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The Case for a Fractional CMO in Early-Stage Companies and SMEs
- Glynis Dewhirst
- Aug 21
- 3 min read
Strategic leadership, without unnecessary overhead.
Whether you’re building a start-up from the ground up or running an established SME, there comes a point where marketing starts to feel like it’s holding you back rather than driving you forward.
Campaigns don’t land the way they should. Agencies deliver activity but not results. Messaging feels inconsistent. And more often than not, you - the founder, or managing director - are still the one making the final marketing calls.
The natural instinct is to hire a senior marketer or even a full-time CMO. But for many businesses, that leap is premature - and painfully expensive.
The smarter move? Bring in a Fractional CMO: a senior marketing leader who provides the strategic clarity you need, part-time, and at a cost that makes sense.
Why a full-time CMO isn’t always the right choice
There’s no doubt a CMO can transform a business. But if you’re still finding product-market fit, scaling up operations, or operating within SME budgets, the drawbacks are clear:
• Cost: £100k+ a year in salary, plus benefits and long-term commitment.
• Risk: Hiring full-time before you’ve clarified your strategy can be a costly misstep.
• Pressure: Expecting one hire to “fix marketing” overnight is unrealistic.
For most early-stage businesses and SMEs alike, that money is better spent building the foundations for growth before making a permanent hire.
What a fractional CMO delivers
A fractional CMO gives you the leadership and experience of a senior marketing executive, but without the overhead. Their role is to ensure your marketing is strategic, consistent, and growth-focused.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
• Strategic clarity: Pinpoint where to focus your marketing - and where to stop wasting effort.
• Customer-first messaging: Shape a value proposition that resonates with buyers.
• Team and agency alignment: Get everyone working towards shared outcomes.
• Foundations for scale: Put the right frameworks, KPIs, and processes in place.
• Founder/MD relief: Free you from marketing decisions that drain your time and headspace.
It’s not about more noise. It’s about making sure every pound you spend moves the business forward.
Signs it’s time to bring in a fractional CMO
This isn’t just for start-ups racing for growth.
SMEs too can benefit when:
• Marketing feels reactive, not strategic.
• You’re spending significantly on agencies or campaigns but struggling to prove ROI.
• You’ve got a capable team, but no senior leader to guide them.
• Growth has slowed and you can’t see where the bottleneck is.
• You’re considering a senior hire but aren’t sure you’re ready for the commitment.
If any of these resonate, a fractional CMO can provide the clarity and leadership you need - without the overhead you don’t.
Why Velara Solutions?
At Velara Solutions Ltd, we help both early-stage companies and SMEs turn scattered marketing into a structured growth engine.
Our approach is designed to fit ambitious businesses that need senior guidance without the cost of a full-time CMO:
• Clarity first: We uncover what’s working, what’s wasted, and where to focus.
• Practical frameworks: Easy for your existing team or agencies to adopt.
• Momentum fast: In just two weeks, our Strategy Sprint gives you a clear plan of action.
The outcome? Marketing that works harder, scales with you, and drives commercial results.
Next Step
If marketing feels like more effort and cost than it should - whether you’re leading a fast-moving start-up or an established SME - the answer isn’t another expensive hire.
A fractional CMO gives you the strategic leadership you need today, while keeping your business lean and flexible.
► Start with our 2-Week Strategy Sprint - a focused engagement that delivers clarity and a 90-day action plan in just 10 working days.
📞 Or, if you’d like to explore how we can help your business achieve its goals, book your free strategy call today.
