The job.
What you want to improve, what needs to be understood and the work I will carry.
For owners and leadership teams
Business consulting.
Work directly with Stan.
I help you work through a business problem or change. We agree the job, who is involved and what a useful result would look like.
Growth, pricing, operations, people. Corporate work starts with an inquiry. We agree the scope and quote before work begins.
Work with meWhat we agree.
The people.
Who provides the information, makes decisions and puts the work into practice.
The finish.
What your company will receive, how it will be used and when the assignment is complete.
Choose the work.
A project
A question to investigate or a defined piece of work.
Inquiry first. Agree the output, timing and fee.
Ongoing advisory
Continuing work with the owner and relevant leaders.
Inquiry first. Scope and fee agreed separately.
In the company
On-site work or a separately agreed fractional role.
Agree the role, availability, fee and travel.
When suppliers and growth meet.
My background includes sourcing, negotiation and international operations. For a product business, manufacturer, importer or distributor, the question may be a supplier change, a larger order or moving work across borders.
Read my account of visiting valve manufacturers and the manufacturer-checking guide. These show the context and approach; technical qualification and regulated work require the appropriate specialists.
Looking for individual support? One-to-one work is $1,500/month, every two weeks, month to month. Corporate work is quoted separately.
Illustrative example
Quotes are waiting for approval.
The request.
The company wants a new CRM because quotes receive little follow-up.
What we find.
In this example, staff are waiting for the owner to approve unusual terms. The software may still need work, but the approval process needs attention first.
The agreed work.
Write down which quotes staff can send, which need approval and who follows up. The owner approves the limits; the team tests them.
The check.
Follow the next quotes. Can people act? What still waits, and why? Use that evidence to decide the next change.
Change and programme work
Make the change work in practice.
A plan can cross sales, operations and management while nobody owns the handoffs. Discuss a defined change assignment with Stan: what needs to happen, which teams are involved and who can remove a blockage.
Carry a workstream.
The scope can name the sequence, meetings, decisions, working documents and follow-through Stan will carry. Your sponsor keeps the agreed company decisions and assigns staff time.
Test it with the team.
Illustrative: sales starts using a new delivery promise. Try it on a small set of orders, trace exceptions and check whether delivery can keep it. A signed-off document is only the beginning.
Agree who accepts the work, what evidence shows it is usable and who takes it over. Direct staff management needs an explicit operating role; it is not assumed in a consulting assignment.
Use the project brief, then discuss the change. Scope, timing, fee and any travel are quoted separately.
A useful brief can be short.
What do you want to accomplish? Add what you have tried, who is involved and what you need help with. You do not need to solve the problem before we speak.
Practical questions.
How do we start?
Tell me what you want to accomplish and where you need help. We discuss fit, then agree the work, fee and responsibilities.
Do I need a finished brief?
No. The first piece of work can be to investigate the question and define what needs to happen next.
What will I receive?
We agree the output before work begins. It may be a comparison of options, a plan or a working document your team can use.
What does it cost?
All corporate work starts with an inquiry and a separate quote. The fee depends on the assignment, responsibilities and time involved.
Can you work on-site?
Yes, when agreed in the scope. I am based in Sacramento and work with companies across the United States and beyond. Travel is agreed separately.
Who runs the company?
You retain authority and your team carries its agreed work. Direct operating responsibility requires a separate agreement. Legal, tax, accounting and investment services are not provided.
Useful before we talk.
Plan a project before work starts
A practical guide to the work, responsibilities and limits.
When to hire a consultant
Questions to consider before committing to a project.
Work with me.
Tell me what you want to accomplish and where you need help.