The Core Package

The Core Package goes beyond basic preparedness. Here, we build full systems: an expanded Business Continuity Plan, a structured risk management plan, a cybersecurity checklist, deeper waste and social assessments, and a supplier scorecard. It gives you clarity, structure, and improved operational stability.

Your Core BCP includes multiple disruption scenarios, clear roles, escalation steps, updated communication protocols, supplier backups, and decision flows. It becomes an actionable guide your team can rely on, not just a simple checklist.

You receive a practical, small-business version of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM): a risk register, likelihood/impact scoring, mitigation steps, early warning indicators, and assigned risk owners. It helps you see issues before they disrupt operations.

It includes essential protections for small businesses: device security, password protocols, backup recommendations, access controls, and basic incident response steps. It’s designed to reduce the risk of downtime and data loss without requiring technical expertise.

You receive a Supplier Scorecard that rates performance, reliability, communication, capacity, and risk. This helps you identify vulnerable supplier relationships and builds a stronger, more reliable supply chain.

We evaluate morale, communication, community involvement, and customer impact. You receive practical actions to strengthen your team’s engagement and your local reputation - two major contributors to retention and customer loyalty.

You’ll gain clear systems, better coordination, fewer disruptions, stronger team alignment, supplier clarity, reduced waste, smarter decision-making, and more confidence in your ability to manage business risks.

Your team participates in short workshops and simple check-ins. Most of the heavy lifting is done by me, with minimal extra work for your staff. The goal is to improve operations, not add stress.

Yes. The Core Package gives you the foundational systems many retailers and B2B partners ask about: risk management, continuity planning, supplier evaluation, employee engagement, waste reduction, and community involvement.

No. Your time commitment is minimal: 2-hour kickoff, 1-2 hours for stakeholder interviews, three 60-90 minute monthly check-ins, and a 1-hour team training. Total: ~8-10 hours over 3-4 months. I do 40-60 hours of analysis and building systems. You're not pulling employees off the floor; you give me insights, I build the systems, then we implement gradually using the roadmap.

Stakeholder engagement is built into the Prepare phase - we gather input from your team early so they feel heard, not dictated to. The changes we recommend make their jobs easier: clearer processes = less confusion, documented procedures = less "asking the boss," better training = more confidence. Resistance usually comes when changes are imposed top-down; we build buy-in from the start.

Most Core clients see ROI within 12-18 months through hard savings alone:

Typical annual savings:

• Waste reduction: $3,000-$10,000

• Employee retention (reducing turnover): $5,000-$15,000 per position saved

• Owner time freed up: 5-15 hours/week = $15,000-$50,000 in value

Risk mitigation: One avoided supply chain disruption could save $10,000-$50,000

Strategic value: Ability to take vacation without panic, pursue growth opportunities you're currently too busy for, and reduced stress. Most clients say the real value is in opportunities they can now pursue because they're not constantly firefighting.

An operations manager costs $60,000-$90,000/year (plus benefits), executes systems but doesn't build frameworks, and you still need to know WHAT systems to build. Core Package ($9,500-$15,000 one-time) builds the expert-level infrastructure that an operations manager would then execute. Many clients do Core, then hire an ops manager 6-12 months later because they now have clear systems for that person to manage.

Nothing major. Helpful (but not required): list of critical suppliers, recent financials, basic org chart, any existing procedures. Don't create documents or clean up operations before I see them - I need to see reality, not the polished version. The best preparation is being honest about where you are. Messy operations are WHY you're hiring me.

Slightly, but I don't recommend it. The deliverables are designed to build on each other - risk register informs continuity plan, continuity connects to crisis communication, supplier scorecards feed into risk register. If you skip components, you get gaps. That said, if you already have a solid continuity plan, we can review and integrate it rather than start from scratch. Let's discuss on a discovery call what you've done and what's most urgent.

Yes, you own everything. All deliverables are yours in editable formats (Word/Google Docs, Excel/Sheets), not locked PDFs. You can update and maintain these systems as your business changes forever. The only thing you don't keep? Me. After 3 months, ongoing support is optional (book check-ins, upgrade to Master, or work independently).

I typically start new Core projects within 2-4 weeks of signing. I only take 3-4 Core clients at a time to ensure quality. To start within a month: Book discovery call this week → If we're a fit, I send proposal → Sign and pay deposit → Kickoff within 1-2 weeks. If your timeline is 3-6 months out: We can lock in your spot and pricing now. Pro tip: Don't wait for the "perfect time", the best time to build resilience is before you need it.

Life happens. Short pause (2-4 weeks): No problem, we pick back up where we left off. Longer pause (1-3 months): We do a quick recap call when we restart. Extended pause (3+ months): Let's discuss whether to continue with adjusted scope, pause indefinitely, or wrap up what we've done (partial refund if needed). The key: Just communicate with me, don't ghost.