Operations that run without running you.
Service 01 · Fractional COO · San Diego and remote
A fractional COO is a senior operations leader who works in your business part time, usually a few days a month, owning how the company runs: processes, systems, metrics, team structure and the operating cadence, without the cost of a full-time executive. CWV Consulting provides fractional COO services to owners and CEOs of growing businesses in San Diego and remotely across the United States.
Who it is for
When a fractional COO is the right call
- Every decision and every problem still routes through the owner.
- Growth has outpaced processes that were built for a smaller company.
- Nobody can see, week to week, the few numbers that show how the business is running.
- Teams work in different tools and spreadsheets, and work gets dropped at the hand-offs.
- You are opening, closing or integrating a location, an acquisition or a reorganization.
- You will want a full-time COO eventually, and want to define the role before you hire it.
What is included
The work, in numbered deliverables
Every proposal lists exactly which of these you are buying, with the same numbers carried through to the invoice and the cover memo.
- 01
Operating cadence
A weekly leadership meeting run from a KPI scoreboard, with a decision log and written recaps, so what was decided stays decided.
- 02
Process and workflow design
Documented, simple processes for the hand-offs that break most often, from first inquiry to delivered work.
- 03
Systems and automation
CRM, project tools and automations set up so work moves through a system instead of living in inboxes.
- 04
Team structure and hiring
Who owns what, who reports to whom, which roles to hire next, and the job descriptions and interviews to fill them.
- 05
Planning and budgets
Quarterly and annual plans with goals and budgets each leader owns, and a monthly check on where they stand.
- 06
AI operations setup
AI tools and agents for recurring reports, meeting notes and research, set up so your team keeps using them.
How it works
What the first months look like
- 01Weeks 1–2
Diagnose
Conversations with the owner and each team lead, and a map of how work flows and where it stalls.
- 02Weeks 3–4
Install the basics
The KPI scoreboard, the weekly leadership meeting and the first broken process fixed and written down.
- 03Every week
Run it
Scoreboard meeting, owners chased, and a short note to the CEO on what actually needs them.
- 04When it is time
Hand-off
A documented operating system and, if you want one, help hiring the full-time COO or operations lead.
Related work
Where this has worked
Clients are not named publicly without permission. References are available on request.
Questions
Fractional COO: common questions
What does a fractional COO do?
A fractional COO runs the operating side of the business part time: the processes and systems work moves through, the metrics leadership reviews each week, team structure and hiring, and the planning that turns goals into owners and deadlines. The aim is a company that runs predictably without every question going to the owner.
What is the difference between a COO, a chief of staff and an operations manager?
An operations manager runs a specific function day to day. A chief of staff supports the CEO across the leadership team without owning a function. A COO owns how the whole company operates and is accountable for execution, usually with operations teams reporting to them. A fractional COO brings that ownership part time.
When does a business need a fractional COO?
Usually when growth has outpaced the processes and systems built for a smaller company, when the owner has become the bottleneck for day-to-day decisions, or ahead of a major change such as a new location, an acquisition or a reorganization. A fractional COO gives you that leadership before a full-time hire makes sense.
How much does a fractional COO cost?
It is a monthly retainer with a three-month minimum, quoted in a one-page proposal after a free 30-minute call, based on how many days a month the work needs. It typically costs a fraction of a full-time COO's salary and benefits.
Can you handle confidential information?
Yes. A mutual NDA is standard before any sensitive material is shared, and the work is done by Clayton personally, not handed to a team.
Do you work remotely?
Yes. CWV Consulting is based in San Diego and works with owners and CEOs remotely across the United States, with in-person time in Southern California when it helps.
Next step
Bring the problem. The first call is free.
Thirty minutes, no deck. If it is a fit, you will have a one-page proposal within a week.