Our strategic operations approach integrates the non-revenue infrastructure with the company’s revenue-generating side of the business to create a stable foundation. This enables organizations to scale while mitigating the risk of financial or operational collapse and those dreaded “oh %@#$” moments.
Strong Foundations Produce Solid Companies
By providing expert business operations consulting services, we help companies bridge the gap between their current operational chaos and a scalable, sustainable future.
Strategic Operations: The mid-point between revenue and infrastructure
Strategic operations is one of our superpower. It is the connective tissue of your organization. Consulting firms usually offer siloed business operations support. This means to get all their infrastructure needs addressed, the company will have to engage with multiple consultants/consulting firms. If that’s the approach – one for finance and accounting, one for HR, one for contract, one for coaching – the end result could be a disjointed infrastructure.
This creates a new problem for the company. Departments that aren’t integrated with each other or the company as a whole. We bridge the revenue and non-revenue functions so your organization has a single, cohesive infrastructure. This prevents the dangerous disconnect where revenue grows, but the back office fails to keep up.
When revenue scales, your foundation doesn’t crack. This proactive alignment is exactly how we mitigate “oh %@#$*” moments before they derail your progress.
It might not be “fun”, but it is important!
Do you want or need to implement a plan to create or strengthen your company’s business operations functions? Since you’re still reading, we’ll assume you do or are at least interested in learning more. Great, because that’s where we excel! And our solutions are tailored to the company’s specific needs.
If it’s generally understood that business operations functions are necessary, why do some companies struggle with it? Part of the reason is that while they are inundated with information about revenue, sales and growth and offered tools to help with these areas, there isn’t as much information on business operations. OR what they see/hear is functionally specific and doesn’t address operations and how to integrate operational infrastructure into all facets of the business.
While networking and revenue-gen are the “fun” parts of growth, our strategic operations focus ensures the boring-but-vital infrastructure is there to support those wins.
So, what happens from not focusing on business operations?
To keep things simple, sometimes nothing happens. In other cases, it can be some really bad things if not addressed or caught in time.
But let’s not mince words.
In some cases, these really bad things manifest as “oh %@#$*” moments. It might be a tax audit, a corporate or HR-related legal issue, or a cash flow crisis. These can derail a company but in most cases the company can work through them. In the really, really, bad ones the company’s existence could be a risk.
Some of these will be naturally mitigated by focusing on the organization’s critical infrastructure. This means potential crises can be prevented or be more efficiently addressed before they become an issue.
Stressed? No need to worry!
Did you know there is a way to ease the burden of business operations? [Hint: you’re on the right website.]
We know this topic and part of the business is ignored because thinking about what could happen is uncomfortable. This is common and understandable. But it can be addressed.
We want to alleviate your stress, while helping to shore up your company’s foundation.
We love what we do, and love providing coaching, consulting and business operations support to our clients. And we’re really good at what we do!
Executive Coaching & Business Operations Training
Our business coaching and training services provide an excellent foundation for business growth
We tailor our business coaching and training with a focus on business operations. We believe that business operations functions need to integrate within an organization, rather than being a separate division.
Executive Coaching
Our executive coaching allows executives and business owners to have the ability to make decisions looking not only at the revenue implications, but also how these decisions impact the company’s operations, infrastructure, and how they mitigate potential legal issues.
Manager Coaching and Training
We offer coaching and training to middle managers and individuals who are on track for increased levels of responsibilities. The goal is to show them how business operations functions relate to and impact their job and the company. This is also an opportunity to train and promote employees who are currently supporting business operations functions (i.e., accounting/finance, HR, recruiting, etc.). This has a positive impact on employee retention and morale, and ensures institutional knowledge is retained.
Implementation Training
Creating new policies and procedures is wonderful from a “check the box” standpoint, but the end-users require training to ensure that questions surrounding implementation are answered, and any policy/procedures updates that arose after initial creation are addressed prior to company-wide roll out.
Productivity and Organization Training
Even with the abundance of digital systems, the fact remains that people may be more comfortable and effective using alternative productivity tools and have different styles of staying organized. We provide training in both paper and electronic methods with the goal of finding what works for your team and ensuring they have the methodology that best fits their style.
Why engage us for coaching and training services?
By engaging our coaching services, your company will have a better understanding of business operations functions and how to use this knowledge to help with overall decision-making.
By promoting from within, your organization will not only retain institutional knowledge and provide a career path, but it will also ensure that implemented policies and procedures are consistently followed.
We can create training programs and develop a train-the-trainer program so the organization has the ability to ensure they can educate new employees going forward.
By providing training that is tailored to your team’s specific style or styles, you will see an increase in employee productivity and a reduction in employee frustration and stress.
Business Operations Consulting
Business operations functions are often the weak link in a business. This can be because the owner and/or executive management team don’t know or don’t have the time to focus on it. Or they don’t have the expertise in business operations to know what needs to be done and how to prioritize their effort.
Cohesive Business Operations Consulting: The 360-Degree View
We start by looking at a company from a 360-degree view. This includes interviewing the business owner and executive management team to understand how the company currently operates.
We use this information to identify specific areas that need attention. Specific attention is on the gaps between the functions that support the revenue and non-revenue functions. The next step is creating a tailored implementation plan. This plan ideally supports the company’s current operational needs with the ability to scale to support growth goals. To complement these services, we offer ancillary services that include coaching leadership and staff to ensure they have the skills, methodology, and confidence to move forward on their own.
There is a better way!
These are examples of what we hear from companies who have worked or are working with us or our CEO:
- We’re thinking about expanding to another state. Can we put together a plan?
- We want to hire employees. What do we need to know first?
- I am pursuing a new client/customer. Our revenue will be increasing by X%, but we need to purchase equipment and office space. Can you introduce us to a banker that can support our new financial requirements?
- [And our favorite] We couldn’t have done this without you!!
Can you relate to any of these statements?
This is what we hear when talking to potential clients about business operations:
- My company is too new to focus on that.
- I’ll think about it when my business gets bigger.
- My company has been successful with the way things are.
- I’d like to, but I need to invest my company’s money in revenue generating activities.
- BORING! Can we talk about something else?
- UGH! I’d rather be doing anything else but that!
- I don’t know how to do that or where to start ([ostrich mode].
This is what we hear when we’re contacted by companies who don’t or didn’t focus on business operations:
- We have a problem.
- We’re getting sued by [a former employee, teaming partner, outside business].
- We got a call from X government agency about our [usually about taxes but may be about a form that should have been filed].
- We’re being audited.
- I just got a big contract, but I don’t know how I’ll pay my employees while waiting for the first invoice payment.
- I didn’t know I had to… [insert what wasn’t known].
What happens from not focusing on biz ops?
For some companies, they may never feel the impact from not focusing on biz ops. These are usually solopreneurs who operate more as a side hustle. And that’s fine.
On the other hand, some companies really feel a negative impact and it is usually unexpected and time sensitive.
We get a lot of phone conversations from these companies that start with “Oh %@#$*!!
The reality is that a company’s business operations structure can make or break the company.
We’ll help you figure out what needs to be done and create a plan to do it.
Business Operations Services
Many coaching and consulting firms focus on sales and marketing, and use that as a measurement of the company’s success.
While we agree that those areas are important, if the company isn’t prepared for this success from an operational viewpoint, the company may become a victim of its success.
By putting in place strong operations, the company not only has a foundation for their growth, they will also have the tools they need to scale for this growth.
Some of the areas we focus on include, but are not limited to:
- Creating contingency plans for the “What If”
- Conducting operations assessments
- Creating and implementing plans for growth, process improvement, and scalability
- Identifying potential company weak points
- Reviewing contracts and other agreements
- Develop Standard Operating Procedures, processes, forms and templates for:
- Accounting and Finance
- Human Resources
- Administration
- Infrastructure/IT
- Facilities
- Departments that generate revenue (business development and marketing, proposals, etc.)
- Training Employees on SOPs and business operations functions
Process Expertise Across Diverse Industries
We are process experts. Our business operations expertise spans multiple industries. This means that most of what we do is not industry specific.
These are some of the industries we have or are working in. The list continues to grow.
- Government Contractors
- Professional Services
- Retail
- Finance and Accounting
- Sales and Marketing
- Facility Security
- Human Capital
- Human Resources
- Information Technology
- Data Analytics
- Construction, Remodeling and Home Services
- Architects and Engineers
- Landscapers
- Transportation and Logistics
- Medical
Let’s Talk Strategy
Reach out so we can start a conversation about:
- Our coaching, consulting and business operations services and how we can help
- Taking your company to the next level and giving it a strong business operations foundation to handle this growth
- The “oh $@#%*” issue that is stressing you and your team out
- Planning for the “What If”®
- Diana Dibble speak at your upcoming event
- Partnering with our firm
- Something else