--- title: "How I work with founders in growth businesses" url: https://www.simonwakeman.com/how-i-work/ description: "Four ways to work with me: fractional COO, consultant COO, advisor and leadership coaching for founders of £2m-£20m scaling businesses in the UK and US." modified: 2026-10-24T19:00:00Z author: Simon Wakeman --- # How I work with founders in growth businesses ## Four ways to work together Your business is taking off, but scaling brings unexpected challenges that threaten your success and happiness as a founder. There are four ways that I work with founders like you to navigate this tricky transition from start-up to scale-up: 1. [01Business leadership as a fractional Chief Operating Officer (COO)](#fractional-coo) 2. [02Delivering consultancy projects to solve problems fast](#consultancy) 3. [03Supporting founders as advisor or non-exec board member](#advisor) 4. [04Coaching leaders as a specialist operational leadership coach](#coaching) ![Simon Wakeman](https://www.simonwakeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SW3-3.jpg) Ongoing · 1, 2 or 3 days a week ### Fractional Chief Operating Officer (COO) Get the benefits of experienced, senior operational leadership to accelerate growth and build a resilient company. Free up your time and focus as a founder. - Embedded in your leadership team - Ongoing engagement for 6 to 12 months - 1, 2 or 3 days per week - Representing your business internally and externally - Leading work of teams in the business [Work with me as a fractional COO](https://www.simonwakeman.com/how-i-work/fractional-coo/) Project-based ### Consultancy projects A project-based engagement working with you to solve a challenge or move part of your business forward. Delivered collaboratively and supportively. - Fixing a specific challenge in your business - External expert perspective - Flexible, rapid delivery of results - COO/integrator approach to problem solving - Consultative and engaging approach [Work with me as a consultant COO](https://www.simonwakeman.com/how-i-work/consultant-coo-for-scale-up-businesses/) Monthly board meetings · ad-hoc advice ### Advisor Helping boards and leadership teams deliver strategic goals. Monthly board meetings plus ad-hoc ongoing advice and guidance when you need it. - External accountability and challenge - On-demand expertise and support - Extensive advisory and non-exec experience [Work with me as an advisor](https://www.simonwakeman.com/how-i-work/advisor-for-scale-up-businesses/) Structured programmes ### Operational leadership coaching Structured coaching programmes and regular conversations to help you work through challenges and become a better operational leader. - Ongoing leadership coaching - Structured, goal-oriented coaching programmes - Accredited coach with specialist experience [Work with me as a coach](https://www.simonwakeman.com/how-i-work/leadership-coaching/) ## What founders say > _“Simon has an outstanding skill set and extensive experience in technology, business operations and management. He is easy to work with and can effectively draw on his skills and experience to help solve problems with calm authority and creativity. I highly recommend Simon to anyone looking for efficient, energetic and effective support.”_ Neil Benson, serial biotech founder at Xenologiq, Quantlmed & Sevenless Therapeutics ![Neil Benson](https://www.simonwakeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/neil-benson.jpeg) > _“I’d known Simon at a distance for over a decade, _but only started working directly with him in 2023_ – and wished I’d brought him in before! He came into the senior team at my ecommerce SaaS platform with a consummate skill at collaborative improvement. He has made a big difference in team re-directing and re-energizing – and really got things done. He combines both a high emotional EQ and systemising skills, which is not so common. 100% recommended.”_ Deri Jones, founder & CEO at ThinkTribe ![Deri Jones](https://www.simonwakeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/deri.jpeg) > _“As a fractional executive in our leadership team, Simon designed and implemented new processes that have significantly improved our operational efficiency. Notably, he introduced our new 1:1s to enhance team engagement and helped create a new ‘lead to sale’ process for our agency. Simon is a collaborative and supportive executive in whom we had trust and confidence from the start. He listens and advises, leveraging his extensive agency and consultancy experience to build trust with the team and deliver results quickly._“ Peter O’Brien, Co-founder & Creative Director, Hidden Creative ![Peter O’Brien](https://www.simonwakeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/peter-obrien.jpeg) > _“Simon brought a level of insight and expertise that profoundly impacted our company’s leadership strategy. His customized approach helped us outline a clear path for our company’s growth in the short and long term and establish personal goals for each founder. Simon’s strategic thinking, coupled with his ability to provoke thoughtful discussions, made the entire process not only effective but also enjoyable. We highly recommend Simon to any company looking to solidify their leadership structure and future plans.”_ Matt Linder, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Strand LLC ![Matt Linder](https://www.simonwakeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/matt-linder-1.jpg) > _“When managers reach senior leadership positions, it’s really important that they continue to reflect and grow. Generic training courses don’t really cut it at this point, you need space to consider how your personal style can be translated into value for your organisation. Simon takes a personalised approach to coaching and mentoring, he has worked with me to unblock complex change management scenarios, design services and helped me see where I could demonstrate readiness for the next stage in my career. With Simon’s support and guidance, I was promoted to a director level position within 6 months. Simon is warm, thoughtful and a brilliant listener. Our sessions together invest in my personal growth and tie this to meaningful commercial outcomes.”_ Charmagne Rayman-Bacchus-Thompson, Chief Operating Officer, Torchbox ![Charmagne Rayman-Bacchus-Thompson](https://www.simonwakeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/charmagne.jpeg) ## Which kind of help do you need? Most founders need different shapes of help at different times. Each guide is the conversation I’d want to have with a founder before we work together, not after. [See all four guides and their articles](https://www.simonwakeman.com/guides/) 1. [01 Fractional COO When you need a COO but a full-time hire isn’t right.](https://www.simonwakeman.com/guides/fractional-coo/) 2. [02 Consultant COO When the work is project-shaped, not ongoing.](https://www.simonwakeman.com/guides/consultant-coo/) 3. [03 Advisor When you need an experienced operator in the room and on speed dial, but not on your team all the time.](https://www.simonwakeman.com/guides/advisor/) 4. [04 Founder coaching When you want to invest in yourself – how you’re leading, what you’re avoiding and what you need to let go of next.](https://www.simonwakeman.com/guides/founder-coaching/) ## Leading a growth business? My B3 framework® helps you get your scaling journey right and reduce the challenges of successful business growth. Developed in 2023 from more than 60 interviews with scale-up founders and investors, it’s a simple yet powerful framework for company building, giving you everything you need to build a brilliant business. [![The B3 framework diagram: why, what and how at the top, then strategy and operating model, roles, structure, governance and decision making, and the building blocks of operating the business](https://www.simonwakeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/diagraminGIF-1536x1024-1.gif)](https://www.simonwakeman.com/b3/) [**Find out more about the B3 framework®**](https://www.simonwakeman.com/b3/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Which of the four is right for my business? It depends on the shape of the problem. If you need senior operational leadership week in, week out, that’s a fractional COO. If there’s a defined piece of work, such as a restructure or a system rollout, that’s a consultancy project. If you want an experienced operator to challenge your thinking and hold you to account, that’s an advisor. If the work is on you as a leader, that’s coaching. If you’re not sure, that’s what the first call is for. ### Can I combine them, or move from one to another? Yes. The help a founder needs changes as the business grows. A consultancy project can turn into ongoing fractional work, and a fractional COO engagement can end with me staying on as an advisor. ### What size of business do you work with? Founders and CEOs of £2m–£20m scale-ups in the UK and US, usually with 10 to 125 people. Most are tech-centric businesses, agencies, SaaS and professional services firms. ### Do you work remotely? Mostly, yes. Calls are on video. If you’d like a face-to-face meeting or a workshop, email me. ### What’s your background? More than 26 years as a founder, MD and COO. I ran Deeson, a digital agency, which was sold to the UK-listed Panoply group in 2018. I was then group COO of TPXimpact plc as it grew from £31.5m to £83m revenue and from 361 to 700 people. I’ve been an independent fractional COO since 2018. ### What happens on the first call? It’s a free video call about where your business is and what’s getting in the way. By the end we’ll both know whether one of the four ways of working fits. If none of them does, I’ll say so. ## Next step Not sure which of the four is right for you? Start with a free conversation to find out more. [Book a call with Simon](https://www.simonwakeman.com/contact/book-a-call/)