Business advisor FAQs

We start with a first meeting where we get to know one-another. Talk about the business, it’s history, where it is now, what are the issues that have made you want to reach out. Do we feel we could work well together. Can I bring the skills, experience and expertise to your business that you’re looking for.

For full advisory engagements we arrange a second meeting where I conduct a structured Health Check of your business and/or a S.W.O.T exercise to help determine where to focus first, what are the ‘small fires’ we can put out now before dealing with the bigger issues / needs.

We use a simple, plain English document that covers the responsibilities and obligations of both parties. This Business Consulting Agreement includes an agreed monthly fee which is invoiced and paid in advance each month.

Certainly in the first or second meeting we can determine what level of engagement is best for you / your business needs. It might be a simple, low key mentoring arrangement when you need help in making key decisions and/or advice on how to tackle new issues and challenges. It might be an adhoc assignment to help you manage a project or work with you on a special initiative. Or maybe conduct a workshop or two. There is total flexible according to need. Often an engagement might start with a specific assignment but transition into full engagement over time.

This normally starts with a 90 days timeline within which we prioritise tasks and get to work. This enables you to assess the value and potential of what I can bring to the business. If a S.W.O.T hasn’t been done we will do one early in the 90 day phase, which will give us an actionable agenda if we haven’t already got one. We will address the 4Pillars of business during this phase: financial management, operational efficiency, strategic planning & marketing, customer experience. If the engagement is ‘task specific’ then a simple Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is put in place detailing the task and relevant terms, then we get on with the work.

This often depends on the need. Typically there would be a regime of fortnightly meetings; One meeting would focus on day to day workflow (working in the business), the other would be a management meeting dealing with the bigger issues and opportunities (working on the business) These meetings range from 1 – 2 hours. Initially there may be a need for weekly meetings, and outside of meetings there is regular following up, email exchange and phone conversations.

Fees for workshop sessions and other ‘packaged’ service offering start from $350 (typically a 2hr – 2.5hr workshop).The mentoring subscription service starts at $180/mth paid quarterly in advance. This includes 1hr 1:1 per month plus access to templates, best practice guidelines, management tools and how-to aids. Extra time is available in 30min increments at a set surcharge rate. Plus discounted access to “packaged” offerings. To put the mentoring service cost in perspective – it’s the cost-of-a-coffee-a-day.

No. You can opt out at any point under the termination clause, which is either one or two months’ notice. Depending on what was agreed. However the Agreement usually starts with a 90 day period to enable both parties to assess the workability of the relationship and whether you, as the client, see the value in the investment going forward. There are no contracts applied to the mentoring service or “packaged” offering, just T&Cs specific to the service / offering

All aspects of the business covered by the 4Pillars. From fiscal management to operational logistics, HR and H&S, compliance, marketing, sales, communications, customer experience, strategic planning, business plans, budgets, cashflows, systems and processes, IT optimisation, inventory, leakage.

This is not to say we are experts at everything, that wouldn’t be credible. But where a specialised expertise is needed the Prime resource and/or collaborative network each advisor builds up, can be brought in to help.