Building Operational Infrastructure for a Fintech Startup from Concept to Investment-Ready

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Written by: Rio Callans‍

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Brand

‍Aces Payments, a B2B fintech startup providing secure payment processing solutions for small businesses. Built on values of transparency, ethical growth, and long-term relationships in the conscious commerce space.

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Stage

‍Early-Stage Fintech | B2B SaaS | Remote Team | Scaled from 2-person startup to multi-state operations supporting investment readiness

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The Challenge

‍Aces launched with vision and a two-person team, but zero operational infrastructure:

• No entity structure, financial systems, or compliance frameworks
• No HR processes, payroll systems, or employment agreements
• Operating with 1099 contractors in a high-churn sales model (63% turnover)
• Needed to scale nationwide across 30+ states without founder becoming the bottleneck
• Required operational readiness to secure outside funding and support leadership transition

The operational challenge: build compliant, scalable infrastructure from scratch that could support rapid growth, multi-state expansion, and investor due diligence.

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What I Built

Strategic Planning & Company Formation

• Established entity structure and foundational legal frameworks
• Designed business model transition from 1099 contractor model to W-2 employment structure
• Built strategic roadmap for multi-state expansion and compliance requirements
• Acted as bridge between founder vision and operational execution, ensuring conscious commerce values informed every system

Financial Systems & Operations

• Implemented QuickBooks and created financial tracking infrastructure
• Built budgeting frameworks and cash flow management systems
• Negotiated vendor contracts that reduced operational costs by $40K annually
• Created financial reporting that enabled investor due diligence

HR Infrastructure & Compliance

• Built HR systems from scratch: employment policies, offer letters, onboarding documentation
• Partnered with legal counsel to ensure multi-state compliance across 30+ states
• Deployed Rippling to automate onboarding, payroll, benefits, and expense management
• Created internal policies and employee handbooks aligned with company values
• Designed recruiting infrastructure to support rapid sales team expansion

People Operations & Team Scaling

• Transitioned entire sales organization from 1099 to W-2 employment model
• Built onboarding processes that reduced ramp time for new hires by 80%
• Created training programs and SOPs for sales team standardization
• Implemented performance management frameworks
• Managed payroll, benefits administration, and compliance across distributed team

Technology & Systems Integration

• Implemented Slack and communication infrastructure for remote team collaboration
• Integrated payroll, HR, and financial systems for operational efficiency
• Created automated workflows that reduced manual administrative overhead
• Built systems designed for founder-independent operations and future handoff

Brand & Culture Development

• Redesigned brand identity to reflect conscious commerce positioning
• Developed messaging and internal culture that aligned with company values
• Created brand assets and positioning for investor presentations
• Embedded ethical principles into operational frameworks

Key Results

• Scaled from 2-person team to compliant multi-state operations across 30+ states
• Reduced new hire ramp time by 80%, accelerating sales expansion
• Successfully transitioned entire sales organization from 1099 to W-2 model
• Negotiated vendor contracts saving $40K annually
• Built investor-ready operational infrastructure that supported successful funding
• Created self-sustaining systems that enabled seamless leadership transition
• Freed founder from operational bottlenecks to focus on sales and strategic relationships

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What This Demonstrates

‍Aces Payments transformed from a lean startup with no infrastructure into an investment-ready fintech company with compliant, scalable operations across 30+ states. The HR, compliance, payroll, and operational systems built were designed to be founder-independent and sustainable, enabling the company to secure funding, transition leadership, and continue scaling without requiring ongoing embedded support. This is fractional operations done right: building systems that endure beyond the engagement, giving founders freedom to lead and companies the infrastructure to scale on their own terms.

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