If you've poked around my website lately, you may have noticed the pricing page doesn’t actually list the prices… which, to me, usually means one of two things: "expensive," or "we'll tell you once you're emotionally invested." How annoying, right? So instead of hiding behind it, here's the homework I did on what this kind of help typically costs, and why I'd still rather talk with you before I give you a number. Even if you’re still annoyed by it.
What the going rates look like in 2026
These are national ranges pulled from 2026 pricing guides and salary data. The labels overlap a lot (nobody agrees on what these job titles mean, including the people who have them), so I sorted them by what the person actually does:
Virtual assistants handle email, calendars, data entry, and whatever tasks you hand them. A US-based VA typically runs about $19 to $32 an hour.
Online business managers run the day-to-day side of a business and improve how things get done. They usually charge about $50 to $100 or more an hour.
Small business consultants focus on advice, plans, and strategy. Rates run about $45 to $150 an hour, with $75 as a common average.
Social media managers create and post content, usually on one or two platforms for a small business. Expect about $800 to $1,500 a month.
Fractional COOs provide part-time operations leadership, and they're priced like it: often $4,000 to $15,000 a month.
Why the range is so wide
Two things move the price more than anything else. The first is whether someone is doing tasks or owning results. A virtual assistant does what you hand them. Someone in an operations role figures out what should be handed off in the first place, and builds the system so it keeps working when you're not looking. Anyone can toss feed in the chicken run. Figuring out why Houdini keeps escaping is a different job.
The second is whether you need ongoing help or a one-time fix. One operations writer pointed out that a lot of small businesses who think they need a fractional COO really need a few processes fixed and the right tools set up, which is a different, usually smaller, purchase. I couldn't agree more. Sometimes you need a whole new barn. Usually you just need someone to fix the latch.
Why I don't have a price list
Every business I work with is a little different. A farm juggling five apps it hates needs something completely different from a dog trainer who needs someone to answer the phone. A price list would mean either overcharging one of them or underdelivering for the other. And I refuse to be the person selling a goat farmer a fractional COO.
So I build each project around the business in front of me: what's actually broken, how much help you want, and what you can realistically spend. My pricing is set for micro-businesses, not the bigger "small business" companies most of those national numbers are based on.
What happens when you inquire
If you're curious what working together could look like, book a quick call. No pressure, no hard sell, and I promise not to say "synergy."
