I get this question fairly often, usually from founders who are stretched thin and know something needs to change. They've heard of fractional executives. They're wondering if that's the answer.
Sometimes it is. But honestly, a lot of the time the real answer is simpler: you don't need a person as much as you need a system.
A fractional COO works part-time with your business to handle operational leadership — the stuff a full-time COO would own if you had one. That typically includes running operational rhythms, managing the leadership team, owning process improvement, overseeing execution, and being the person who makes sure the trains run on time so the founder can focus on vision and growth.
"You don't need a person as much as you need a system. A fractional COO can't run what doesn't exist."
That's genuinely valuable, and there are situations where it's exactly the right answer. If you have a functioning leadership team that needs operational direction. If you're scaling fast and the operational complexity is legitimately beyond what a set of documented processes can solve. If you've already got structure in place and you need someone to run it.
Here's the honest question: if you brought in a fractional COO tomorrow, could they actually do their job? Or would they spend the first three months trying to understand how your business actually runs, what your team is responsible for, and where the work is getting stuck?
A fractional COO can't run what doesn't exist. If you don't have an accountability chart, documented processes, a weekly meeting rhythm, and clear metrics — the first thing any good operational leader is going to do is build those. Which means you're paying for someone to create the foundation you need rather than operate on top of it.
That's an expensive way to build a foundation. And the truth is, a lot of founders can build that foundation themselves — or with lighter-touch guidance — if they just know what to build and in what order.
Ask yourself three questions. First: do I have a clear picture of who in my business owns what function? Second: do I have documented processes for the core ways we deliver our product or service? Third: does my leadership team have a reliable weekly meeting rhythm that actually surfaces and resolves issues?
If all three are yes, you might be ready for a fractional COO. If one or more is no, start there. The operational review we do at Beshears Advisory is designed exactly for this moment — it surfaces what's missing, prioritizes it, and gives you a roadmap for building it, whether you want to do that work yourself or with support.