Strategic Adviser for UK Founders
Light-touch senior support for businesses that have built the basics. Keep the business on track as you scale, without a full fractional retainer.
When you need it
You've already built the operational layer. The KPIs exist, the cadence works, the team owns its functions. What you want now is senior backup: someone who's seen the next stage already, who'll prep you for board, push back on the strategy when it needs pushing back on, and pick up the phone when something escalates. From £1,500/month with a 6-month minimum.
The deliverables
Monthly operating review
90 minutes with you, structured around the previous month's numbers and the next month's priorities. Honest, blunt, and useful.
Quarterly board prep
Board pack review, narrative shaping, hard questions you'll get asked. So you walk in ready, not winging it.
Contract and commercial escalation
When something tricky lands on your desk (a problem contract, a difficult customer, a procurement curveball), you have someone senior to escalate to without spinning up a lawyer.
Sounding board access
Slack and email for the in-between moments. Faster than scheduling. Honest as the monthly review.
From £1,500/month
Strategic Adviser Retainer
From £1,500/month
- All deliverables above.
- Most engagements settle at £1,500–£2,500/month depending on cadence and how much board work is in scope.
- Step up to a Fractional COO retainer at any time if delivery work comes back into scope.
The fit
Founders whose business already has the basics in place. You've either built the operational layer yourself, hired an ops manager, or come off a fractional COO engagement with a working system. You want senior backup, board prep, and someone to call when things escalate. You don't want, or need, embedded weekly delivery.
What founders ask before booking
How much does a Strategic Adviser engagement cost?
From £1,500/month with a 6-month minimum. Most settle at £1,500–£2,500/month depending on cadence and how much board work is in scope.
What's the difference between this and a Fractional COO retainer?
Fractional COO is embedded delivery, 1–2 days a week, building the systems. Strategic Adviser is monthly oversight once those systems exist. Most clients move from one to the other after 6–12 months. See the Fractional COO page.
How often do we meet?
Monthly 90-minute operating review. Quarterly board prep if that's in scope. Plus Slack/email access between sessions when something escalates.
Can I use you as a non-executive director?
Strategic Adviser is an operational support retainer, not a formal NED seat. If you need a NED, we can talk separately or refer. Most founders find this model more useful day-to-day than a formal board seat.
What if I need more hands-on support at some point?
Step up to the Fractional COO retainer at any time. Most engagements move between the two as the business cycles between build and steady-state.