Business Analysis

Identification of a problem is not useful unless a solution is provided to solve it.

Our business analysis goes far beyond reading data and running reports. It is an experienced, hands-on process of listening, observing, and understanding the context of your business to identify the real problems – and then creating practical solutions that deliver measurable results.

We examine more than 130 business variables to gain a comprehensive understanding of your organization, its challenges, and its opportunities for improvement.

Our Three-Phase Approach

1. Clarity: Identify the Problem

   The first phase is about gaining clarity. We work with you to clearly define and articulate the problems your business is facing. Often, what appears to be the problem on the surface is merely a symptom of a deeper issue. We dig beneath the surface to identify the true challenges that need to be addressed.

2. Discovery: Determine Root Cause

   Once the problems are identified, we conduct a thorough discovery process to determine the root causes. We ask the key questions that matter:

   • What is causing this problem?
   • How long has this been occurring?
   • What has been tried before?
   • Who is affected and how?
   • What systems, processes, or people are contributing to the issue?
   • What would success look like if this problem were solved?

3. Solution: Solving the Problem(s)

   With clarity and root causes established, we develop and implement practical, actionable solutions. Our solutions are tailored to your specific business context and are designed to deliver measurable results. We do not believe in one-size-fits-all approaches – every business is unique and deserves a customized solution.

What Do the 130+ Variables Actually Cover?

The 130+ variables we examine span every system that drives performance. On the financial side, we look at margins, cash flow, and receivables and payables cycles. Operationally, we examine bottlenecks, quality, and throughput. In sales, we assess the pipeline, conversion rates, and average deal size. Across the organization, we evaluate accountability, decision-making, culture, leadership capability, team structure, process maturity, systems and data, customer experience, and strategic positioning.

Each variable is scored and cross-referenced against the others, because business problems rarely live inside a single department. A cash flow problem may trace back to a sales compensation plan; a quality problem may trace back to how a team is structured and led. Cross-referencing is what turns 130 data points into a diagnosis instead of a checklist.

Why Do Smart Owners Miss Their Own Root Causes?

Not because they lack intelligence – because they lack distance. When a founder has built every process personally, the way things are done feels like the only way they can be done. Business analysis is often most valuable for small and mid-sized companies that have outgrown informal management: once an owner can no longer hold every process in their head, a structured outside analysis reveals what is actually driving performance and what needs to change.

In our experience, root causes are typically people-related. People are the heart of the performance and profitability of most companies, and deficits in leadership, accountability, and alignment produce poor performance, low profitability, and morale issues. That is why our analysis looks as hard at how your organization behaves – how decisions get made, how commitments are kept – as at what your reports say.

How Long Does a Business Analysis Take, and What Do You Receive?

A full business analysis typically takes two to six weeks, depending on the size and complexity of your organization; for smaller companies, a focused analysis can be delivered in under 30 days. The deliverables are concrete: a written business analysis report with specific findings, a prioritized action plan with owners and deadlines, recommendations for systems and structure changes, and a proposed roadmap for any follow-on consulting support. You can execute the plan internally or engage Jerry to help implement it – the analysis stands on its own either way.

What Does a Business Analysis Cost?

A standalone business analysis is a focused 60-to-90-day project, the kind of engagement that typically ranges from $15,000 to $40,000 depending on the size of the company. The analysis itself often surfaces profit opportunities that pay for the engagement many times over – as one client below describes, Jerry identified $50,000 in the first four hours of his analysis. Every engagement begins with a free initial consultation and a transparent written proposal, and is backed by our 2:1 Payback Guarantee: at least two dollars of profit within one year for every dollar spent on our time.

What Our Clients Say

Planning Your Engagement

Not sure what an engagement involves? Read our guides on how much a business consultant costs and whether you need a management consultant or a business coach — then book a free initial consultation to get a transparent written proposal.