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Operations & Strategic Support - Senior-Level Expertise, Without the Full-Time Cost

There comes a point in every growing business where the founder can no longer do everything. The strategy, the operations, the people, the processes — it's too much for one person, and the cracks start to show. Hiring a full-time Chief Operating Officer is the traditional answer, but for most small and scaling businesses, a six-figure salary isn't the right move right now.

That's exactly what our operations and strategic support service is designed for. Through Charlotte, our specialist Operations & Strategy Lead, we provide fractional COO and Chief of Staff support to early-stage founders and growing businesses - giving you board-level operational expertise on a flexible, part-time basis.

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“As an experienced COO and Chief of Staff, I offer strategic partnership and support to early-stage Founders and CEOs — operationally steering the organisation so that you can focus on what you need to in order to see your business scale. ”
— Charlotte

What's Included

  • Fractional COO support - taking ownership of your day-to-day operations so you can focus on the bigger picture

  • Chief of Staff support - acting as your strategic right hand, managing priorities and keeping the business aligned

  • Process automation and efficiency - identifying where time and money are being lost and implementing better systems

  • Documentation and SOPs - building the processes and procedures that allow your business to scale without chaos

  • HR and people leadership - org design, hiring processes, onboarding, and team structure

  • Customer success strategy - building the systems and processes that retain clients and drive revenue growth

  • Customer journey mapping - understanding and improving every touchpoint your clients experience

  • Company goal and OKR management - setting, tracking, and communicating objectives across the business

  • Company finance management - overseeing financial health, reporting, and planning

  • Investor relations - preparing for funding rounds, managing investor communications, and building investor-ready operations

  • Operational audit - a standalone deep-dive into your current operations with a clear findings report and recommendations

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The Operational Audit - from £795

Not sure where to start? The operational audit is the fastest way to get clarity on what's working, what isn't, and exactly what to fix first.

Charlotte will conduct a thorough review of your current processes, systems, team structure, and operations - then deliver a clear written report with prioritised recommendations, followed by a one-to-one session to walk through her findings together.

It's a fixed-price, no-obligation starting point that gives you a concrete action plan - whether you go on to work with Charlotte further or take the recommendations and run with them yourself.

  • Deep-dive review of your operations, processes, and systems

  • Written findings report with clear, prioritised recommendations

  • One-to-one session to discuss findings and next steps

  • Practical action plan you can implement immediately

From £795 - pricing varies based on business size and complexity. Get in touch to discuss your specific situation.

Who Is This For?

Our operations and strategic support service is particularly well-suited to:

  • Early-stage founders who are scaling quickly and need operational structure to match

  • CEOs and business owners who are too deep in the day-to-day and need to step back

  • Businesses preparing for a funding round who need investor-ready operations

  • Growing teams that have outpaced their current processes and systems

  • Founders who are doing everything themselves and know it isn't sustainable

Why Through The Social Sphere?

Charlotte works as a specialist partner through The Social Sphere, which means you get the benefit of her senior expertise alongside everything else our team offers - admin support, bookkeeping, social media, website management, and more. If your business needs to scale its operations and its marketing at the same time, we can support both without you managing multiple agencies or suppliers.

It also means one trusted relationship, one point of contact, and a team that understands your business from every angle.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A fractional COO is an experienced Chief Operating Officer who works with your business on a part-time or flexible basis. You get the expertise, strategic thinking, and leadership of a senior operations professional without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. It's a model that's becoming increasingly popular with small and scaling businesses across the UK.

  • There's significant overlap between the two roles. A Chief of Staff typically focuses on the CEO's priorities - managing communications, ensuring alignment, and making sure the right things get done. A COO tends to have direct ownership of operations. In practice, for early-stage businesses, Charlotte's role often combines both - she's a strategic partner who owns the operational side of the business.

  • t depends entirely on what your business needs. Fractional support typically starts at one or two days per week and can scale up or down as your requirements change. We'll scope the right level of involvement during an initial conversation.

  • Charlotte conducts a structured review of your current operations - looking at your processes, systems, team structure, how work flows through the business, and where the inefficiencies and risks are. She'll then deliver a written report with clear, prioritised recommendations and sit down with you to walk through it. Most audits are completed within two to three weeks.

  • No. The operational audit is a standalone service. Many clients do choose to continue working with Charlotte after the audit, but there's no obligation. The report and recommendations are yours to take away and act on however you choose.

  • Yes - in fact, getting operational structure right early is one of the best investments a growing business can make. The earlier you build good processes and systems, the easier it is to scale without things breaking. Charlotte works with businesses at various stages, from pre-revenue startups to established companies that have grown faster than their operations.

  • The best first step is a conversation. Get in touch and we'll arrange a no-obligation call with Charlotte to talk through where your business is, what the challenges are, and what kind of support would make the most difference.

Ready to Build Operations That Scale?

Whether you need a one-off operational audit or ongoing strategic support, we'd love to talk. Get in touch today to arrange a call with Charlotte.

Book An Operational Audit- From £795