Things I’ve Learnt as a Fractional Analyst

The last six years have been a mix of learning, refining, and occasionally unlearning what I thought I knew.

I’ve worked across multiple sectors and with businesses of all sizes - from startups to corporates - and have learnt many lessons along the way, especially as I uncovered some of my own limitations.

Here are a few that stand out.

Bigger is not better. Over the years, I’ve built dozens of complex models. But I often find myself asking: how much of that functionality is actually used?

One client asked me to build a development model based on one he had used previously. My first version was simplified - focusing on it’s primary function as a feasibility tool. The client, however, asked me to add all of that detail back in. A few months later, after struggling to use it, he asked me to take over all of his analysis - a role I didn’t want to do with the beast he had asked me to build.

That experience shaped how I now approach model design. The models in the EiP Model Library offer as much functionality as possible - but never at the expense of usability.

Out-of-house has its limitations. When you’re an in-house analyst, if you spot a mistake, or your model doesn’t have quite the functionality you need for a particular scenario, you’ll update the formulas instantly (and not make a song and dance about it).

As an out-of-house analyst - I don’t have that luxury. I’m often brought in to build a model from scratch, hand it over, and step away. I do my best to make models flexible and resilient, but they’re always built based on the information available at the time.

It’s taught me to design with simplicity and clarity in mind - and to state these limitations clearly with every client.

Handover is hard. The handover (or Transition in the SMART© Modelling Method) is always the longest and most frustrating part of any project.

Until you start using a model for real transactions, it’s hard to see what doesn’t quite work - and even harder to explain how things do. That’s why good handover processes matter.

The right way uses visuals - videos, screenshots, etc - all documented so clients can revisit them.

The wrong way? Written-only handovers or one-off in-person sessions that no one records.

Expertise isn’t gendered. Early on, I felt pressure to “prove” I belonged in a male-dominated space. Now, I let my work speak first.

Growth doesn’t come from being the loudest person in the room - it comes from consistency and reliability.

I’d also love to see more women stepping into analysis and business ownership. If this resonates, follow EiP on LinkedIn or Instagram - there’s a growing community of women doing exactly that.

Value your work - and protect your boundaries. It took me time to realise that not every potential client is the right fit. The people who question every hour or push for discounts rarely value the expertise they’re paying for.

That’s why I now pre-qualify new clients with a minimum spend and charge for Scoping Workshops. It’s not about being expensive - it’s about ensuring both sides are invested in achieving a valuable outcome.

Setting those boundaries has made my business more sustainable, my relationships stronger, and my work far more enjoyable.

Know when to step away. Sometimes walking away from a project or person that’s misaligned with your energy is the right thing to do.

It can feel uncomfortable at first, but the space it creates almost always gets filled with better opportunities - ones that suit your expertise and values.

Every project teaches me something new - about people, processes, and the balance between efficiency and precision.

Being a fractional analyst isn’t just about spreadsheets. It’s about trust, communication, and learning when enough is actually enough.

If any of these lessons resonate, you might enjoy exploring how EiP can help.

From the free Crash Course to the EiP Academy and the EiP Model Library, there are tools and resources designed to make modelling simpler, smarter, and more effective.

Take a look here: http://excelinproperty.com/