Business owners want...

Happiness

I want to enjoy my work. I want to create a place where my team members are valued, respected, and safe. I know many of us don't talk about the 'h' word and will push this one back to 'someday,' but what would it look like to have it now?

"It's okay to be a happy business owner. Despite social pressure to the contrary."

To Have a Positive Impact

I want my business to impact the clients I serve positively.

"Starting, owning and operating your own business is about making a positive impact in the lives of your customers, your team and the community."

A Profitable Operation

Your profit is essential!

It is easy to get disillusioned by the constant push to make profit a problem.

Edit: I was about to go on a rant... I'll save it for a blog post.

Profit allows you to serve others.

"Profit fuels service."

To Build Their Company's Value

The value of a business is as unique as the owners who start and operate them.

Financial Independence
Build & Exit
Build & Pass On

"Buyers are attracted to opportunities where they can envision the future value."

What I Do

"I help owners make practical, actionable, sustainable changes to their businesses so that they can increase their happiness, impact, profit, and the long-term value of their company."

Practical Improvements

Let's identify changes that are appropriate for your business.

There are no cookie-cutter templates or 'proprietary, proven processes' that I will push.

We'll look at your situation, and together, we'll create solutions that match your needs and resources.

Actionable Solutions

A practical solution only works if you can take action to implement it.

Sustainable Implementations

Have you ever gone through an improvement or implementation process in an organization only to have the final solution fall apart the moment it wasn't the primary focus?

Me too.

We'll be building long-term sustainability into every project from day one.

DIY vs. DIWH

This is the part where I rationalize why you should always get help... my help.

Spoiler alert... I'm not going to do that.

Do It Yourself (DIY)

As a business owner, it makes sense to do what you can yourself or, at least, with the resources inside your organization.

If your business has grown to the point where you have ample resources to outsource new projects and bring in outside consultants... yeah... I still wouldn't do that first.

My experience has been that an internal process owner who takes charge and digs deep is critical to business change's long-term success (and sustainability).

The content I produce is designed to help you create your own solutions if that makes sense in your situation.

Do It With Help (DIWH)

Question: So, where do I come in? For that matter, where does any consultant come in?

Answer: Where you need me to.

Some areas where outside help can be of value.

You need:

Outside Experience
Outside Perspective/Objectivity
Solution Idea Generation
Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Added Resources to Meet Deadlines

I worked with Stephen in a pro bono mentoring/coaching team environment (through SAGE Fort Collins). I found his client counsel to be timely, intelligent and focused. I strongly recommend taking advantage of his skills in business growth.

~David B.

“Stephen Krausse’s work has been the ideal guide with the struggles and hardships as I decided to take the entrepreneurial path. His compassionate, open-minded, and personable approach during his sessions has given me confidence throughout the process and yielded immediate benefits.

Since the very first meeting, I’ve received meaningful information and feedback that I could act upon right away—and during my work with Stephen, that stream of meaningful, useful information has remained constant.

In my personal experience, working with Stephen continues to see concrete, constant benefits: I have a better understanding of how to navigate complicated and unpleasant processes from a simpler dynamic and have different tools to resolve the challenges of our industry in less time.”

~Adriana P.

“Steve is wonderful to work with. He is very detail-oriented, well trained in many business aspects (financing, procurement, logistics, marketing), incredibly “street-smart”, and quickly hones-in on whatever is your business current bottleneck, providing sensible, actionable solutions. He, and four other advisors, helped me with my startup about 8 years ago. As I look back, what they did for me is ever-growing in its true dimension. Thank you Steve!”

~Julio Z.

Your Practical Business Consultant

Experience

For over 30 years, I have been starting and running small businesses through all levels of success. I have made and recovered from every mistake and, throughout the process, developed the problem-solving skills necessary to take a business from struggling to thriving.

Knowledge

I have a degree in business management from Colorado State University and am a lifelong learner. I’m always studying and seeking new information on business strategy and success. You can see the fruits of my research through my extensive library of blog posts and podcasts.

Passion

Throughout my life, business has been my passion. I’m an entrepreneur at heart. Starting at 19 years old, through my years in the Navy and 30 years of working hands-on, I’ve always felt the pull of business. No matter the situation, I see the potential of making a business or organization run more successfully through practical, actionable, sustainable change.

Pricing

Project Based Fees

I use project-based billing. We will meet to discuss the details of the project you would like to work on and the value you feel it will bring your business. This helps me understand the scope of work that will be required.

Using the information from our initial meeting, I will develop a quotation reflecting the project's complexity, the scope of work, and the length of our engagement.

My quotes are guaranteed. Once accepted, the pricing will be set in stone as long as the scope of work is set in stone.

Why No Hourly Billing/Retainers?

I have found that project-based billing with tangible deliverables identified in advance provides the most successful outcomes for clients.

As a result, I do not offer retainer services or hourly rate-based fees.

Payment Terms

30% Due before we start work.

70% Due upon completion of final deliverable(s).

Welcome Business Owners!

Owning a business is...