Fractional CTO & Technology Advisory
Fractional CTO Services for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses
Senior technology leadership on a part-time basis: someone who owns the roadmap, the budget and the vendors, and translates technology into business decisions.
What a fractional CTO does
A fractional, or part-time, Chief Technology Officer is a senior technology leader who works with your business for a defined share of time instead of as a full-time executive. You get strategic direction, vendor oversight and an experienced voice in leadership meetings, at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.
SK IT Solutions was founded in 2023 by Eric Stoltz, an information-technology professional with expertise in both the technical and the business side of technology. His career includes work as a civilian contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and many years working with managed services partners and resellers in the Greater Washington, D.C. area. That mix of hands-on engineering and business experience is exactly what the fractional CTO role needs.
Our technical advisory and strategic consulting work focuses on everything beyond the day-to-day design and administration of infrastructure: planning, budgeting, process and making sure the technology you pay for supports where the business is going.
Signs you need a fractional CTO
- Nobody owns the technology roadmap, so decisions happen one urgent request at a time.
- Your MSP or vendors make recommendations, and nobody independent checks them.
- Technology spending is hard to predict and harder to justify.
- You are facing a security questionnaire, audit or cyber-insurance renewal and are not sure of the answers.
- You are growing, opening locations, merging or acquiring, and IT has to keep up.
- A key IT person left and took the institutional knowledge with them.
- You need to hire technical staff but have nobody to evaluate candidates.
Services
Fractional CTO and advisory services
Part-Time CTO
Ongoing technology leadership: leadership meetings, priorities, risk and decisions, on a schedule that fits your size.
Strategic IT Planning
A practical technology roadmap and budget plan tied to business goals, lifecycle replacements and risk.
Vendor & Project Oversight
An independent voice on MSPs, vendors, quotes and projects already in flight, so you get what you are paying for.
What we take off your plate
- Strategic IT planning and technology roadmaps
- Budget planning for technology purchases
- Vendor, MSP and contract management
- Project governance and oversight
- Process workflows for vulnerability mitigation
- Change advisory procedure development
- Operations and support center management
- IT process development
- Post-merger and acquisition IT integration
- Pre-hire technical interviews and candidate vetting
Fractional CTO vs MSP vs project consultant
These roles are complementary, not competing. The difference is who they work for and what they are accountable for.
| Fractional CTO | Managed service provider (MSP) | Project consultant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Strategy, priorities, budget and risk | Day-to-day operations and support | A defined project outcome |
| Works for | Your leadership team | Its service contract | The project scope |
| Typical engagement | Ongoing, part-time | Ongoing, monthly contract | Fixed duration |
| Best when | Technology decisions need an owner | You need reliable support and monitoring | You know exactly what needs to be built |
Read the full comparison: Fractional CTO vs MSP vs Project Consultant: Which Do You Need?
Process
How a fractional CTO engagement works
Free consultation
We talk about your goals, current technology and pain points, then summarize the conversation in writing.
Assessment
We review your environment, vendors, contracts, spending and risks to understand where you really stand.
Roadmap
You receive a prioritized plan covering quick wins, budget and the bigger decisions ahead.
Ongoing leadership
We meet on a regular cadence, manage vendors and projects and adjust the plan as the business changes.
Who we work with
Fractional CTO services fit organizations that are too large to run technology informally but not ready for a full-time technology executive. Our consultants have experience with law firms, health care and medical facilities, nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations, manufacturing, banking and energy.
Nonprofits should ask about our preferred rates for 501(c)(3) organizations.
Security is part of the job
Because our roots are in Palo Alto Networks firewall consulting, security is built into every recommendation rather than added afterward. When the roadmap includes network security, our Palo Alto firewall consulting team is already in the room.
Fractional CTO FAQs
How much time does a fractional CTO spend with my business?
It depends on your size and what is happening. Some clients need a few hours a month for planning and vendor oversight; others need more during a major project or transition. We agree on the scope together and adjust as needs change.
Will a fractional CTO replace our MSP?
Usually not. A fractional CTO sets direction and holds providers accountable, while the MSP keeps day-to-day operations running. Many clients get more value from their MSP once someone is managing that relationship.
Can a fractional CTO help us hire IT staff?
Yes. We offer pre-hire technical interviews and technical vetting, and can help define the role before you recruit.
Do you work with businesses outside Florida?
Yes. We are based in Fruitland Park, Florida, and work with clients throughout Florida and across the U.S., remotely and on-site.
Get senior technology leadership without a full-time hire
Start with a free consultation. We will discuss where your technology stands, sanity-check your current plans and suggest practical next steps.