Option 01
Fractional COO
An experienced Chief Operating Officer who embeds in your business part-time — typically 2–3 days per week. They own strategy AND execution, build the systems, manage the team, and drive results without the full-time salary, benefits, or equity.
Typical Cost
$3,000–$10,000 CAD/mo
vs $150K–$300K+ full-time
Option 02
Full-Time COO
A senior executive who joins your company full-time. They're fully embedded, manage the entire ops function, and become part of your permanent leadership team. The right fit — but at a significant cost and commitment.
Typical Cost
$150K–$300K+/yr
+ benefits, equity & 3–6 mo. search
Option 03
Business Coach
A facilitator who helps you think through strategy and accountability, typically in weekly calls. They offer perspective, frameworks, and accountability — but they don't execute, build systems, or manage your team.
Typical Cost
$500–$5,000 CAD/mo
Advice only — no execution
01 // THE COST PICTURE
The Annual Cost Reality
Total cost of engagement when you factor in salary, benefits, search time, and opportunity cost.
Full-Time COO
Salary + benefits + equity + 6-month search
$250,000+
Fractional COO
Navigator — no benefits, no equity, starts in days
$36K–$120K
Business Coach
Advisory only — no execution or systems work
$6K–$60K
Navigator Savings
$130K–$230K
saved annually vs a full-time COO hire
Time to Start
Days vs months
Full-time search: 3–6 months average
02 // THE FULL PICTURE
Side-by-Side Comparison
Every dimension that matters when choosing your operational leadership model.
Fractional COO
Navigator
Full-Time COO
Business Coach
03 // YOUR SITUATION
Which One Is Right for You?
Match your current stage and constraint to the right model.
01 // Scenario
You're scaling from $1M to $5M
You need someone who can diagnose your operational constraints fast, build the systems, and get out of your way. You can't afford a full-time C-suite hire, and a coach won't roll up their sleeves.
Fractional COO
High-impact, right-sized for your stage.
02 // Scenario
You're pre-revenue or at $500K
You're still validating the business model. The constraints are mindset, market-fit, and early habits — not operational architecture. Execution-layer help would be premature.
Business Coach
Clarity and accountability at the right price.
03 // Scenario
You're at $10M+ with 50+ staff
At this size, you need someone embedded full-time managing a full leadership team, P&L, and cross-functional strategy. Fractional capacity isn't sufficient for the org's complexity.
Full-Time COO
The complexity justifies the full-time commitment.
04 // Scenario
You need to fix operations before hiring
Your processes are broken and you're about to grow fast. The right move is to stabilize and document before adding headcount — or the new hires inherit the chaos.
Fractional COO
Fix the foundation. Then scale the team.
04 // THE NAVIGATOR DIFFERENCE
Not a Consultant. Not a Coach. An Operator.
Navigator Fractional COO engagements are built for one outcome: a business that scales without you. We don't hand you a slide deck. We build the system, install the team, and hand you back your time.
25+
Years of operational experience across industries
1,000+
Founders and business leaders worked with directly
Days
Average time from first call to active engagement
05 // COMMON QUESTIONS