Everyone is a consultant.
What Makes Me Different?
It seems that everyone is a consultant. It’s like when you get an orange jeep and all of a sudden see them everywhere but swear you’ve never seen one before. I’m having that moment with consulting. I didn’t realize that’s what everyone is doing. Well, I’m happy to be here.
I’m finding that everyone has their niche: super corporate audit style, the life-coach approach, fix everything with social media bent, and firms dedicated to nothing but HR solutions. Cool. I’ve been getting asked what services I provide, but I can feel that the underlying question is, “how are you different”? That’s a great question.
My experience: I’ve been working with business owners for 12 years and have seen people at every point in the entrepreneurial life-cycle. During this time I helped hundreds of people buy and/or sell food & beverage concepts. Although I primarily worked with restaurants, I’m a firm believer that a good business practice is universal regardless of industry. I sat across the table and listened to people pour their hearts out while explaining their dreams to me. On the other end of that conversation were the business owners who were so burned out and broken (mentally, physically and financially) that they couldn’t imagine recovering. I get it: the excitement, expectations, feelings of failure, disappointment, joy, and the extreme highs and lows of business ownership. I have sat, listened, advised, and helped others get to where they’re going. Repeat.
Here are some examples of what I can bring to the table for those just starting out:
Business plan collaboration
Concept development and viability
Financial Review and preparation for audience (investor, landlord, bank)
Helping you set realistic expectations on the time, money, and energy it will take to get your venture going
Road-mapping from ideation to concept fruition
Connect you to professionals/services/vendors that are trusted and of value
Teasing out what is important, and what is just noise. It’s hard in all the excitement to stay focused.
For those already in business:
Listening
Financial Review
Lease review if applicable
Pinpointing your superpowers and kryptonite
Road-mapping goals from present to future (micro).
Helping you set realistic expectations on quality of life, finances, and set high-level goals (macro)
Determining if it’s time to scale, create sustainability, or sell
Navigating the conversation around selling to a partner or employees
Be a part of the conversation about building a team and how that fits into your growth plan.
Real Estate: I’ve been a licensed real estate agent since 2010 and have helped my clients buy and sell property, enter into new leases, or assign an existing lease in the context of a business sale. It’s hard for me to leave the importance of real estate out of a conversation about business. Sure, not everyone needs a space, but if you do it begs serious consideration. I’ve seen many people so pumped up about their concept that they make big mistakes here. Where you are located matters, how much rent you pay matters, and yes, even the fine print on that 96 page lease matters.
Real Estate Services:
Lease review
Tenant/Buyer Representation (NC/SC only)
Deep understanding of the gravity real estate plays in small business
Helping you set proper expectations (time, money, process)
Developing a plan on how real estate fits into your long term vision for your business and personal life
Working with developers to create projects that have value beyond the numbers: vision, tenant mix, and cohesion within the community.
I’ve been hesitant to list out a proper menu of services on the site because I feel like every client comes to me with different needs and skill-sets. I don’t like being boxed in! I get fired up when I’m helping people expand their vision and scale their businesses. I’m a great problem solver, but I don’t want to come to table trying to “fix” you or your business. Let’s not assume you’re broken—I’m not that kind of consultant.
There are a few things in my pipeline that I’m really excited to roll out! It’ll bring more value and options to what I’ve already got going! Stay tuned!
