Practical Leadership Strategies

You work all day, every day, and barely break even.
You know that your operation needs more management, or marketing, or procedures, or training, or bookkeeping, or… but YOU are all you have.
You have strengths in some functions of your business, but you know that some other functions aren't getting done well enough.
You don't have anyone to exchange ideas with.
You run things by feel more than by plan.
You just don't know what to do next, or what to do differently, to improve your situation.

Do any of these feelings describe how you see consultants and contractors?

You feel concerned about paying fees without a good return on your investment.
You find them to be poor listeners and focused on a cookie-cutter set of solutions.
The fees scare you; you're not making enough profit to make a mistake with a consultant.
Consultants don't seem focused enough on making you self-sufficient, and look for long-term fee arrangements.
They offend you with condescension and by assuming you don't know how to run your business.

What can Practical Leadership Strategies do for you?

Fixed-fee business analysis. I spend 2 to 4 weeks in your business and provide you with a practical action plan for improvements, based on your priorities and strategies. You may decide to follow the plan or pieces of it, and you may go it alone or request some additional assistance from me.

Problem-solving training and facilitation. If you already have a defined improvement need, I can create a practical plan to address that need. I will train your staff, provide meeting facilitation, and help you structure your business to manage that issue in the future. This work can be either fixed-fee or an hourly rate.

Occasional business advisor. You may already be leading your business along a path of change and improvement and simply need another set of eyes to look for holes in your approach. This work can be either fixed fee or an hourly rate.

Project management. So often we know what to do but don't have the time to do it: I can set up and manage one or several projects from definition through completion, ensuring your staff can pick up the ball afterwards.

Skilled "odd jobs." Wish someone could get your business cards designed quickly and printed inexpensively? Or could help you find a good website designer? Or could do a website for you, inexpensively? Or could help you do a flowchart on a troublesome business operation? Or could give you some quick and dirty Quickbooks help? Or help you find a good source for packing supplies? In short, help you with the thousand jobs that you could do if you had the time... but you don't.

I respect your accomplishments and am focused on your priorities: rapid and lasting improvements to your business at a reasonable price. Call me to discuss your needs today - no obligation, and no hard sell!