Frequently asked questions

Business Pathfinders exists to provide a service that growing, successful companies and entrepreneurs really need. You might start off on one path and then abandon it. Then you may start down another road and abandon that too. We help you chart the course toward sustainable and ethical success. We serve companies and entrepreneurs that are at a stage in their evolution where they must put internal mechanisms into place to scale their business and avoid imploding.

When we work with you, our objective is to help your people do their jobs better and thrive. Here’s our belief: rarely do people fail. More likely, flawed systems or a lack of systems fail people. For example, hiring practices can be out of alignment with the business values and strategies. Maybe there’s a process is in place, but we discover it’s the wrong process. 

Because if you already had the solutions in hand, your company would be exactly where you wanted it to be and not under threat now. We bring a fresh perspective and focus to your future. Think of us as both a guide and a support group.

One of the biggest threats to companies is turnover and loss of key personnel. We design management systems that have your back — so that owners and managers will rely on business processes rather than individual talents, strengths, and even “workaholism”. If your personnel is overwhelmed, our approach will help.

We identify the sources of your problems than design and develop processes to support you and your people. The key to companies growing sustainably is a business management system that enables individuals’ success and that consistently secures repeatable, reproduceable results. 

And naturally, your customers and business partners will benefit from these processes too. 

No, Business Pathfinders isn’t about IT or software. In our lexicon, business management systems are made up of processes and in particular, a network of processes that works together to create an efficient and effective operation. That said, sometimes we do identify particular technologies or software that can help your company succeed. 

Business Pathfinders’ work is all about designing processes, procedures, and workflows to support the business, the people, and its growth. And this holds true whether the people are at the helm, in management positions, or conducting the day-to-day operations. While it may sound incongruous, our work isn’t in spite of the people, it’s for the people. It’s about supporting them with the right mechanisms. And it’ll help more than you can imagine. 

We stand apart from firms that provide off-the-shelf products and impersonal service. They might conduct studies and focus on delivering reports but reports alone don’t provide a roadmap that’s actionable. 

So that’s not what we do or how we do it. 

Services provided by Business Pathfinders are bespoke rather than “cookie-cutter”. Our solutions are designed specifically for your circumstances and your needs. We engage with you in an organic process because management systems are, by definition, organic. In our experience, formulaic approaches don’t help anybody.

We never assume we have all the answers at our end. It’s only by working closely together that we can develop winning ideas to resolve your business problems. 

When we roll up our sleeves inside your company, we frequently discover there’s a “hodgepodge” of approaches employed by the people performing the work, the day-to-day tasks. Consequently, it’s been hit and miss depending on who’s in the big chair, who’s working the desk, or who’s in the department. The greatest productivity seems to happen when certain people are present. 

That’s why our work is about positioning everyone for success with the proper tools, methods, and techniques. 

Once we identify needs, we work with you to develop solutions. That’s where the iterative, collaborative approach kicks in. The “back and forth” leads to solutions being worked out.  

Business Pathfinders uncovers the right path for you including structures, processes, and models to get you where you want to land. We create management systems to support every aspect of your business. 

It’s theoretical and practical all at once. We can’t implement our recommendations for you, but we can accompany you and advise along the way. We can provide special guidance and training at any point along the journey to help you implement the change you need. 

PS - We almost never discover things you and your people don’t know already, yet we often find ourselves presenting “uncomfortable news”. Routinely we suggest doing the hardest things first. 

After an initial discussion, we’ll give you an estimate of time and cost. The work will be phased because we’ve learned that we can’t judge all the challenges and requirements at the very outset. We can say for certain that while it’s an expensive endeavour, it’s an equally worthwhile investment. And our experience has shown that the investment pays off.

We aim to find the best ways and means for your business. The management solutions we design for your company are geared to set you up for success, even if we won’t claim they’ll be “fail-safe” or “bullet-proof”.

On occasion, we have to try out some ideas and if they don’t work, we go back to the drawing board. 

If an initial attempt fails, we’ll look at what worked and what didn’t and identify obstacles to success. There are no guarantees in this shared enterprise, but we promise to redesign until we’ve exhausted all avenues.  

If you prioritize your business success over your employees, we aren’t the right fit for you. 

It’s a house of cards to rely on the specific talents and dedication of your staff because they’ll eventually burn out or need to leave. When prized employees become over-burdened and can’t function anymore because they’re working 12-14 hours a day and have no work-life balance, they’re already and truly overcapacity. And just keep in mind, your staff may have challenges not only in the workplace but at home too.

The business world is fond of saying “people are our strength”. Yet most human beings aren’t superheroes regardless of how talented, smart, and energetic they might be.

At Business Pathfinders, our principles centre squarely on the value and importance of people. That’s why your business ethics matter to us.

Yes. If leaders are not inspired and courageous, if they cannot see that their lack of processes and systems is blocking their business growth and impeding the desired organizational culture, then we can’t help them.