the biggest difference, with consulting, you get “the plan”, with a Fractional COO on your team, you get the “hands-on”, too. 

So, what could that look like? 
– Your Fractional COO continues to meet with the owner, but we move into a much more macro view. At this point, the owner should be out of most of the day-to-day, but the Fractional COO is there to make sure everyone is still moving in the same direction.  
– Ex: the owner may want to open a new division in a new city, but the department heads are having trouble keeping the hires they have in their current location. Your Fractional COO makes sure the current setup is solid, while also working with the team to build out a plan for the new location. 
– The team is frustrated that clients are leaving and they’re not sure why. Your Fractional COO brings fresh eyes to the situation and, since they’re not in the politics, can bring real solutions without worrying about “how it’s always been done”. 

If you’re an owner with no one in your corner, we would suggest starting at “Owner Consulting”. This gives you a quick view of the possibilities for your business without having to involve your entire team, yet. 

If you’re an owner with an established team, it would be best to start in Owner + Leader Consulting. We aren’t coming in to take over, and we need your team to know that. If what we’re suggesting doesn’t work for the team as a whole, it doesn’t work. That doesn’t mean “the team” runs the show. It does mean that they usually have institutional knowledge that tells more of the story. This is crucial for understanding the business, it’s (best) quirks, and how the legacy can be built. 

 If you’re an owner with an established team that’s looking to grow or simplify the business so it can grow, this is your answer. We get in the nitty-gritty and get to know you, your team, and your products. We get to know your tech stack and your follow-up process. We are there to be your “guy behind the chair”, not for the glory (you and your team deserve that), but to make sure things run smoothly; with conviction, simplicity, and for a lasting legacy.