In the worlds of small and mid-sized businesses, sales performance, efficiencies, structure and product/market fit are keys to profitability and growth. Most companies at this size are successful if their products or services have the best customer fit – they don’t benefit from the added value their brand provides. Yet, even if a business owner or CEO believes they have a high performing product-market fit, they find themselves struggling to capture the profitability they believe their business should have. This is where a fractional or interim COO consultant delivers value. 

An effective fractional COO translates the mindset, management systems, organizational structure and tactical decision making Fortune 500 companies to the needs of a SMB. A factional COO’s role is to improve business performance by improving the day-to-day business operations. Fractional COOs are not coaches to the business owner/CEO, they are coaches to the business as a whole. Serving as a part-time or full-time hands-on member of senior leadership, the fractional COO’s role is to bring new ideas, challenge assumptions, supply skills and knowhow across all business functions. An effective fractional COO is a jack-of-all-trades able to contribute and execute across the entire organization, from LEAN manufacturing optimization, to growth marketing, human resources and financial management.

At the conclusion of a fractional COO’s engagement a business will generally look differently in the following ways

• Improved sales processes and lead generation
• Lower costs, including COGS, operational and overhead costs
• Increased revenue through improved marketing efforts
• Measure and set performance goals aligned with short and long term goals
• More efficient processes and routines
• Better understanding of the consumer to improve marketing effectiveness and product-market fit
• Increased productivity and retention through improved human resource (HR) processes.

A fractional COO is not just a consultant but a strategic partner that propels their clients’ businesses towards their full potential. By leveraging a fractional COO, you leverage top-tier talent and insights, previously accessible only to large, well-funded, corporations. Fractional, or interim COO consultants can be the missing link that catapults your business into its next phase of growth and profitability.