"Fractional" sounds like a finance term. It sounds like something for venture-backed startups, not a 12-person service business trying to figure out why projects keep stalling.
But that's exactly who it's for.
Fractional executive leadership means you get an experienced senior leader, COO, Director of Operations, PMO-level, working inside your business on a part-time or project basis. Same caliber of thinking you'd get from a full-time hire. Without the $150,000-plus salary, the benefits package, or the long-term commitment you're not ready for yet.
You pay for the expertise. Not the overhead.
Why It Works for Small Businesses
The traditional hiring model assumes you need someone at that level 40 hours a week, indefinitely. Most small businesses don't. What they need is senior-level judgment applied to a specific problem, a launch, a broken process, a leadership gap, and then the flexibility to adjust as things change.
A four-to-six month executive search takes longer than most problems can wait. A full-time hire at $150k–$180k is a fixed cost whether or not you need all 40 hours. And if the fit isn't right, the exit is expensive and slow. Fractional flips all of that. Most engagements are scoped and signed within a week. The cost is tied to specific deliverables. If your needs change, the engagement changes with them.
What This Actually Looks Like
A retail business owner opening a second location needs someone to manage the launch plan, permits, vendors, staffing, training, while she stays focused on running the first one. A professional services firm six months into a failed CRM implementation needs someone to take over, rebuild the plan with clear owners, and get it done. A solo founder hiring her first two employees needs processes documented and an onboarding plan built before day one.
This is the work. Not advisory calls. Not slide decks. Real work, done alongside you.
Who This Is For
I work with solo founders, small teams navigating growth, and mid-sized businesses navigating leadership gaps. The common thread isn't size, it's that the business needs senior-level thinking that isn't currently available in-house at a price point that makes sense right now.
If you've ever thought I just need someone who's done this before, that's the signal.
Ready to see if this fits your situation?
A free 30-minute initial consultation is the best starting point. No commitment, just clarity.
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Why Small Business Owners Are the Bottleneck in Their Own Business (And How to Fix It) 5 min read · Operations & GrowthKristine A. Rawls is the Founder and Principal Consultant of KKPM Strategic Partners, a fractional executive leadership and strategic consulting firm serving small businesses, solo founders, and growing teams across North Carolina and nationally.