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FOR STARTUP FOUNDERS, OR YOU STARTED IT AND NOW YOU’RE STUCK
Your fractional COO,
without the full-time price tag.
I step in as your part-time Chief Operating Officer. I help you prove what customers truly want, then build the systems, team and rhythm to run it. Startup strategy and day-to-day operations, in one partner.
Fractional COO for startups and small businesses, in all 50 states.
ApreGrow provides fractional COO services for startups and small businesses nationwide. As your part-time Chief Operating Officer, I help you prove what works, then build the systems, team and rhythm to run it, from market research and validation to marketing, finance and operations, without the full-time executive price tag. Based in Pinedale, Wyoming, and working with founders in all 50 states.
One partner, every function.
Market research · Data science · Validation · Go-to-market · UX and visual design · Product management · Marketing · Company formation · Finance · Operations · Legal and HR · Plus you.
Hi, I’m Crystal. A business consultant who’s been in your shoes.
I’ve started and run multiple companies from scratch, so I know what it’s like to be the founder doing everything: the product, the pitch, the payroll and the late-night spreadsheet.
Some founders need to find out whether anyone will actually pay. Others have early traction and need the systems, team and rhythm to keep up with it. Most need a little of both, and that’s exactly where I work.
I’m a little addicted to helping exceptional founders build what the market is already asking for.
What is a fractional COO?
PLAIN AND SIMPLE
Think of it as a seasoned right hand who has done this before, on your team only as much as you need.
COO
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
The person who keeps a business running day to day, so the founder can focus on customers, the product and the big picture.
Fractional
PART-TIME
Instead of hiring a full-time executive, you get the same experience for a few hours a week, at a fraction of the cost. You may also hear it called a part-time COO or an outsourced COO.
Full-time COO vs. fractional COO.
Same senior experience. A very different commitment.
Full-time COO
THE TRADITIONAL HIRE
A full executive salary plus benefits, a long hiring search, and a big commitment before you know what you really need.
Fractional COO
THE APREGROW WAY
Senior help starting at $3,400 a month. Start in weeks, scale hours up or down, and keep the systems I build when we’re done.
What a fractional COO does for your business.
SIX THINGS I TAKE OFF YOUR PLATE
Turn big goals into a plan
Clear priorities, owners and deadlines, so everyone knows what matters this week.
Keep projects on track
I run the check-ins, chase the loose ends and catch problems before they get expensive.
Build simple systems
Checklists, tools and step-by-step processes, so work doesn’t live only in your head.
Watch the numbers
Cash, costs and sales in one simple view, so decisions are based on facts, not gut feel.
Manage people and vendors
Hiring, onboarding, contractors and suppliers, handled with clear expectations.
Find what customers want
I test your idea with real buyers, so you build what sells instead of what you hope will sell.
Signs you need a part-time COO.
→ Every decision, question and problem still goes through you.
→ You’re so busy working in the business that you can’t work on it.
→ Sales are coming in, but behind the scenes it feels like chaos.
→ You have a great idea but aren’t sure what the next right step is.
Sound familiar? That’s exactly where a fractional COO helps.
Real business growth, zero paid ads.
Organic growth is the plan: SEO, social media and influencers online, plus real local connections offline.
$20K to $1M
DOCTOR-LED HEALTHCARE PRACTICE
Grew from $20K a month to $1M a year in two years through organic social media.
5,400 sold out
NEW CONSUMER PRODUCT
Went from idea to market, sold out its first 5,400-unit run and reordered within six months through SEO, social and influencers.
$10K to $80K
LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS
Grew from $10K to $80K a month through social media, a new website and local strategic partnerships.
A small studio on purpose. High touch by design.
ApreGrow is intentionally lean. No account managers, no hand-offs, no wondering who’s actually doing the work.
You work with me, day to day
ONE POINT OF CONTACT
I’m your strategist, your point of contact and the person who answers your messages. You’ll always know where things stand and what’s next.
I manage the specialists
DESIGN, DATA, MARKETING, OPERATIONS
When your business needs design, data, marketing or operations help, I bring in the right people and keep them on track, so you don’t have to.
And your team, if you’d like
YOUR CALL
Need someone to lead your own people for a while? I’m happy to step in and manage your team alongside mine. Totally your call.
Startup consulting, from product-market fit to operations.
Use one service or all of them. Whatever you pick, I stay your single point of contact from start to finish.
Pre-launch, landing your first customers or scaling past your first hires? I can meet you where you are. Just ask.
Find product-market fit
PROVE WHAT SELLS
Market research
Concept validation
Data science
Go-to-market strategy
Visual and UX design
Product management
Lead the operations
RUN WHAT WORKS
Marketing
Company formation
Finance
Operations
Legal and HR
How much does a fractional COO cost?
Three simple ways to work together, plus a free first call. Anything outside scope is quoted up front, never slipped onto an invoice.
30-minute discovery call
FREE
Tell me your goals and what’s in the way. I’ll tell you honestly if I can help.
Fractional COO retainer
MOST POPULAR · FROM $3,400/MONTH
Ongoing part-time COO and strategy leadership without a full-time executive hire. Perfect for founders with early traction who can’t keep doing it all. I’m your day-to-day partner, and I manage the specialists (and your team, if you’d like).
Project-based
FROM $2,000 PER PROJECT
End-to-end ownership of one milestone, like a validation sprint, a product launch or a go-to-market push, from first plan to finish.
Flexible hourly
FROM $250 PER HOUR
Strategy, validation or operations advice billed by the hour. Great for pressure-testing an idea, a pitch or a plan without committing to a full project.
Rigor first. Momentum always.
HOW IT WORKS
I do the heavy lifting, but I want your input at every step so nothing gets missed.
Get to know you
STEP 1
I learn how you do things today: your data, tools, customers and team. I may chat with a few of your people to hear what’s working and what isn’t.
Validate
STEP 2
We test ideas against the market. You get my findings, clear recommendations, pricing and a proposed timeline.
Build it together
STEP 3
Working sessions, reviews and plenty of work in the background. I manage the specialists and keep everything moving.
Train and hand off
STEP 4
Your team gets trained and set up to run with it. Record every session, and keep a guide for future hires.
Fractional COO questions, answered plainly.
What is a fractional COO?
A fractional COO is a part-time Chief Operating Officer. Instead of hiring a full-time executive, you get an experienced operator for a few hours a week who keeps the business running day to day, builds systems, and keeps projects and people on track, so the founder can focus on customers and the big picture.
How much does a fractional COO cost?
At ApreGrow, an ongoing fractional COO retainer starts at $3,400 a month, project-based work starts at $2,000, and hourly advisory is $250 an hour. The first 30-minute discovery call is free.
Is a fractional COO the same as a business coach?
No. A business coach mostly gives advice. A fractional COO gives advice and also does the work: running team check-ins, building processes, tracking the numbers, and managing people and vendors.
What does product-market fit mean?
Product-market fit means enough of the right customers want what you sell, will pay for it, and come back or tell others. Before you have it, growth feels like pushing uphill. After you have it, the work shifts to keeping up.
Do you work with businesses outside Wyoming?
Yes. ApreGrow is based in Pinedale, Wyoming and works with founders and small businesses in all 50 states, fully remote or on site.
Do I need to spend money on ads to grow?
Not to start. ApreGrow leads with organic growth: SEO, social media, influencers and local partnerships. Paid ads come later, once organic results show what is working.
What happens on the free discovery call?
In 30 minutes you share your goals and what is getting in the way. Crystal tells you honestly whether she can help and what she would do first. There is no obligation.
Let’s build. Stop guessing. Start finding your pull.
Grab a free 30-minute call with your future fractional COO. Tell me where you are and what’s in the way, and I’ll share exactly what I’d do first.
Based in Pinedale, Wyoming. Serving founders in all 50 states. crystal@apregrow.com