Four phases, then you decide.
Three to five weeks from first observation to a business that runs on its own. The monthly retainer after that is optional.
Assessment
ON-SITE · 3–5 DAYSWe come in and watch the business run — not the version described in a meeting, the actual one. The goal is to find what is genuinely costing time or money, including the things an owner cannot see from the inside.
Strategy
MOSTLY OFF-SITE · 3–7 DAYSThen we build the fix. A prioritized plan, the specific process changes, and the training materials to go with them. This happens off-site, which keeps the cost down and gives the work room to be right rather than fast.
Implementation
ON-SITE · 1–2 WEEKSThe longest phase, because a new process only sticks with repetition. We return and train your team directly, run the new workflow under real conditions, and correct the drift before it hardens back into the old habit.
Optimization
CHECK-INS AT 30 AND 60 DAYSMost processes break a month or two after the consultant leaves, not during training. Two scheduled check-ins catch that, and anything that has slipped gets fixed before it sets.
The monthly retainer.
Once it is running, the job changes from building to protecting. Processes drift, staff turn over, and new bottlenecks appear somewhere you were not looking. One 60–90 minute check-in a month, plus up to two shorter touchpoints, keeps a trained eye on it.
What it is not: a retainer for new projects or major overhauls. Those get scoped and priced separately, so you are never paying retainer rates for project work.
| Phase | Focus | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Assessment | On-site observation and root-cause assessment | 3–5 days on-site |
| 2 · Strategy | Build the resolution plan and training materials | 3–7 days, mostly off-site |
| 3 · Implementation | Train staff and implement the new process | 1–2 weeks on-site |
| 4 · Optimization | Confirm the process holds under real conditions | Check-ins at 30 and 60 days |
| Retainer | Ongoing monitoring, tweaks, and troubleshooting | Monthly, optional |
What we work on
Six places the money usually leaks — inventory, workflow, financial controls, repeat revenue, overhead, and exit planning.
Questions we get asked.
What does an engagement actually cost?
It depends on the size of the business and what the assessment finds, so we do not publish a price. What we can tell you is the shape: the assessment is a fixed fee agreed before we start, the build is scoped and priced once we know what we are fixing, and the monthly retainer is optional. You will never get an open-ended bill.
How long before we see a result?
The assessment is three to five days on-site and you have a written plan at the end of it. Most of what we find is fixable inside three to five weeks. The things that take longer — inventory positions, supplier terms, customer concentration — we will tell you upfront.
Do you work remotely?
The assessment and the training happen in the building. Watching how work actually moves is the whole method, and it does not survive a video call. The strategy phase is mostly off-site, which keeps the cost down, and the monthly retainer check-ins can be remote.
We already have an accountant and a bookkeeper. How is this different?
An accountant tells you what happened. A bookkeeper records it. Neither is responsible for how work moves through your business or what it costs you when it stalls. Most of our clients keep both.
Is this business coaching?
No. Coaching works on the owner. We work on the operation — the processes, the handoffs, the reporting, the costs. Saul is a certified financial and operations business coach, but what he is hired for is business operations.
We tried a consultant before and nothing changed.
That is the usual outcome, and it is why the process does not end at the plan. The training phase is the longest one, and there are check-ins at thirty and sixty days specifically because processes break a month or two after the consultant leaves, not during training.
What size business is this for?
Small and mid-sized. If you carry inventory, run payroll, and have a line of credit, you are the right size. Below that, the structure usually is not the problem yet.
What happens on the first call?
Twenty minutes. You describe what is not working. If we can help, we will tell you how. If we cannot, we will tell you that too — that answer is free and it is usually worth having.
Start with a conversation.
Twenty minutes, no cost, no pitch. You describe what isn't working. If we can help, we'll tell you how. If we can't, we'll tell you that too.