How We Can Help

Milton
Operations & Srategy Advisors

Operating a small business effectively and efficiently is fundamental to it’s success. A great and innovative idea, product or service is only as good as how well the company executes and runs their business.

How we can help your business:

Business Plan and Strategies

Every business needs a roadmap to define their goals.
Your plan should include:

  1. The purpose of your business
  2. Identify your target market and customers
  3. Define success for your business
    • Establish financial targets for short and medium term
  4. List what you need to start and run your business
    • Staff
    • Facilities
    • Funding
    • Skills

When a company requests a consultation, we will request that they provide their business plan. If one isn’t documented, we will recommend that a simple one or two page plan be completed. Having a roadmap for a business is essential. Make it realistic – review and re-evaluate it periodically.

Staffing

To achieve the goals of the business whether it is to grow your company, increase revenue, expand your product or service
offerings, will at some point require more labour. We have helped clients with assessing their staffing needs and skills required, understanding the business owners strengths and priorities, leading to recommendations such as:

  • Skills and expertise needed
  • What roles might be required, if they are undefined or missing,
  • To hire full-time or to contract
  • What training might be required
  • Are there functions that should be outsourced to other service providers
    • Accounting, legal, IT, Security, Administration, to name a few

Toronto Psychology Clinic is a client we helped to identify and assess issues related to hiring and managing their staff’s performance. Our advisors recommended useful processes and tools for managing their employees while administrative responsibilities were being realigned amongst staff.

Information Systems and Digitalizing your Business

With the advent of cloud computing and social media technology over 10 years ago now, it has been easier for small businesses to make use of technology not only for back office functions but to market, sell and create and promote their brand, products and
services.

The flip side is customers are more sophisticated in their use of various smart devices and their expectation of their client experience is high. With the onset of the pandemic most companies had no choice but to pivot and digitize their business in some way to continue to survive.

When our client’s register with us for a consultation, even if their issue is not about IT or digitizing their business, part of our research is to review the company’s online and social media sites. Besides understanding your business, we want to assess how effective you tell your story.

Sean Howard requested our help with how to create a Software as a Service (SaaS) for his company Flightpath Software Inc. The selected BAG advisors leveraged their collective IT experience to provide an approach as to what cost elements to consider. Sean was extremely satisfied with BAG’s recommendations.

Inventory Management and Cost Controls

Inventory management and cost controls are essential for any business that produces a product from raw materials or provides a service delivered by staff. With the inflationary period we are experiencing, controlling costs are even more challenging. Inventory management and understanding your cost of goods sold is directly linked to having proper tracking processes and good financial reporting practices.

Worldwide supply chain issues are seriously impacting businesses. Managing your inventory of raw materials and finished products including understanding your carrying costs, inventory turns, managing your suppliers and their terms are all vitally important in operating your business. Our experienced team of advisors can help you identify any shortcoming in your inventory management system and help you understand key cost indicators to focus on.

During their first year of operating, Poke Co, a new restaurant in Hamilton that specializes in high quality poke bowls engaged our services to discuss the possibility of expanding to a second location. In reviewing their financial statements, we advised that they needed to first focus on managing their costs for a longer period of time during the pandemic before considering opening another site. The great news is their focus and patience of waiting and achieving cost constancy in their business paid off and provided the opportunity to expand in 2022!

 

Hear from our clients

Contact Us today

2-3 hours for only $195

We are here to help, providing invaluable advice for an affordable fee.
Ongoing sessions can be arranged as your business evolves.
Virtual meetings are available, including clients outside the GTA/Golden Horseshoe area.

Our Milton Location

Both in-person and virtual meetings are available to clients. We have one location in Milton, affiliated with the Milton Chamber of Commerce.  Virtual meetings are available outside the GTA/Golden Horseshoe area.

Milton Chamber of Commerce

251 Main Street, East, Suite 104
Milton, Ontario L9T 1P1

From the 403, take Regional Road 25 north to Milton to Main Street. Turn left (west) on Main Street until you reach Martin Street. The Milton Chamber is at the corner of Main and Martin Street. Parking is available on side streets such as Mill Street, but NOT in the Plaza parking lot. Telephone 905-878-0581.