Fractional COO for UK Founders
Embedded senior operational leadership, 1–2 days a week. Build the systems your business is missing, without the £140K+ cost of a full-time hire.
What a fractional COO actually does
A fractional COO is a senior operations leader who works inside your business 1–2 days a week. They find the bottlenecks, build the systems your team needs to run without you, train the people who'll own them, and exit clean once it's working. The Edwards Practice fractional COO retainer starts at £4,000/month with a 3-month minimum.
The deliverables
Operational infrastructure
Process design for hiring, financial close, onboarding, and customer delivery. Documented, owned, and embedded so the team can run it without you.
KPI dashboard and reporting
Real numbers, real cadence. Monthly board-ready reporting, weekly leadership review, and the operating rhythm investors expect.
Commercial contract review
A proper review process for inbound and outbound contracts. AI-augmented, lawyer-quality, and fast enough that sales doesn't grumble about it.
Sales-to-delivery alignment
The handoff that usually leaks margin. We close the gap between what sales sells and what delivery can actually do at the agreed price.
Team structure and accountability
Clear ownership, real KPIs at the individual level, and the management cadence to hold people to them.
Investor and governance readiness
Board reporting, compliance documentation, due-diligence packs. Ready before anyone asks for them.
The 90-day blueprint
Month 1 — Find the bottlenecks
Intake audit. Top 5 operational risks. 2–3 quick wins shipped. Baseline State of Operations summary.
Month 2 — Build the systems
Priority processes launched. KPI dashboard live. Contract review framework in place. Sales ops scaffolding stood up.
Month 3 — Embed and hand over
1–2 team members trained to own the new systems. OKRs established. Documented handover. Transition to Strategic Adviser if you want it.
From £4,000/month
Fractional COO Retainer
From £4,000/month
- All deliverables above, scoped to your business at intake.
- Monthly invoicing. Roll on or off at the next month-end after the initial 3 months.
- No day rates. No deliverable checklists. Outcomes-focused retainer.
The fit
Tech Founders
You've raised capital and started scaling. Now investors want governance, contracts are flying through unsigned, and the operational gaps are showing.
SME Owners
You're winning bigger contracts but operations can't keep up. Delivery leaks margin. Compliance and contracts are drowning you.
What founders ask before booking
How much does a fractional COO cost in the UK?
From £4,000/month at The Edwards Practice with a 3-month minimum. Most engagements settle at £4,000–£8,000/month depending on whether it's 1 or 2 days a week and how much commercial contracting is in scope. Compare to a full-time COO at £140K–£200K base plus equity.
How many days a week does a fractional COO work?
Typically 1–2 days a week. Some engagements start at 2 days for the first month to find the bottlenecks and ship quick wins, then settle to 1 day a week once the systems are in place.
How long does an engagement last?
Most engagements run three to twelve months. After that, the business typically runs at around 80% autonomy and we transition to a lighter-touch Strategic Adviser role.
What's the difference between a fractional COO and a consultant?
A consultant writes a deck and leaves. A fractional COO embeds in the team, ships real systems, trains people to run them, and stays on the hook for the operational outcome. Same person doing the work, very different commitment.
When should I hire a full-time COO instead?
Past about £10M revenue, or when the role needs to represent the business externally to investors, regulators, or key customers full-time. Full framework here.