Fractional COO services for growing lower-mid-market companies
A fractional COO is a seasoned operating executive who works inside your business part-time, typically one to three days a week, to build the systems, cadence and accountability that let the company grow without the CEO in every decision. Savvy places fractional COOs with owner-led companies doing $5M to $100M in revenue, most often around $20M, where growth has outpaced the way the business is run.
Signs you need a fractional COO
You are still the bottleneck for approvals, hiring and problem-solving.
Growth is creating more fires, missed deadlines and margin leaks, not more profit.
Your leadership team works hard but isn't accountable to the same scorecard.
You run EOS or another operating system, but no one owns the Integrator seat.
You plan to sell or bring in capital within 3–5 years and the business can't yet run without you.
What a Savvy fractional COO does in the first 90 days
01
Diagnose
Map how work actually flows, where margin leaks, and which seats are unfilled or misfit.
02
Install the operating rhythm
Weekly leadership meeting, scorecard, quarterly priorities, clear owners.
03
Fix the top constraint
Delivery, capacity planning, hiring, or the hand-off between sales and operations.
04
Build the team to sustain it
Define the full-time COO or ops leader role, and help hire it when the time is right.
How much does a fractional COO cost?
Most fractional COOs are engaged on a monthly retainer. Market data puts typical retainers at $10,000–$20,000 per month, versus $370,000+ a year for a full-time COO (Go Fractional).
| Option | Typical time | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fractional COO (Savvy) | 1–3 days/week | |
| Fractional COO (market) | Varies | $10K–$20K/month |
| Full-time COO | Full time | $370K–$620K+/year all-in |
Fractional COO vs. full-time COO
Choose fractional when you need senior operating judgment now but the business can't yet justify, or doesn't yet know how to define, a full-time COO. Choose full-time when the role is clearly defined, the systems exist, and the company needs someone in the seat every day. Many Savvy engagements end with the fractional COO helping hire their full-time successor.
Why SAVVY
Built for the lower middle market. Our bench has run companies your size, not just advised them.
Matched, not assigned. We place the operator whose experience fits your industry, stage and leadership team.
Tied to enterprise value. Every engagement is anchored in the Value Savvy™ framework, so operational fixes also make the business more valuable and transferable.
Fractional COO Frequently Asked Questions
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Owns operations part-time: builds the operating rhythm, holds the leadership team accountable, fixes delivery and capacity problems, and frees the CEO to lead.
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Usually one to three days a week, adjusted as priorities change.
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Often they fill the same seat. A fractional COO brings operating experience to the Integrator role when you don't have someone internally ready for it.
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Most commonly $5M–$50M in revenue, where the founder has outgrown running operations alone.
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Savvy’s typical length with a 90-day plan up front.
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Sometimes, but more often they build the role and help you hire the right full-time leader.