HIGHPOINT Management Consulting

If you haven't already noticed, there is a growing demand for fractional leaders. This emerges as a highly favourable choice for numerous businesses (admittedly, I may have a slight bias 😉), but objectively, learnings over the years highlight the advantages of engaging temporary, experienced professionals. Exceptional fractional leaders can foster relationships that prove beneficial long after the contract ends. If your business is in a phase of growth and/or contemplating organizational changes, considering a fractional leader might be a wise strategy to navigate challenges successfully.

This is it! We are quickly approaching the end of the year. No matter how your year has gone, I’m wishing you all the best in 2025 —especially to the founders and business owners among you. Here’s to a prosperous and healthy year ahead! Eat, drink, be merry and stay safe 🥂

As small business acquisitions continue to gain traction, it's crucial for buyers to conduct thorough operational due diligence, especially in the manufacturing sector. Engaging an experienced operator to assess the target company's operations can ensure a smooth transition and uncover potential risks or opportunities. Avoid buyers remorse! #SmallBusinessAcquisitions #Manufacturing #DueDiligence #OperationalExecllence

As a business owner, it’s easy to focus on the fires right in front of you—boosting sales, handling customer complaints, and putting out employee-related drama. These issues demand your attention because they’re loud, immediate, and visibly painful. But what about the slow-burn problems? The ones that quietly eat away at your profits, team morale, and growth potential? Here’s the hard truth: some challenges stick around because you’re not addressing the root cause. Maybe it’s a blind spot. Maybe you’re overwhelmed by the idea of pausing to investigate when it feels like you’re barely keeping up as it is. Or maybe, just maybe, the thought of making real changes feels scarier than the status quo. Look, I get it—you’ve had endless chats with your team, maybe even poked around for advice online (hi, ChatGPT!). But those surface-level fixes won’t cut it. You need intentional action to tackle operational inefficiencies head-on. Ready to start? Here’s how: 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 Uncover bottlenecks and redundancies. What tasks keep stalling? What’s taking twice as long as it should? 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Leverage your financials, customer feedback, and team insights to pinpoint inefficiencies. 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 Whether it’s a consultant or fractional executive, a fresh set of eyes can break through your blind spots. Growth demands that you stop running on autopilot. Embrace the hard stuff now—your future business will thank you. 🚀 BONUS: By doing this you will have time to dedicate to scaling, strategy, or just breathing easier!

I usually refer to myself as an “𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫.” 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 because I flex the iron ring—the iconic Canadian Engineering badge of commitment, integrity, and hard-earned success. Plus, I’m all about process, structure, and logic—the holy trinity of engineering. 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 because, let’s face it, I rock a mean eyeshadow 😉 and thrive on the calculated risks of entrepreneurship. I also love teaming up with non-tech types to turn big ideas into even bigger wins. This mix? It’s my winning formula for leading and managing operations in small businesses. The unconventional-meets-conventional approach bridges structure with creativity, logic with empathy, and risk-taking with measured strategy. These qualities fuel my work as an integrator and operator by aligning daily operations with big-picture goals, ensuring that every system, process, and decision is dialed in to support growth. Whether it’s turning chaos into clarity, rallying diverse teams, or solving problems with efficiency and flair, I bring balance to the art and science of running a business. Because when you combine engineering precision with entrepreneurial guts, magic happens—and businesses thrive. ✨ #ERTW #orchestratingalignment #operationsninja

Reposting this gem with added insights. ----- Businesses don’t just thrive—they dominate—when finance and ops link up like a power duo. 💼💥 When a fractional CFO brings financial wizardry to the table, and a fractional COO transforms those insights into operational gold, magic happens. This isn’t just about balancing the books; it’s about aligning financial goals with daily execution for a full-circle approach to growth. Here’s the truth: ➡️ Finance is more than just numbers—it’s your crystal ball for smarter operations. ➡️ Operations aren’t just tasks—they’re where strategy becomes reality. For example: 🔧 Service-based business: A marketing agency fixes revenue leaks with smarter pricing (CFO) and eliminates project delays with streamlined workflows (COO). The result? Better margins and scalable operations. 📦 Product-based business: An e-commerce brand lowers fulfillment costs (CFO) and improves inventory management (COO). The result? Faster delivery and higher customer satisfaction. The harmony between finance and ops doesn’t just optimize resources—it positions you to crush challenges, scale strategically, and stay ahead of the curve. Bottom line: If you want to be reactive, keep guessing. But if you’re ready to be unstoppable, invest in this dynamic partnership and watch your business flourish. #BusinessSynergy #OperationalExcellence #FractionalCOO #SmallBusinessOwner #StartupFounder

I help #smallbusinessowners turn their day-to-day operations from messy to masterful ---- Congrats on Your Acquisition! 🥂 You’ve bought a business—bold move! Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves, clean things up, and turn those hidden efficiencies into sales and profits. The question is: how are you tackling operations? Hopefully, you nailed the #OperationalDueDiligence during the acquisition phase 😜 . Either way, the next step is critical—getting the daily operations dialed in. Whether you’re navigating rapid growth or inheriting a brand-new business, having an #Operator by your side is game-changing. Start with a comprehensive diagnostic of the business: ▶ Org Structure: Are roles clear, and is the team aligned? ▶ Processes: What's working (or not) in service delivery, order fulfillment, supply chain, etc.? ▶ Marketing & Finance: Are your systems supporting growth or holding you back? Once you've assessed the lay of the land, craft a plan to run the business with precision and efficiency. Remember: operational excellence isn't flashy—it’s “felt” over time, like a well-oiled machine, unlike the instant gratification of social media engagement. Acquisitions are ballsy for #solosearchers. Be smart: streamline operations, avoid costly mistakes, and keep your eye on strategy and sales. The payoff? Less stress, more wins. 💪 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫: neglecting operations isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a financial liability. Bottlenecks and inefficiencies don’t just cost you time; they bleed profits and stunt growth. And thinking you can “do it all” or “handle it later” is a surefire way to turn opportunity into overwhelm. The truth is, every delay in fixing your operations is money left on the table. So, get clear, get organized, and let operational excellence pave the way to real returns.

You’re scaling your business and things are happening fast! In this phase (in particular) you are looking for ways to gain efficiency and control of your operations. Try using AI! Surprise! Remember AI is not a single, monolithic technology but a range of capabilities. Using an AI tool can benefit small businesses in the area of forecasting among others. This is an opportunity to use AI products to develop more reliable forecasting even with little historical trends. The added benefit is to allow the these tools to learn more about your business to then predict future performance. If it’s not the right time to explore this option ensure that forecasts are reviewed by relevant individuals in your organization to ensure that the forecasts are as accurate as they can be. 🤓

The thing I love most about working with small businesses? The passion and drive. Honestly, it’s infectious! When you partner with a small business, you feel the energy radiating from the owner/founder—these are brave souls who took that tiny spark of an idea and turned it into something real. Let’s not sugarcoat it: being a small business owner is 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅. You’re juggling a million things, usually with a tight budget and a team that often consists of just… you. I’ve been there! As a former brand and business builder myself, I’ve felt that pressure (hello, sleepless nights), but I also know the immense satisfaction of seeing that initial spark come to life. That experience is what drives me to continue working with ambitious individuals. It’s about partnering with you to achieve those goals that are so close you can practically taste them. I bring every tool, trick, and process I’ve picked up over the years to help you get there. To all the brave, slightly stressed, but absolutely unstoppable entrepreneurs out there—I see you! You’re doing incredible things. 💪 Keep pushing, keep dreaming, and remember, you don’t have to do it all alone. Your neighbourhood fractional COO & former co-founder. Nana #SmallBizLove #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessGrowth #FractionalCOO #KeepPushing #DreamBig #SmallBusiness

𝑰 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕-𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔. ---- Getting creative and technical teams to execute projects effectively can be a challenge, but with the right structure, you can avoid frustration and achieve results! 🎯 Let’s be honest: creative and technical teams think differently, interpret tasks differently, and work at different paces. The real magic happens when these two forces come together with a common purpose. But without a structured process in place, you will be sure to experience plenty of frustration!😅 Here’s how you can streamline that collaboration: 1. Clarify the Objective: Start with a crystal-clear overall goal—what are we trying to achieve? Make sure everyone is aligned on this before moving forward. 2. Set Clear Project Requirements: Your requirements need to be specific, measurable, and non-negotiable. Whether you're asking for a creative concept or a technical spec, everyone should know exactly what's expected. 3. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦-𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Tailor your asks for each team. What does the creative team need to deliver? What’s essential for the technical team to focus on? Make sure both teams understand each other’s deliverables. 4. Cross-Team Collaboration: Schedule review sessions where teams can go over each other’s requirements. Encourage knowledge transfer—let your creative team learn a bit about the technical side and vice versa. 5. Frequent Touchpoints: Brief, regular check-ins are essential. Keep them intentional and to the point. Everyone should walk away knowing what’s next and how their work fits into the bigger picture. Keep the communication open, expectations clear, and don’t forget: creativity and structure can co-exist! 🚀 *Tip: Always go back to the requirements to verify that you’re still on-track. #ProjectExecution #CreativeTechCollab #LeadershipTips