5 Questions Every Founder Should Answer Before the New Year

When was the last time you raised your prices?The problem isn't that your clients can't afford more. It's that your costs have climbed while your prices stood still, and you've been quietly paying them to work with you.Spoiler: raise your prices 10% and lose two of your 20 clients, and your revenue still lands within about 1% of where it started, with less work.Your costs went up. Payroll went up. Software went up. In this episode, I walk service-based business owners (and CPG founders, because the same principles apply) through the math on what standing still costs, how to decide who gets an increase and how much, and how to communicate it without apologizing. You'll leave with a plan for your legacy clients and a contract clause that makes next year's conversation easy.In This EpisodeWhy we don't raise prices, and why price usually isn't the reason clients stayThe quiet costs of underpricing: thinner margins, slower hiring, and you working moreThe math: 3 years of 4% cost increases and no price change cuts profit by 37%What a 10% price increase does, even if you lose two clientsNew clients vs. existing clients: grandfather, phase in, pass along half, or prepayThe signs you're underpricedThe contract clause that turns pricing into an operating system (and the timing exception)How to communicate an increase: 30 to 60 days' notice, lead with results, no apologiesWhat to do when a client pushes back, and why a little churn is healthyYour homework: Pull your client list, write down each client's rate and the last time you raised it, and flag your three most underpriced accounts.Connect with Melissa:Free Consultation: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesFree Operational Leaks Masterclass: https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksLearn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.comWatch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks LinkedIn: Melissa Franks

Are you about to build your 2027 goals on top of an operation that already held you back this year?Most plans don't fail because the goal was too big. They fail because the business underneath it was never ready to carry it.Spoiler: the fix isn't a better goal. It's five questions and about an hour.This week, Melissa walks you through the exact year-end operations review we use with every On Call COO client. It isn't a financial review and it isn't goal setting. It's an honest look at how your business really ran this year, what it cost you, and what to change in the next 60 days so you start January executing instead of planning.In This EpisodeWhy a bigger goal means a bigger bottleneck, and how to find what's running through you that shouldn't (the control leak)How the interior designer got about 10 hours a week back in 30 daysWhy decisions made on gut feel are "a guess with a deadline," and the restaurant that found every plate was served at a lossThe cheapest problems in your business, and why you keep ignoring themThe $2,000 hot cocoa audit, and how to review recurring expenses and prices (including the 18-month rule)Three questions to ask about every key roleYour 60-day plan: November, December and January 1How a two-hour outside perspective unlocked $500,000 in stalled cashHomework: Block one hour on your calendar this month, answer the five questions in writing, and pick one action from each. Five decisions, not 50.Connect with Melissa:Free Consultation: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesFree Operational Leaks Masterclass: https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksLearn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.comWatch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks LinkedIn: Melissa Franks

If you're the only one who knows whether the week went well, do you have a team, or a to-do list with your name on every line?Accountability isn't about watching your people more closely. It's about agreeing on what winning looks like before the week starts.Spoiler: the thing that gets you out of micromanaging is a ten-minute weekly scorecard, and you can build it in a Google Sheet.Micromanaging is what happens when there's no agreed definition of done. In this episode, Melissa shares the story of an exhausted owner with color-coded calendars and a team that felt watched, then walks you through the three mistakes behind most accountability problems and how to fix each one. You'll leave knowing how to install accountability without eroding trust.In This EpisodeWhy micromanaging is a symptom of no agreed definition of doneMistake #1: tracking tasks instead of outcomes, and the 3 to 5 weekly numbers to track insteadMistake #2: setting targets alone, and why every number needs exactly one ownerMistake #3: reviewing your scorecard quarterly instead of weeklyHow to build a scorecard in a Google Sheet and run a 10-minute green/red reviewWhat to do when you see two reds in a rowWhy you need numbers on your own scorecard, tooYour homework: Pick one role, write down three outcome numbers for it, then ask that person what theirs would be and compare your lists.Connect with Melissa:Free Consultation: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesFree Operational Leaks Masterclass: https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksLearn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.comWatch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks LinkedIn: Melissa Franks

You've given the same feedback three times and nothing has changed. What if the problem isn't your team at all?This isn't a people problem. It's a feedback problem, and you can fix it without becoming the boss everyone dreads.Today, I'm sharing the one thing that turns feedback into follow-through.After decades inside Fortune 500 companies training new managers, I've seen exactly why most feedback goes nowhere: it's vague, it's delayed, and nobody follows up. In this episode, I walk you through a simple framework for giving feedback your employees and contractors will actually act on, with real examples you can use this week. You'll leave knowing what to say, when to say it, and how to make it stick.In This EpisodeWhy "be more proactive" means three different things to three different peopleThe three feedback failure points: vague, delayed, and no follow-upWhy feedback is the start of a commitment, not just a conversationThe 48-hour rule: keep it fast, short, and private (and why good feedback gets the same treatment)The Observe, Impact, Ask, Agree framework, with a client-report exampleWhat to do when you keep giving the same feedback to multiple peopleHow a pricing complaint turned out to be a policy problem, not a people problemWhy a human has to check the work, even in the age of AIHomework: Pick one piece of feedback you've been putting off, deliver it this week using the four steps, and write down the check-in date before you leave the conversation.Connect with Melissa:Free Consultation: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesFree Operational Leaks Masterclass: https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksLearn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.comWatch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks LinkedIn: Melissa Franks

Is your calendar packed, but nothing is actually getting decided?The problem isn't your team. It's not that people aren't working hard, but that the meetings on your calendar are quietly eating the time they need to actually get things done.In this episode, I'll show you the three recurring meetings you can cut forever, starting tomorrow, and the one meeting that does more than all of them combined.By the end, you'll know exactly what belongs on your calendar and what doesn't, and why it will change how your business runs, grows, and keeps your team happier long term.In This EpisodeWhy one hour with six people costs your business almost a full dayWhy meetings are for decisions, not for sharing informationMeeting #1 to cut: the daily status round robin, and the three-line async update to use insteadMeeting #2 to cut: the zombie recurring meeting, plus the three questions to run on every recurring meetingMeeting #3 to cut: the "everybody needs to be here to decide" meeting, and how to build consensus before you walk inThe one meeting to keep: the 45-minute weekly accountability meeting and its four-part agendaWhy leaders have to put their own commitments on the listYour homework: Audit next week's calendar, politely decline anything you're not needed in, cut at least one meeting, and if you don't have a weekly accountability meeting, start one.Free Masterclass: Find Your Operational Leaks https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksConnect with Melissa:Free Consultation: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesFree Operational Leaks Masterclass: https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksLearn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.comWatch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks LinkedIn: Melissa Franks

Could your customer explain what you sell in one sentence? Could your 10-year-old?Your business isn't stalling because of the economy, the election, or AI. It's stalling because complexity crept in, one good decision at a time, and now your best prospects are opting out instead of saying yes.Spoiler: the fix is a five-step framework called CLEAR.Melissa walks you through how to audit your business without bias or emotion, find where you've overbuilt and over-messaged, and cut back so clearly that anyone can repeat what you sell. This isn't a snap-your-fingers fix, but you'll leave with a step-by-step process and the exact framework we use with every client at On Call COO.In This EpisodeThe signs complexity is creeping into your business, from slide decks to prospects who go quietHow one-off requests, extra tiers, boredom, and fear of looking small create complexityA client who made millions on a simple offer, then watched their tiers cannibalize each otherC: Collect every way you describe your business, and why the gap between what you say and what people hear is where complexity sitsL: List and score every offer, including the freebie that turned out to drive sales and the 10% vs. 90% margin surpriseE: Eliminate, combine, or hide, and why your menu is not your capability listA: Articulate it at a fifth grade level, with a simple script you can use todayR: Road test on 10 sales calls, plus the "one in, one out" rule and why to repeat this quarterlyYour homework: Do step one only. Within the next week, collect everything you use to describe your business and ask your team, your customers, and a few lost prospects to explain what you do in their own words.Save Your Seat for the 3 Operational Leaks in Every Business Master Class: https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksConnect with Melissa:Free Consultation: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesFree Operational Leaks Masterclass: https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksLearn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.comWatch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks LinkedIn: Melissa Franks

Is your best employee asking for a promotion, and did your stomach just drop?The question isn't "Does John deserve it?" It's "What does the business need?"Spoiler: the right answer might be a promotion, a brand-new hire, or a retention bonus and a firm "not yet."If you've got a team member asking for more money, more responsibility, or more autonomy (or you already promoted someone and it isn't working), this episode walks you through the process Melissa honed in corporate and brought into small business. You'll learn how to decide who to promote, when to do it, and how to set them up to succeed, so you can say yes, not yet, or "what we actually need is this" with clarity instead of panic.In This EpisodeWhy promotion conversations start, and why your gut panics when your longtime team asks for moreWhy specialists and people managers are rarely the same person (and what Bob taught Melissa about it)The one question to answer before you promise anyone a promotion: what does the business need?Why you need to know if the role is permanent or seasonalThe 5 questions to answer before you say yes, including the backfill math most owners skipWhy retention has nothing to do with title, and the alternatives to considerHow to onboard a promoted employee like a new hire with a 30-60-90 planWhat to do if you already promoted the wrong person (and why you can't sit on it)Your homework: Before you talk to anyone, write down what your business needs at your current goal and the one after it. Connect with Melissa:Free Consultation: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesFree Operational Leaks Masterclass: https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksLearn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.comWatch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks LinkedIn: Melissa Franks

Do your employees need a college degree to be successful in your business?It's not "degree or no degree." It's "what skills does this role actually need, and how do you prove someone has them?"Spoiler: an 18-year-old with zero work experience might already have ten years of the exact experience you're hiring for — you just haven't been trained to see it.In this episode, Melissa breaks down why companies have been quietly relying less on degrees and more on experience for decades, how to separate hard skills from soft skills before you ever write a job description, why lived experience can carry as much weight as a diploma, and why a multi-generational team — Gen Z disruption included — might be the most valuable team you can build.In This Episode:Why "what do I need them to do" is the wrong first question to ask when hiringThe client story that reveals how most job descriptions are really just task listsHard skills vs. soft skills, and why you need both before you consider a degree requirementWhy the hard skills businesses need most can't keep up with a college curriculumThe bilingual-translator story that reframes what "lived experience" is really worthWhere degrees are still non-negotiable (doctors, CPAs, lawyers, scientists)Why younger workers optimize for liking the work over climbing the ladderThe pay conversation most employers avoid — and why avoiding it costs you the hireThe intern story that shows why a multi-generational team is a magnifying glass on your businessHomework: Before you post your next open role, write down the actual skills — hard and soft — the job requires, separate from the task list. Then ask yourself where a degree is genuinely required versus just the default.Connect with Melissa:Free Consultation: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesFree Operational Leaks Masterclass: https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksLearn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.comWatch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks LinkedIn: Melissa Franks

Is your business in a slump right now — and are you hiding it from everyone instead of dealing with it?It's not about hustling harder to push through. It's about diagnosing before you react.Spoiler: the founders who make it through a slump aren't the ones who cut the fastest — they're the ones who talk to the most people.In this episode, Melissa breaks down the exact five steps she tells every founder to take the moment sales slow down, including the diagnostic question most people skip entirely, the two numbers you need on paper every month, and the masterclass she flopped so badly the first time that she almost didn't try it again — until she did, and it changed everything.In This Episode:Why you have to diagnose before you react — and the client whose sales dropped 80% in a weekHow to tell if you have a demand, pipeline, retention, or cash problem (and why each needs a different fix)The #1 mistake founders make: cutting the wrong thing under pressureThe two numbers you need on paper, month by month, no matter how much you hate looking at themWhy chasing new customers during a slump is the expensive way outThe 80/20 vulnerability hiding inside almost every businessWhat "stirring the pot" actually means, and how it turned Melissa's own slow summer aroundHomework: Pick one number in your business that's changed recently, and write down exactly why you think it changed — before you cut anything.Connect with Melissa:Free Consultation: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesFree Operational Leaks Masterclass: https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksLearn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.comWatch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks LinkedIn: Melissa Franks

What if the client you're about to sign is the one you'll wish you never had?This episode isn't about learning to spot red flags after they blow up your business. It's not about having better luck, being pickier, or trusting your gut more. It's about building a real, repeatable step into your sales process — one final "vibe check" — so you catch the mismatch before the contract, not after the reviews start coming in.Here's the spoiler: the best predictor of how a client will treat you after they sign is how they treated you before they signed — and almost none of us are watching for it.By the end of this episode, you'll have a 5-signal framework you can start testing for on your very next sales call — one that tells you whether a prospect is going to protect your team's capacity or quietly drain it, before you ever sign the contract.In This Episode:Why one bad-fit client costs far more than lost revenueWhy bad-fit clients almost never look like bad fits on paperHow one client built a 15-minute founder "fit call" into her sales processUsing AI to identify patterns across your past bad-fit (and best-fit) clientsThe 5-signal framework: process behavior, expectations vs. fantasy, how they talk about their last vendor, boundary testing, and the "saying no protects a yes" reframeHomework: Before your next sales call ends, ask one boundary-testing question — response time expectations, weekend availability, what's in scope versus billable — and pay attention to how they push back. That single answer will tell you more than the entire pitch did.Connect with Melissa:Free Consultation: https://www.melissafranks.com/fractionalcooservicesFree Operational Leaks Masterclass: https://oncallcoo.melissafranks.com/3operationalleaksLearn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.comWatch the Episodes on YoutubeInstagram: instagram.com/melissa_franks LinkedIn: Melissa Franks