Somebody to help you run the place.
A right hand, two days a month. From $3,000 a month — in your building, in your meetings, on the hook for getting things done the same way one of your people would be. For owners with anywhere from 1 to 100 employees who need real help running things but can't justify paying somebody six figures to do it full time.
Some people call this a fractional COO. You don't have to.
Two or three businesses at a time · Three months to start, then month to month · Anywhere in the country
Typical market figures for an operations leader, not a quote. Full breakdown below.
Three kinds of help. Most owners need one.
Every business has three things that can go sideways: the work, the money, and the people. Whichever one keeps you up is where we start. It doesn't much matter what trade you're in — a print shop, a restaurant, a clinic and a framing crew all break in the same three places.
"Nothing happens unless I do it"
The business got bigger than the way you've been running it. Every question still comes to you.
- Who's responsible for what, written down so everyone agrees
- The things that keep going wrong, fixed for good
- A weekly meeting that ends with who's doing what by when
- A clear picture of how much work you can actually take on
The formal name for this is a COO or VP of Operations.
"I don't know what I'm really making"
You're making big decisions off your bank balance and a gut feeling. It's worked so far. It won't forever.
- A three-month look ahead at your cash, so a tight week never surprises you
- Which jobs and which crews actually made money
- Prices built on what the work really costs you today
- A plan for the year, and somebody checking you against it
The formal name for this is a CFO.
"My crew is the problem"
Good people, no system around them. Nobody's sure what they're supposed to own, and nobody's been told how they're doing.
- Everybody knows what their job actually is
- A short list of numbers each person is measured on
- Sit-downs that happen on a schedule instead of when something blows up
- A path your best people can see themselves on, so they stay
The formal name for this is a Director of Operations or Head of People.
Not a consultant. Somebody who sticks around.
A consultant hands you a report and leaves. This is different — you're still sitting in the same meeting next month when it's time to actually do the thing.
Two days a month in your building, the work in between, and a written record of what got decided so nothing quietly disappears.
Three things to do before the next visit, ranked, with the reason for each — and a record of what got done since the last one.
Most owners never add up what the real hire would cost.
Illustrative, using typical market ranges for an operations leader — not a quote, and your numbers will differ. The point isn't the exact total. It's that the gap is usually larger than owners expect, and a bad full-time hire costs you the recruiting and the ramp twice.
Real numbers. No "contact us for pricing."
One flat monthly fee against a defined number of days. No hourly billing, no annual contract.
The Diagnostic
For the owner who knows something's off and wants it named.
- Two weeks inside your operation
- Interviews with you and your key people
- A written findings document you keep
- The three things to fix first, in order
- Credited toward an ongoing engagement
Fractional Operator
For the owner who needs a COO and can't justify the salary.
- Two days a month in your building, in your meetings
- Everybody knowing what their job is, and how they're measured
- What each job makes, what to charge, what's coming in
- A monthly packet and video
- Three-month start, then month to month
Embedded Partner
For the owner building toward a sale, a second location, or stepping back.
- Everything in Fractional Operator
- Weekly presence, not monthly
- Hiring and leadership development
- Full financial oversight alongside your CPA
- A named succession or exit plan
Books + Operator. The step in between — the full back office plus a half day on site each month, a rolling 13-week cash forecast, profitability by job or crew, and one process documented every quarter. Move up or back down any month.
See the bookkeeping side →This isn't for everybody. Here's the honest line.
This is you if
- Every decision still comes through you
- You've added people and it somehow got more chaotic, not less
- A couple of jobs lost money last year and nobody can tell you why
- You've hit a size you can't seem to get past
- You've thought about hiring a manager and stopped at the salary
Probably not yet if
- It's just you and a helper and things are simple — a one-time cleanup would do more for you
- You want somebody to do tasks, not run a part of the business
- You want a report to read, not a person in your building
- The real problem is the books are a mess — start there instead
Not sure which side you're on? That's what The Diagnostic is for — two weeks, a written answer, no obligation to go further.
How long has that seat been empty?
Twenty minutes on the phone is enough to find out what filling it would look like for your business.
Straight answers.
What does part-time help cost?
Fractional Operator starts at $3,000 a month for two days on site, with a three-month start and then month to month. Books + Operator is $1,750 for a half day. The Diagnostic is $1,500 one time and gets credited toward an ongoing engagement. Embedded Partner is quoted by application. These are the published rates — there's no founding discount, because a cheap price from somebody you're trusting with your operation should worry you more than a fair one.
What does this actually look like day to day?
Two days a month in your building — walking the floor, sitting with your leads, running your team meeting. Between those days, the work that doesn't need me there: writing things down, building the numbers, following up. And you can call or text with a question any day of the month. It's a spot on your team filled part time, not advice mailed in from outside.
How is this different from a consultant?
A consultant writes you a report and moves on. The report usually ends up in a drawer, because reading what's wrong and fixing it are two different jobs. Here I'm still in the room next month when your guy has to say whether he got it done. That follow-through is most of the value — the report is the easy part.
Do I have to be in Michigan?
No. This runs remote or hybrid anywhere in the country — video for the working sessions, your systems for the rest, and the same standing accountability either way. West Michigan is home ground, so on-site days are easy here and worth having when you can get them.
Do I have to start with bookkeeping?
No. Some owners come in through the books because that's the pain they feel today. Others start with The Diagnostic because they already know the problem is bigger. Either door works, and neither obligates you to the other.
Is there a contract?
Fractional Operator carries a three-month minimum, because operational work genuinely takes that long to produce anything real and a shorter commitment would be selling you something that can't work. After that it's month to month. Bookkeeping plans have no minimum at all.
How many clients do you take?
Two to three fractional engagements at a time, maximum. This only works if the person in your building has room to think about your business between visits. It's a real cap, not scarcity marketing.
Twenty minutes. Bring the thing that's stuck.
Tell us where the business is jammed and what you've already tried. You'll get a straight answer on whether a fractional seat helps, what it would cost, and what the first ninety days would cover.
Rather just grab a slot than wait on an email? Pick one that works and you'll get the invite straight away.
See open times
You'll be talking to the person who'll actually do the work. Not a call center, not a sales rep, not somebody who hands you off after you sign.
Curtis Lubbers · Founder