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What Is a Fractional COO, What It Costs, and When to Hire One

  • Writer: Brenda Heffner
    Brenda Heffner
  • 47 minutes ago
  • 2 min read

Fractional COO "Fractional Chief Operations Officer".


Understanding the Role of a Fractional COO

Most business owners don’t start out thinking about hiring a Fractional COO. But eventually, growth gets messy. Systems break, communication drags, and the founder ends up working twice as hard to get half the results. That’s when a Fractional COO steps in.  Someone who brings executive-level strategy and structure without the full-time salary.


A Fractional COO usually works part-time and on contract basis, guiding daily operations, building systems, and keeping the business aligned with long-term goals. They’re the bridge between the founder’s vision and what actually happens inside the company. According to Harvard Business Review, companies that delegate operational leadership grow 20–30% faster than those that don’t.


What a Fractional COO Really Delivers

Service businesses and agencies especially benefit from having a Fractional COO. They bring order to delivery, hiring, and client experience, turning chaos into consistency, building systems that scale.


In 2024, the average Fractional COO cost ranged between $6,000–$12,000 per month, depending on company size and involvement. Compared to a full-time COO salary averaging $220,000, it’s a fraction of the cost, with the same impact. Without employee overhead and taxes.


Fractional COO vs Employee infographic

The infographic to the left illustrates the cost comparison between a Fractional COO and a traditional employee Chief Operating Officer. It is clear the cost is not limited to only the monthly compensation.










Modern Fractional COOs not only use their professional expertise, but also integrate AI and strategy into the company's operations. By analyzing search data for smarter, efficient and effective systems, they keep growth measurable.


As Simon Sinek said,

Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion.

A Fractional COO keeps your team focused on the work that matters, and ensures documented processes and systems are established and the operations.


If your service business or agency has grown beyond spreadsheets and gut instinct, it’s time to bring in a Fractional COO. The right one helps you scale smoothly, protect your time, and finally operate like the company you’ve been trying to build all along.


Brenda Heffner, Fractional COO | Expert Business Operations Strategist | Entrepreneur - Has earned her business operations strategy expertise by helping hundreds of business owners integrate proven operational systems inside their business to "have their business run smoothly like a well oiled machine, as it should be." and by fulfilling her mission to help service based business owners "work less and make more."


If you would like a free proposal to see if Brenda Heffner's Fractional COO services would be a good fit for your business send an email to COO@officeassistantusa.com



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