Purpose In Action · Fractional COO & Operational Advisory · United Kingdom

Structure that holds without you.

Operational structure, leadership-team development, and deliberate technology positioning for founder-led businesses between $500k and $15M — in professional services, legal, agencies, and construction.

$603kRevenue recovered for a founder-led client, and growing
20+ yrsOperational work inside growing businesses, UK & US
$500k–$15MFounder-led firms served across four sectors

The bottleneck is structural, not personal

Most founders do not stall from bad decisions. They stall because responsibility grows faster than structure — until the business depends on one person to hold it together. Purpose In Action installs the operating structure and develops the leadership team to hold it, so the business becomes structurally independent of its founder.

The structural maturity gap — where complexity outruns structure.

Structure beats willpower. The work is not to push harder inside a broken design — it is to redesign the system so the business no longer needs you as its engine.David Schofield · Purpose In Action

The Firm Foundation Framework

Four pillars. Each maps a human symptom to a structural correction, installed in sequence.

01

Financial Visibility

Predictive 30–90 day forward cash flow and margin-by-service-line tracking.

02

Decision Authority

Threshold-Based Authority Maps — who decides what, without the founder.

03

Leadership Rhythm

Decision-First Cadences that replace activity-reporting meetings.

04

Accountability Design

Outcome Governance — one accountable owner for every critical KPI.

Two ways to work together

01Time-limited correction

Founder Operational Advisory

Installs operational structure and develops the leadership team to hold it, then hands ownership back — install, stabilise, exit.

Right when revenue is $500k–$2M and the right systems do not yet exist.

$2,500–$6,000 / month

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02Embedded oversight

Fractional COO

Embedded operational leadership for businesses that need ongoing governance rather than time-limited correction.

Right when drift keeps returning and revenue is $1M+ with compounding complexity.

$10,000–$15,000 / month

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Proven outcomes

−$68k → +$200kMargin swing within twelve months
12 → 19Staff scaled cleanly, ownership held throughout
12 systemsBuilt across the operating stack in seven months
96%Collections discipline at peak, from an inconsistent baseline

What founders say

WH

We love working with David. It may end up being the most impactful decision we have made in our business.

Wesley Henderson · Founder
AM

His guidance throughout the operational work and 1:1 coaching has been transformative.

Alejandro Meyerhans · CEO
TT

David has a rare ability to help you cut through the noise and focus on what actually matters.

Tomaš Tašić · CEO

See full case studies →

Who it is for

Founder-led businesses between $500k and $15M where growth has outpaced internal structure — and the founder has become the single point of failure.

Frequently asked questions

What is a fractional COO?

A fractional COO is an experienced operations leader who works with a business part-time — installing operating structure, developing the leadership team, and governing performance — without the cost or permanence of a full-time hire.

How is this different from a management consultant?

A consultant typically diagnoses and reports. Purpose In Action is a Systems Designer: it installs the structure, develops the people to hold it, and hands ownership back — so the improvement stays after the engagement ends.

Who do you work with?

Founder-led businesses between $500k and $15M in professional services, legal practices, digital agencies, consultancies and construction, across the UK and United States.

Begin with a conversation

A focused 30-minute Operational Clarity Call — a direct read of where the business stands, not a sales pitch. Time-boxed work, ownership handed back, no obligation.

Book an Operational Clarity Call →