Frequently Asked
Questions

An operations consultant looks at how your business runs and helps you build the systems, processes, and automations that make it run better. The specific work varies depending on what the business needs, but in practical terms it usually means mapping how things currently work, identifying where the friction and inefficiency sits, and then building documented systems that other people (or tools) can follow without the founder being involved in every step.

My work sits at the intersection of operations, systems, and automation. I'm not a business coach working on strategy or mindset. I'm not a VA doing task-based admin. I'm the person who looks under the hood of your business, finds what's actually broken, and builds the fix.

A VA handles tasks. An OBM manages your team and day-to-day operations. What I do is different from both.

I build the underlying systems and processes that make delegation possible in the first place. Before you can hand work to a VA, someone needs to document how that work gets done. Before an OBM can manage your team, the team needs clear processes to follow. That foundational work is what I do.

If you're considering hiring a VA or OBM but nothing is documented yet and everything still lives in your head, working with me first will make that hire significantly more effective and less frustrating for everyone involved.

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, typically service-based businesses turning over between $150,000 and $500,000 a year. They're fully booked or close to it, operationally stretched, and past the point where winging it is working.

I don't have a strict revenue threshold. What matters more is where you are operationally: you're past the early startup phase, you have clients and revenue, and the way things are running right now isn't sustainable if you want to grow.

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.

A discovery call is a free 30-minute conversation where we talk through what's going on in your business, what you've already tried, and what you're looking to build or fix. There's no obligation to proceed. At the end of the call I'll tell you honestly whether I think I can help, what that might look like, and if I'm not the right fit, I'll point you somewhere that is.

Most builds take between 2 and 8 weeks depending on scope and complexity. A focused single-system build, like a client onboarding workflow, sits at the shorter end. A full business operating system with multiple automations and documentation takes longer. Timeline is confirmed in your proposal after the discovery call.

I'm platform-agnostic, which means I'll recommend the right tool for how you work rather than defaulting to one I prefer. That said, the tools I work with most regularly are Notion, Make, n8n, Zapier, and Google Workspace. I also build AI-assisted workflows where they genuinely add value, and I can advise on AI governance and usage policies for your business.

If you're already using a specific tool and want to build within it, that's usually where we start.

It means I spend time understanding how you think and operate before I build anything. Most systems fail because they're built for how someone assumes a business should work, not how it actually does. Before I write a single SOP or build a single workflow, I map your working style, your existing processes, and where the friction is.

The result is a system that fits your brain. Not something you have to force yourself to use.

Yes, and that's a non-negotiable part of how I work. Every build includes full documentation and a handover session so you understand what's been built, why, and how to maintain it. You own everything. I'm not building something that requires me to keep it running.

If you want ongoing support after the build, that's what the Operations Retainer is for.

AI tools are a genuine part of how I work and part of what I build, where they add real value. That might mean AI-assisted content workflows, automated decision routing, AI tools that help with drafting or categorising, or building AI governance policies for your business so you're implementing it responsibly.

What I won't do is add AI to something because it sounds impressive. Every tool, AI or otherwise, has to earn its place in the system by making something genuinely easier or more reliable. If it doesn't do that, it doesn't go in.

All three are automation tools that connect your apps and move information between them without you doing it manually. The differences come down to cost, complexity, and flexibility.

Which one is right for your business depends on what you need to automate, your budget, and how much you want to be able to manage it yourself. I'll recommend the right one after understanding your situation.

It varies significantly depending on what you're automating and how complex the build is. A single workflow, like automatically sending a welcome email when a new client pays, sits at the simpler and more affordable end. A full suite of automations covering client onboarding, content publishing, reporting, and team management sits at the more complex end.

Starting prices for different types of automation builds are listed on the Services page. Every project is scoped individually so you know exactly what you're getting before committing.

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

Everything is remote. No travel required.

If you're not sure where to start, 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.

If you're ready to start with the Systems Health Check, you can book directly here.