Questions founders ask before working with me

An operations consultant works alongside the founder to identify where the business is depending on them, then builds the systems, processes and automations that change that. In practical terms that means understanding where the things are slowing the business down, building documented systems that other people or tools can follow and implementing the automations that take repetitive work off your plate for good.

I sit between an OBM and a fractional COO. I give you the strategic operational advice on what needs to change, then I implement it alongside you. Advice plus implementation, not one without the other. I'm not a business coach working on mindset or strategy. I do the work, fix what's causing it and help you set the business up for what comes next.

A virtual assistant (VA) handles tasks. An Online Business Manager (OBM) manages projects and team. A fractional COO advises on strategy but usually isn't the one doing the building. I sit between an OBM and a fractional COO: closer to the day-to-day than a COO, more structural than an OBM or a VA.

I advise on what needs to change, then implement it myself: the systems, automations and AI workflows that make it stick. With ten years of corporate operations experience at some of Australia's largest financial services firms and five years as the operational right hand to a senior executive, I bring strategic operations thinking that most VAs and OBMs can't.

The difference is scope. If your inbox is chaotic, I can manage it. But I also look at why it's chaotic and build the processes that mean it stays manageable without you. You get someone who sees the structural problem, fixes it and helps you plan for what comes next. One partner who advises and implements, not two different hires.

Yes. I'm based in Melbourne but I work with service-based founders across Australia. Everything is done remotely via Google Meet, so location isn't a barrier. If you're in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth or anywhere in between, the process is exactly the same.

Most of my clients are solo founders or small teams running service-based businesses. They're fully booked or close to it, operationally stretched and past the point where winging it is working.

There's no strict size threshold. What matters is where you are operationally: you're past the early startup phase, you have paying clients and the way things are running right now isn't sustainable if you want to keep growing without it costing you everything.

Service-based businesses, predominantly. Coaches, consultants, bookkeepers, mortgage brokers, designers, photographers, marketing agencies, copywriters and other online service providers make up most of my client base.

The common thread isn't the industry. It's the situation: a founder who is good at what they do, fully committed to their clients and quietly running out of capacity because the business depends entirely on them.

No. You need to be open to using tools that make your life easier, but I don't expect you to come in with technical knowledge. Part of my job is understanding how you actually think and work and building systems that fit that. I also make sure you understand and can maintain everything we build together, so you're never dependent on me to keep things running.

If you've tried tools before and found them overwhelming or confusing, that's usually a sign the tool wasn't right for how you work, not that you're not capable of using one.

If you've been telling yourself you'll sort it out next month, and next month keeps arriving without anything changing, that's usually the sign. The founders I work with aren't disorganised. They've built something real. The problem is that the business has outgrown its setup and the way things are running right now can't sustain where the business is heading.

You don't need to be in crisis to reach out. Most of my clients contact me when they're still functioning but starting to feel the cost of holding everything together, whether that's time, energy or the growing sense that things are slipping through the cracks. A free discovery call is a good place to start. I'll be honest about whether I think I can help.

The retainer is an ongoing strategic operations partnership. I advise on what needs to change, then implement it myself: the systems, automations and AI workflows that make it stick. Advice plus implementation in one engagement, not two different hires.

It's not just task management. It's having an experienced operations partner in your corner each month who sees the structural problems, builds the systems that fix them and helps you set the business up so it doesn't depend entirely on you.

The retainer works best for founders who need ongoing support rather than a one-off build. If the business is running through you, the day-to-day is piling up and you need someone to come in and help carry the load while also improving how things run, the retainer is the right fit.

It's also well-suited to founders who are growing and want an operations partner who builds systems as the business evolves, rather than a one-time fix.

It varies depending on the business and what's most pressing, but most retainer clients use their hours across a combination of strategic operations work, one or two system builds or automation updates and ad-hoc execution support where it makes sense.

As things stabilise and systems are built, the mix shifts. Less reactive, more proactive building and improving. That's the goal.

Retainer pricing starts from $1,500/month. Scope is tailored to what the business actually needs, not a fixed package. All prices AUD, ex-GST. GST not currently applied.

We work out the right hours together on your discovery call, and adjust as the work evolves.

Yes. The retainer is open to new leads coming in via discovery call and to past project build clients who want ongoing support after a build wraps up. There's no requirement to have worked together before.

Three months from the start date. After the minimum term, the retainer continues month-to-month and either party can pause or end with 30 days written notice. The three-month minimum is there because real structural change takes time to see and build, and a one-month engagement doesn't allow either of us to do that properly.

No. Unused hours in a given month are forfeited at month end. The retainer is priced for a consistent monthly rhythm, not for stockpiling time. If you're consistently not using your hours, that's a conversation about adjusting them for next month, not a rollover one.

Any single request estimated at over 3 hours triggers a quick scope conversation before I start, so we're aligned on how much of the month it'll take. If the month as a whole is heading over your agreed hours, I'll flag it before we go over and we'll either roll the extra work into the next month or increase your hours going forward. Nothing goes over silently and you'll never get a surprise invoice.

Email is the default channel for all communication and approvals. That keeps everything in writing and easy to find later. Standard response time is 24 hours within business days (Monday to Friday).

A pause isn't a contractual right, but it's something I can usually accommodate. If you need to pause, we agree the dates and the resumption point in writing before it starts. A pause doesn't reduce the fee for the affected month if it falls inside the three-month minimum, and the resumption point counts towards your minimum term.

Start with the Monthly Retainer if the business is running through you across multiple areas, you need ongoing support and you want an operations partner who advises on what to change and then builds it.

Go straight to a Project Build if you know exactly what you need built and you want an experienced operator to build it with you. Defined scope, clear deliverable, clear finish.

If you're genuinely not sure, book a free discovery call. I'll ask a few questions and point you in the right direction.

Monthly Retainer: book a discovery call, receive a proposal within 24 to 48 hours, sign the agreement, kick-off call, retainer begins.

Project Build: book a discovery call, receive a proposal for the research phase within 24 to 48 hours, research phase, build plan sign-off, build, handover and close.

Everything is remote. No travel required.

Book a free 30-minute discovery call. There's no obligation and I'll point you in the right direction regardless of whether we end up working together.