Scale-Up Advisory
This costs $3,500/month for approximately 1 day per month. It suits founders who need me in the room but do not need embedded execution. See Scale-Up Advisory.
Who I work with
A fractional COO for founder-led companies
Wayne Fraser works as a fractional COO for founder-led companies with $2M–$10M in revenue and 15–50 employees. These companies are large enough to have money and complexity, but usually too small to justify a full-time COO.
On this page
Who a fractional COO for founder-led companies suits
I work with a small number of founder-led companies, initially in BC and Canada. My best fit is $2M–$10M in revenue and 15–50 employees.
My wider range runs from $1M–$15M in revenue and 10–75 employees. Revenue and headcount are signals. The other signs on this page matter too.
I help founders turn growth-stage chaos into an operating system that works. I align people, processes, technology and AI so the founder can get out of the weeds and back into growth.
The profile at a glance
This table sets out the profile of a founder-led company I work with best.
| Attribute | Target |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $2M–$10M best fit, with a wider range of $1M–$15M |
| Employees | 15–50 best fit, with a wider range of 10–75 |
| Founder | Still deeply involved |
| Growth | Growing, restructuring or preparing to scale |
| Problem | The founder has become the operational bottleneck |
| Technology | Multiple systems and processes are beginning to break down |
| AI | Interested, but has not operationalized it |
| Executive team | Missing senior operational leadership |
| Geography | BC and Canada initially |
Signs that you are a fit
The signs below match the problems I solve. For a wider checklist, read when to hire a fractional COO.
- Everything comes back to you, and decisions are not getting made.
- Your managers are not accountable, and you spend too much time managing.
- Growth has created complexity, and the company has no operating rhythm.
- You have too many spreadsheets, poor reporting and no clear KPIs.
- Processes live inside people's heads, and handoffs break.
- You are interested in AI, but nobody knows where to use it.
- The leadership team is missing senior operational leadership.
Signs that you are not a fit yet
These signs are guides, and each one is a judgment about your company.
- The company already has a senior operations leader who owns the operating rhythm.
- You want a strategy document delivered with no involvement in execution. I work alongside the leadership team and help execute.
- The company is large enough that a full-time COO is clearly justified.
- The company is far outside the revenue and headcount ranges above.
- You need advice rather than embedded execution. Scale-Up Advisory is the lighter engagement for that.
Which engagement fits which company
All three engagements are set out on the services page.
Fractional COO
At $7,500/month for approximately 1.5 days per week, this is my primary offer. See the Fractional COO engagement.
Fractional COO + AI Transformation
It suits companies interested in AI that have not operationalized it, at $10,000–$12,500/month for approximately 2 days per week. See AI transformation.
The experience behind the work
For more than 25 years, I have helped organizations turn ambitious plans into businesses that actually work. I have worked across technology, manufacturing, professional services, education, healthcare and entrepreneurial businesses.
I have been a founder and an executive, and I have built teams and managed transformation. The work has included building companies, creating new business units, leading major transformations, building international teams and redesigning operating models. Three case studies show some of that work in detail.
Where I work
BC and Canada is my initial focus. If your company is elsewhere, say where in your message.
To find out whether we are a fit, send a message through the contact form and describe the company.
Frequently asked questions
What size company does Wayne work with?
Wayne works best with companies that have $2M–$10M in revenue and 15–50 employees. His wider range runs from $1M–$15M in revenue and 10–75 employees.
Is a fractional COO right for a $3M company?
A company with $3M in revenue sits inside Wayne's $2M–$10M best-fit range. Size is only one signal. The others include a founder who is still deeply involved and systems that are starting to break down. Missing senior operational leadership is another.
Does Wayne work outside BC and Canada?
Wayne's initial focus is BC and Canada. Mention your location when you get in touch.
Who is a good fit to work with Wayne?
A good fit is a founder-led company where the founder is still deeply involved and has become the operational bottleneck. Growth has created complexity, systems are starting to break down and senior operational leadership is missing.
Keep reading
If your company has outgrown the way it operates, let's talk.
Describe your company, its size and what is getting in the way.
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