Start with the experience companies are buying
Companies hire fractional CMOs for judgment they cannot get from a junior hire. In practice that means you have led marketing at the stage or in the industry you want to serve, and you can point to specific results. A narrow, credible story such as "I have taken two B2B SaaS companies from seed to Series B" is easier to sell than broad experience.
Package a clear offer
Decide what a typical engagement looks like: the hours per week, the first 90 days, and what the client has at the end. Many fractional CMOs start with a short diagnostic or strategy project and then move into a monthly retainer.
Find your first clients
Most first clients come from people who already know your work: former colleagues, founders, investors and agencies. Public job postings are a second channel, and they are useful because the company has already decided it wants part-time help. Startups that just raised are a third, because new funding often leads to marketing work, sometimes before a role is posted. The roles below are a live example of what companies are posting.
Price with real data
Look at what similar roles actually post rather than survey averages. Our pay page lists the pay from currently open roles that posted it, in the units each company used.
Plan for more than one client
Fractional work is most sustainable with two to four clients at once. Set boundaries on availability and response times early, and keep a simple weekly reporting rhythm so each client sees progress.
See the pay posted on current roles, browse open fractional CMO jobs, or see startups that just raised.