01 / 04
Profitability
Find unnecessary costs, margin problems and pricing opportunities.
- Supplier pricing
- Overhead & subscriptions
- Payroll & labour
- Margin by area
- Pricing
- Cash flow
Performance-Based
Fees tied to measurable results
Find the Money
Hidden savings, leaking costs, soft margins
~6 Month Turnaround
A plan with a clock on it
Operator, Not Theorist
Built, ran & sold real businesses
Who I work with
Owners who know there's more in the business.
I work with established, owner-led businesses where the operation is complex enough for money to hide, particularly:
- Equipment & rental
- Construction & trades
- Transportation & logistics
- Automotive
- Storage & property services
- Field-service businesses
- Retail & franchise
- Professional services
And other operationally complex businesses.
Not every business is a fit.
I typically work with established businesses where there is enough revenue, operational complexity, or opportunity to produce a measurable financial impact.
- You own the business and can make the call
- Revenue is stuck or margins are slipping
- You're involved in everything and it's wearing thin
- You want skin in the game from whoever you hire
What I actually do.
If you hire me, this is what I do for your company. Four areas, one goal: more money that stays in the business.
02 / 04
Operations
Identify bottlenecks, wasted labour and inefficient processes.
- Wasted labour
- Scheduling
- Inventory
- Workflow bottlenecks
- Repeated processes
- Owner bottlenecks
03 / 04
Revenue
Find missed sales opportunities, customer leakage and new revenue streams.
- Missed sales
- Conversion
- Customer retention
- Upselling
- Product & service mix
- New revenue streams
04 / 04
Systems
Build processes, CRM, reporting and accountability so improvements stick.
- Processes
- CRM
- Reporting & KPIs
- Accountability
- A business that runs without you
What changes when we're done.
Consulting shouldn't sound theoretical. This is the shift we work toward, and we measure it.
Before
- Owner involved in everything
- Unknown profitability by area
- Manual processes
- Missed opportunities
- Rising costs
- No clear KPIs
After
- Owner has more control
- Clear operating systems
- Measurable KPIs
- Reduced unnecessary costs
- Improved margins
- Better accountability
Performance-based consulting
My fee follows your result.
Most consultants bill by the hour and leave before the results show up. When it's appropriate, I tie my compensation to measurable results instead of an upfront consulting retainer. That way we want the same thing: more money in the business.
We agree the baseline and the target in plain numbers before any work starts. If I don't see real money to find, I'll say so before anything is signed.
"I don't promise profit. I find the opportunities, put them in place, and we measure what changed."
Why James
Operator first. Consultant second.
I've built businesses, run operations, managed teams, and sold a company. I've sat in your seat.
Find the opportunity. Build the fix. Measure the result.
01
YM Group · Ontario operationsRan all of Ontario for YM Group, opening stores and building every management team.
02
Côté Rico · Franchise growthBuilt the Côté Rico group across the Maritimes with 20+ investors.
03
Growth & exitBuilt and exited a $3M+ business.
04
Government contractingManaged multi-million-dollar government contracts.
Come in, assess, turn it around.
No long contract before you know it's worth it. A free 30-minute assessment tells us both if there's a result to chase.
30 minutes Free No upfront fee No obligation
01
Free assessment
30 minutes on your business. We look for opportunities and decide whether there's a measurable project worth pursuing. If there isn't, I'll tell you straight.
02
I dig in
I get into the numbers and the operation, find the savings and soft spots, and come back with a plan, a baseline, and a target.
03
We turn it around
We implement the plan together over 3 to 6 months and measure what changed. When it fits, my fee is tied to that result, not my hours.
You're not just hiring me. You're hiring my bench.
When a fix needs more than one set of hands, I bring in the right people. They are vetted and involved only when it moves your number.
WEB · SEO
Get found online
A growth partner who builds the site and the SEO so the right customers find you. It is the same engine behind the page you're reading.
BOOKS · TAX
Clean books, sharp numbers
Bookkeepers and accountants to get the financials in order, so the savings I find hold up and tax time stops being a fire drill.
CAPITAL
Capital when you need it
A rolodex of private investors I can tap depending on the play. Growth money is matched to the need, not a one-size pitch.
Common questions
Straight answers, no runaround.
What does performance-based mean?
When it fits, my compensation is tied to a measurable result we agree on up front rather than an upfront consulting retainer. We set the baseline and the target in plain numbers before any work starts.
How long does a turnaround take?
3 to 6 months from assessment to a measurable change. Some are faster, some longer, depending on the business and what we find.
What kind of businesses do you work with?
Established owner-led businesses with real operational complexity: equipment rental, construction and trades, transportation and logistics, automotive, storage and property services, field-service businesses, retail and franchise, and professional services. Not every business is a fit. There needs to be enough revenue, complexity or opportunity to make a measurable financial impact.
What does it cost?
It depends on the business and the result we target, and part of the fee is tied to that result. You get a clear quote after the assessment, before any commitment. Request a quote and we'll talk specifics.
What happens in the free assessment?
We spend 30 minutes looking at your business, spotting potential opportunities, and deciding whether there's a measurable project worth pursuing. No upfront consulting fee, no obligation. If I don't see real money to find, I'll tell you.
Are you local to Ottawa?
Based in the Ottawa region, working remotely across Canada. Reach out and we'll find the right way to work together.
Book a free business assessment
Let's find the money in your business.
We'll spend 30 minutes looking at your business, identifying potential opportunities, and deciding whether there's a measurable project worth pursuing. No upfront consulting fee. No obligation.
Stop leaving money on the table.
Business stuck and tired of guessing? Start with a free 30-minute assessment. No upfront fee, no obligation, just a straight read on whether there's money to find.