About The Focused Fox
Your business may look successful on the surface, but behind the scenes, it feels harder to run than it should.
The early excitement of growth may have been replaced by pressure and constant decision-making.
Most decisions still land back with you.
Projects move forward only when you step in.
Your team waits for sign-off.
Too much depends on you being available.
There is no headspace left to launch new projects or services.
Everything feels reactive instead of planned.
Issues are solved in the moment rather than prevented.
Over time, that constant mental load becomes the ceiling on growth.
That is where we step in.
We provide senior operational leadership as an Online Business Manager and Fractional COO, acting as Director of Operations for established service-based businesses that want to grow without added chaos, pressure, or constant founder involvement.
Who We Support
We work with founders, directors, and business owners of established service-based businesses where growth has made operations harder to manage than they used to be.
Your business has grown.
But the way it runs behind the scenes has not grown with it.
You have a team in place, and the business is working. But behind the scenes:
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Decisions drift back to you
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Projects stall or overrun if you aren't constantly monitoring them
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Your priorities compete rather than align
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Systems exist but are not used consistently across the team
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Everything feels reactive rather than proactive
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You and your team feel stretched and under pressure
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Progress depends on individual effort rather than clear structure
The business has grown to a point where decisions and coordination can no longer rely on memory, quick conversations, or the founder’s oversight to keep everything moving in the right direction.
There may be capable managers in place, but no single person is accountable for ensuring strategy, projects, people, and systems work together consistently to achieve your business goals.
What We Actually Do
The Focused Fox provides Online Business Manager and Fractional COO support, acting as the Director of Operations for growing service-based businesses that do not have one.
We take responsibility for how the business operates, without adding a full-time hire or another layer for you to manage.
We work alongside founders and their teams to:
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Turn strategy into clear 90-day and 12-month operational plans
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Define decision-making so ownership is clear and progress does not stall
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Align people, processes, systems, and tools so work flows consistently
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Lead and oversee projects, events, and launches from plan through to delivery
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Replace last-minute firefighting with structured, proactive execution
Our role is to take responsibility for how the business runs day to day, so your goals are translated into clear priorities and actually followed through.
We make sure the right work happens at the right time, by the right people.
We focus on results, not activity.
On visible progress, not busyness.
On consistent follow-through, not short bursts of effort that fade away.
What This Looks Like Inside Your Business
You set the direction.
We make sure the business is organised to deliver on it.
That means:
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Your goals become a clear operational plan the whole team understands
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Every project has a named owner, a deadline, and visible progress tracking
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Decisions are recorded and implemented, not revisited repeatedly
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The team works to consistent systems and tools rather than individual preferences
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Performance and progress are reviewed regularly, not only when something slips
You are not hiring us to complete tasks.
You are hiring us to take ownership of operational delivery, so the business can move forward without you holding it together on your own.
Taking Pressure Off You, Properly
Part of senior operational leadership is identifying what can come off your plate.
Not by taking over everything.
Not by giving you another person to manage.
And not by creating a situation where everything still requires your constant oversight.
But by:
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Clarifying who owns what, so questions and decisions stop landing back with you
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Fixing weak processes that cause repeated problems
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Ensuring the team has clear priorities and the right tools to deliver
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Putting simple structures in place so that work progresses without constant checking or chasing by you
This reduces the number of decisions you have to make.
It reduces how often you are pulled into operational issues.
It shifts the business from reaction to structured forward planning.
And it allows the business to keep moving even when you constantly being on call.
How We Work
Every business is different, but the starting point is always clarity.
Depending on what is needed, this may include:
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Reviewing how work currently flows across the business and where it breaks down
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Identifying where decisions, delivery, or responsibility are unclear
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Turning goals into a structured 90-day and 12-month operational plan
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Setting up simple planning, tracking, and review processes
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Providing ongoing senior oversight to keep priorities and delivery aligned
Support may be short-term and focused, or ongoing through a part-time leadership arrangement.
In all cases, the aim is the same: To create steadier operations that support growth without increasing pressure for you or your team.
The Founder Behind
The Focused Fox
The Focused Fox is led by Emma Cripwell.
Six months after launching her first business, Emma discovered she was pregnant. When her son was born prematurely, he spent time in the NICU. That experience reshaped her priorities.
It strengthened her commitment to building a business that supports life rather than competing with it, and to helping other founders and business owners do the same.
The Focused Fox is built on the belief that success should not come at the cost of health, family, or constant exhaustion.
Steady, sustainable growth is possible when operations are structured properly.
Working in complex environments
Emma’s experience spans the private, public healthcare, and charity sectors.
She has worked within local authority settings and in private sector organisations, managing business development and operations to deliver finance consultancy, payroll, HR, recruitment, and audit services to schools. She is used to operating in environments with multiple stakeholders, funding pressures, governance requirements, and external oversight.
She is comfortable where delivery cannot slip, compliance matters, pressure is constant, and teams are stretched.
Whether supporting a growing founder-led business or an organisation with more people and accountability, she brings the same calm, practical approach focused on clarity, responsibility, and steady progress.
This breadth of experience also informs our work with neurodivergent founders and teams, where clear structure, predictable systems, and thoughtful communication can make a measurable difference to performance and wellbeing.
Client Feedback
"I’ve been part of ABLE since it was founded over 20 years ago and have worked with three Chairs in that time. I first met Emma in 2017 when she joined the committee as a Corporate Partner, representing SAAF Education, and also took on the part-time admin role alongside her full-time work. From the very beginning, her professionalism, reliability and calm approach stood out.
Over the years I’ve seen Emma step up again and again. She became Business Manager, a role she held for six years, where she brought structure, empathy and efficiency that transformed how the committee operated. And now, as Chair, she leads with confidence, vision and clarity.
What stands out most is Emma’s strategic clarity. She has an ability to simplify complex issues, bring focus to discussions, and make sure the committee’s time is spent where it has the greatest impact. She’s not afraid to make tough decisions for the good of the association, while always ensuring the team's well-being. She keeps us aligned, drives decisions forward, and introduces improvements that make ABLE stronger as an organisation.
On top of that, she’s dedicated and passionate about supporting ABLE members and creating a network that’s genuinely encouraging and collaborative. I have complete confidence in her ability to lead ABLE into its next chapter and ensure it thrives for years to come."
- Clare Stokes - Founding Member & Exhibition Coordinator, The Association of Business Leaders in Education (ABLE)
Why The Focused Fox
The Focused Fox brings structure and calm where growth has created strain.
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Senior operational leadership without adding another layer you need to manage
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Clear ownership so decisions stick and delivery moves forward
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Stronger use of the people, tools, and systems you already have
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Practical planning that turns ambition into achievable progress
Because when operations are led properly, the business becomes easier to run.
Growth becomes steadier.
Profit becomes clearer and more predictable.
Pressure and overwhelm are reduced.
Success no longer depends on you carrying the operational weight alone.
Which means you can step away, take proper time off, and know the business will continue to deliver without you propping it up.
Client Feedback
"Emma has made such a positive difference to me. As a Lead Pharmacist in a busy service, my role involves managing a wide range of clinical, managerial, and operational responsibilities, which can be quite overwhelming.
After recent neurodivergence discovery and a long period of sickness due to burnout, having Emma alongside me as I returned to work has brought calm, clarity, and steady support.
She helped me break things down into clear steps and helped implement long-term strategies with a neuro-affirming approach.
She created bespoke training sessions in time management, delegation and managing pressure, which gave me practical tools I could use straight away.
Since working with Emma, I’ve felt more confident, resilient, and able to manage my workload. I’ve grown as a leader and feel more in control of my day. Her support has made a real difference to my wellbeing and the way I show up at work."
- S, Lead Pharmacist, NHS Community Hospital