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The rise of fractional work: 5 top tips on how to make fractional working work for you.
At Brave Starts, we acknowledge work gets a little harder to come by as you get older, but rather than get despondent, we help engage people in practical solutions around what they can do next. For people like our members who are highly experienced, fractional work is something we should all be considering as a future work alternative.
Based on our own insights and those of Sara Daw, (CEO of Liberti Group,) this article summarises what fractional work is, what to expect from it and then we move into how to make it work for you.
First off – what is fractional work?
Fractional work means working for multiple clients on a part-time or project basis, often at a senior level (like CFO, CMO, CIO, CHRO). It’s not freelance in the traditional sense, nor is it consulting in the “parachute in and leave” model. Fractional executives often take on ongoing strategic roles just not full-time and not exclusively.
Think of it as being a senior leader 1–3 days per week for one or more companies, bringing your expertise without them needing to hire you full-time. It’s cost-effective for clients and liberating for you.
Why take notice?
The workforce is changing. There is a movement away from companies offering full time jobs – in May 2025 alone, the number of full time jobs dropped by 109,000 part of a wider, longer term trend sparked by many of these factors:
- Market uncertainty means companies are cautious about long-term headcount commitments
- AI and automation are reshaping which roles are needed and how many people are needed to fill them
- Flexible working expectations have changed the nature of the employer-employee relationship
- Increased employment protections and overheads have made full-time hires less attractive to some businesses
- Remote and hybrid working have widened the talent pool, allowing companies to source expertise on-demand, regardless of location
Put simply, organisations are looking for agility, and individuals are looking for autonomy. Fractional work offers both and the numbers speak for themselves. According to Sara:
In 2022, there were just 2,000 fractional leaders in the UK. By 2024, that number had soared to over 110,000. The model is clearly gaining momentum and fast. This is more widely reflected in this Forbes article showing start ups in 2022 hired an average of 1.7 professionals which by 2024 was up to 4.4 professionals.
Fractional working is on the rise and it is perfectly aligned with the future of work. So: what can you do to get in on the act? Here are 5 top tips to get your self fractionally ready.
1. Develop an entrepreneurial-mindset:
This isn’t traditional employment. Fractional work is closer to running your own business than having a job. You're not just doing the work; you're also the product, the marketer, the salesperson, and the service provider. This shift requires a new mindset and skillset. To thrive as a fractional leader, you need to be:
- Proactive: Clients won’t just appear. You’ll need to actively identify opportunities, network, pitch your value, and followup.
- Commercially savvy: You must understand pricing, profit margins, and how to communicate ROI. You’re not selling time, you’re solving a business problem and or adding value. How can you show this?
- You need to be comfortable with ambiguity: You may come into organisations mid-crisis or at turning points. There won't always be clear job descriptions or lines of accountability. You’ll often be asked to lead without authority.
- Resilient: The work may ebb and flow.You’ll need to be comfortable with periods of uncertainty and still have the confidence to keep putting yourself out there.
- Client-focused: Great fractional leaders quickly build trust, often by giving more than you take at the beginning.
Sara Daw’s insight: "To be fractional, you must be entrepreneurial. You're not waiting to be managed, you need to show up ready to make things happen”.
Key takeaway: Start thinking of yourself as a brand. What problem do you solve? Who benefits most from your expertise? What’s your unique value proposition? Fractional work rewards those can answer these questions clearly and confidently.
2. Trust is earned, not assumed:
One of the reasons fractional work is growing in popularity is because smaller businesses can’t afford to make hiring mistakes. A poor full-time hire can be costly, not just in salary and time, but in training, morale, and potential legal complexity if things don’t work out.
With fractional roles, the risk is lower, but that doesn’t mean trust is automatic. As a fractional leader, you’re entering someone else’s business and team. Credibility has to be earned through the value you deliver. That means:
- Showing early wins
- Listening deeply before offering solutions
- Demonstrating that you “get it” quickly
- Adapting to their culture while offering outside perspective
Over time, as you become embedded and trusted, you gain more influence, autonomy, and the ability to shape your role. A significant number of Sara Daw’s executives have worked with the same client for over 15 years.
Key takeaway: Trust is the currency of fractional work and it’s built through consistency, credibility and impact (not how many years of experience you have…)
3. Buy yourself a ‘year of runway’.
Most fractional leaders don’t go full-throttle from day one. Sara advises allowing 12 months of “runway” to establish a strong reputation and client base and says its very realistic to assume you’ll need at least 3 months to even build your first fractional relationship. However, if we compare this to Brave Starts members who change jobs, the average amount of time needed is much longer, so fractional is a shorter and faster solution to building up an alternative form of income.
4. Focus beats breadth
Probably the biggest mistake we see members making as they panic about trying to find work is to try and be everything to everyone. As Seth Godin once said: “If you’re for everyone, you’re for no one.” The data backs this up: specialists get higher ratings on the advice they give than generalists. You can read more advice and guidance on creating your niche in this linkedin Article
Key takeaway: You’ll make faster progress by marketing yourself to a niche and solving a specific problem, rather than being a generalist.
5. Age is a competitive advantage
Sara was clear: experience and maturity are assets in this space. Fractional clients want wisdom, commitment and experience. In many ways, the fractional world values age more than traditional employment structures do and Sara sees plenty of people blending fractional work into their retirement (if we can still call it that!)
Want to learn more?
Sara leads the Liberti Group, which includes a family of specialist companies supporting fractional executives and clients alike. Explore them here:
The video and full recording is available in our resources section of the website.
#fractionalwork #futureofwork #cfo #cmo #cio #chro#ageisasset #bravestarts
