# 8. OPERATIONS PLAN

**Document**: Business Plan GBCM LLC 2025
**Section**: 08 - Operations Plan
**Version**: 2.0
**Date**: October 2025
**Pages**: 18

---

## 📋 TABLE DES MATIÈRES

- [Vue d'Ensemble](#vue-densemble)
- [Service Delivery Model](#service-delivery-model)
- [Client Journey & Experience](#client-journey--experience)
- [Quality Assurance Framework](#quality-assurance-framework)
- [Technology Operations](#technology-operations)
- [Capacity Planning & Scaling](#capacity-planning--scaling)
- [Vendor & Partner Management](#vendor--partner-management)
- [Legal & Compliance](#legal--compliance)
- [Operational Metrics & KPIs](#operational-metrics--kpis)

---

## 🎯 VUE D'ENSEMBLE

### Philosophie Opérationnelle

GBCM LLC opère selon le principe **"Systematize to Scale"** - créer des processus répétables, mesurables, et améliorables qui permettent de livrer une expérience client exceptionnelle à 10× la capacité d'une firme traditionnelle.

**Principes Fondamentaux**:

1. **🔄 Process-Driven Excellence** - Documenter et optimiser chaque workflow
2. **🤖 Technology-Enabled Delivery** - Automatiser 60% des interactions (vs 100% manuel)
3. **📊 Data-Informed Decisions** - Mesurer tout, améliorer continuellement
4. **🎯 Client-Centric Design** - Chaque processus commence par "Qu'est-ce que le client veut?"
5. **⚖️ Balance: High-Touch + High-Tech** - Humain où ça compte, tech pour efficacité

### Operational Model Overview

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              CLIENT ACQUISITION                 │
│   (Marketing → Sales → Contract - Section 7)    │
└────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
                     ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              ONBOARDING (Week 1-2)              │
│   Portal access → Assessment → Kickoff Call     │
└────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
                     ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         ONGOING DELIVERY (Months 1-12)          │
│  Workshops + Coaching + AI Support + Community  │
└────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
                     ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         CLIENT SUCCESS & RENEWAL                │
│  QBRs → Renewal conversation → Upsell/Retain    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

### Operational Capacity (Year 1)

**Team Size**: 1 FTE (Founder) + 0.5 FTE (Virtual Assistant)

**Client Capacity**:
- **Without AI/Tech**: 15 clients max (traditional coaching model)
- **With GBCM Platform**: 60 clients (4x capacity)
  - 40 TRANSFORM clients (workshops + light coaching)
  - 10 ADVISORY clients (intensive 1-on-1)
  - 10 PLATFORM members (self-serve, minimal touch)

**Hours Breakdown** (Founder, 50 hours/week):
| Activity | Hours/Week | % Time | Clients Impacted |
|----------|------------|--------|------------------|
| **Client Delivery** | 25 | 50% | All |
| - 1-on-1 Coaching | 10 | 20% | ADVISORY (10h) |
| - Workshop Facilitation | 6 | 12% | TRANSFORM (2×3h) |
| - Client Prep & Follow-up | 5 | 10% | All |
| - Async Support (Slack, AI oversight) | 4 | 8% | All |
| **Business Development** | 10 | 20% | Pipeline |
| - Sales Calls | 5 | 10% | |
| - Networking & Partnerships | 3 | 6% | |
| - Content Creation | 2 | 4% | |
| **Operations & Admin** | 8 | 16% | - |
| - Team Management (VA) | 2 | 4% | |
| - Finance & Reporting | 2 | 4% | |
| - Platform Maintenance | 2 | 4% | |
| - Planning & Strategy | 2 | 4% | |
| **Learning & Development** | 4 | 8% | - |
| **Buffer (Emergencies, Breaks)** | 3 | 6% | - |

**Virtual Assistant (20 hours/week)**:
- Email management & scheduling (5h)
- Social media posting (5h)
- Content repurposing (video editing, graphics) (5h)
- Client support (portal questions, tech help) (3h)
- Administrative tasks (invoicing, data entry) (2h)

---

## 🚀 SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL

### TRANSFORM Programs Delivery

#### Monthly Workshops (Group, 3 hours)

**Format**: Virtual (Zoom) + Recordings

**Schedule**: 2nd Tuesday of each month, 1pm-4pm ET

**Attendees**: All TRANSFORM clients (Growth, Scale, Transform tiers)

**Agenda Template**:
```
1:00-1:15 PM | WELCOME & CHECK-IN
- Icebreaker question
- Wins & challenges from last month
- Set intentions for today

1:15-2:30 PM | CORE TEACHING (75 min)
- Framework introduction (Scale Framework dimension)
- Case study / real-world example
- Interactive exercise (breakout rooms)

2:30-2:45 PM | BREAK

2:45-3:30 PM | APPLICATION & Q&A (45 min)
- Participants apply to their business (worksheets)
- Group coaching (hot seats)
- Peer feedback & accountability

3:30-3:55 PM | ACTION PLANNING (25 min)
- Each person commits to 1-3 actions
- Share in chat + accountability partners
- Preview next month's topic

3:55-4:00 PM | CLOSE
- Final questions
- Reminder: Office hours (Thursday 10am)
- Post-workshop survey
```

**Content Roadmap (12 Workshops/Year)**:

| Month | Topic | Scale Framework Dimension |
|-------|-------|---------------------------|
| **Jan** | Vision & Strategy for 2026 | Leadership & Vision |
| **Feb** | Building High-Performance Teams | Team & Culture |
| **Mar** | Operations Excellence & Systems | Operations & Systems |
| **Apr** | Financial Mastery for CEOs | Financial Management |
| **May** | Sales & Marketing Alignment | Sales & Marketing |
| **Jun** | Product/Service Excellence | Product/Service |
| **Jul** | Customer Experience Design | Customer Experience |
| **Aug** | Innovation & Adaptability | Innovation |
| **Sep** | Q4 Planning & Goal-Setting | Leadership & Vision |
| **Oct** | Scaling Your Team (Hiring) | Team & Culture |
| **Nov** | Cash Flow & Profitability | Financial Management |
| **Dec** | Year in Review + 2027 Vision | All Dimensions |

**Workshop Preparation** (Coach - 5 hours/workshop):
- Content creation: 2 hours (slides, exercises, handouts)
- Rehearsal: 1 hour (first time), 0.5 hours (repeat)
- Tech setup & materials upload: 0.5 hours
- Pre-workshop email (agenda, prep work): 0.5 hours
- Post-workshop follow-up (recording, action items, survey): 1 hour

**Workshop Delivery** (Coach - 3 hours):
- Live facilitation: 3 hours
- (Recording auto-uploads, VA handles editing/distribution)

**Technology**:
- Platform: Zoom Webinar (up to 500 attendees)
- Engagement: Miro (collaborative whiteboard), Mentimeter (polls)
- Recording: Auto to cloud → VA downloads → Upload to GBCM Hub
- Materials: Slides (PDF), Workbook (Notion page), Templates (Google Sheets)

**Expected Outcomes**:
- Attendance rate: 60% live, 30% watch recording (90% total engagement)
- Satisfaction score: 4.5/5 average
- Action completion: 70% of participants implement ≥1 action

#### 1-on-1 Coaching Sessions (TRANSFORM Scale & ADVISORY)

**TRANSFORM Scale**: 2 hours/month (24 hours/year)
**ADVISORY**: 6-12 hours/month (72-144 hours/year)

**Session Format** (60 min standard):
```
0:00-0:05 | CHECK-IN
- How are you? (personal + professional)
- Progress since last session
- What's top of mind today?

0:05-0:40 | DEEP DIVE (35 min)
- Explore primary challenge/opportunity
- Apply frameworks (Scale, DTC, SLS)
- Coach asks powerful questions:
  - "What have you tried?"
  - "What's really at stake here?"
  - "If you had no constraints, what would you do?"
  - "What's the first step?"

0:40-0:55 | ACTION PLANNING (15 min)
- Summarize insights
- Client commits to 2-3 specific actions
- Set accountability (coach follows up via AI/Slack)
- Schedule next session

0:55-1:00 | ADMIN
- Review upcoming deadlines/events
- Any questions about platform/resources?
- Close
```

**Session Preparation**:
- Coach reviews previous notes (5 min)
- Checks client's platform activity (AI summary) (5 min)
- Prepares 2-3 discussion topics (10 min)
- **Total prep**: 20 min/session

**Post-Session**:
- Coach logs notes in CRM (10 min)
- AI Coach sends summary email to client (auto)
- Accountability reminders scheduled (auto)
- **Total follow-up**: 10 min

**Scheduling**:
- Clients book via Calendly (self-serve)
- Recurring sessions (e.g., 1st Monday of month, 10am)
- 24-hour cancellation policy (or forfeit session)

**Technology**:
- Video: Zoom (same link for all sessions)
- Notes: Notion (client-specific page, coach + client access)
- Recording: Optional (client consent required)
- Transcription: Otter.ai (auto-generates action items)

#### AI Success Coach™ (24/7 Async Support)

**Purpose**: Handle 60% of client questions without human intervention.

**Usage Scenarios**:
1. **Quick Questions**: "What's the ideal sales comp plan for my industry?"
2. **Resource Navigation**: "Find me the template for OKR tracking"
3. **Accountability**: "Did I hit my goals this week?" (checks data)
4. **Learning**: "Explain the concept of LTV:CAC ratio"
5. **Encouragement**: "Feeling stuck, need motivation"

**Response Time**: <5 seconds (AI), <4 hours (escalated to human)

**Quality Control**:
- Coach reviews 10% of AI conversations weekly (random sample)
- Clients can rate AI responses (👍/👎)
- Low-rated responses flagged for retraining

**Volume Expectation**:
- Year 1: 30 clients × 40 messages/month = 1,200 messages/month
- Year 3: 180 clients × 50 messages/month = 9,000 messages/month

**Human Escalation Triggers**:
- AI confidence <70%
- Client explicitly requests human ("I need to talk to Gregory")
- Sensitive topics (crisis, ethical dilemmas, complex financials)
- Escalation rate: 15% of messages

#### Community & Peer Learning

**Platform**: Circle.so or Mighty Networks ($99/month)

**Structure**:
- **Main Feed**: General discussions, wins, questions
- **Topic Channels**:
  - #scaling-strategies
  - #leadership-development
  - #digital-transformation
  - #hiring-team
  - #sales-marketing
- **Regional Channels**: (Year 2+) #nyc, #sf, #toronto
- **Events**:
  - Monthly "Wins Wednesday" (celebrate client successes)
  - Quarterly virtual happy hour (networking)
  - Annual in-person summit (Year 2+)

**Moderation**:
- Founder posts 3x/week (spark discussions)
- VA monitors daily (answers questions, enforces guidelines)
- Clients encouraged to help each other (peer coaching)

**Engagement Target**: 40% of clients active weekly

---

## 🎨 CLIENT JOURNEY & EXPERIENCE

### End-to-End Client Lifecycle

#### Phase 1: Onboarding (Week 1-2)

**Goal**: Set clients up for success, build excitement, clarify expectations.

**Day 1 (Contract Signed)**:
- **Auto-email**: Welcome! Here's what happens next
- **Action**: Check email for portal access link
- **Content**:
  - Login credentials (secure, password reset required)
  - Onboarding checklist (Notion page)
  - Welcome video from founder (2 min, personal)

**Day 2**:
- **Auto-email**: Complete your Scale Framework Assessment
- **Action**: 15-minute online assessment
- **Output**: Personalized scorecard + 90-day roadmap (AI-generated)

**Day 3-4**:
- **Human outreach**: Founder sends personalized Loom video
  - "Hi [Name], watched your assessment results. Excited to work on [specific area]. Here's what I'm thinking..."
- **Action**: Reply with questions/thoughts

**Day 5 (Kickoff Call - 60 min)**:
- **Agenda**:
  1. Get to know each other (personal connection)
  2. Review assessment results together
  3. Set SMART goals (90-day, 6-month, 12-month)
  4. Walk through platform (features tour)
  5. Schedule first 3 sessions (book recurring)
  6. Answer all questions

- **Deliverable**: Custom 90-Day Success Plan (Google Doc, shared access)

**Day 7**:
- **First Touchpoint**: Attend workshop OR join community intro thread
- **Check-in**: VA sends "How's it going?" email
- **Feedback**: "Any issues accessing the platform? Questions?"

**Day 14 (End of Onboarding)**:
- **Milestone**: First 1-on-1 coaching session
- **Survey**: "Onboarding experience feedback" (3 questions)
- **Status**: Client now in "Active Delivery" phase

**Success Metrics**:
- Onboarding completion rate: 95%
- Platform login within 7 days: 100%
- First session attendance: 90%
- Satisfaction score: 4.7/5

#### Phase 2: Active Delivery (Months 1-12)

**Monthly Rhythm**:

**Week 1**:
- Workshop (Tuesday, 1-4pm) - All clients
- Office Hours (Thursday, 10-11am) - Optional drop-in Q&A

**Week 2**:
- 1-on-1 Coaching (ADVISORY: 2-3 sessions)
- AI Coach check-in: "How are your Week 1 actions going?"

**Week 3**:
- Content drop (new module in library)
- Community spotlight (highlight 1 client success story)

**Week 4**:
- Planning week (clients prep for next month)
- 1-on-1 Coaching (TRANSFORM Scale: 2h session)
- End-of-month accountability (AI reviews goal progress)

**Quarterly Events** (Every 3 months):
- **Quarterly Business Review (QBR)**: 90-min deep-dive session
  - Review progress (goals, metrics, Scale Framework score)
  - Celebrate wins
  - Identify roadblocks
  - Plan next quarter (OKRs)
  - Adjust service tier if needed (upsell opportunity)

**Annual Milestones**:
- **Month 6**: Mid-year check-in (30 min)
- **Month 10**: Renewal conversation (start early!)
- **Month 12**: Year-in-review celebration + contract renewal

**Touch Frequency by Tier**:
| Tier | Workshops | 1-on-1 | AI Chat | Total Touches/Mo |
|------|-----------|--------|---------|------------------|
| **Platform** | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| **TRANSFORM Growth** | 1 (3h) | 0 | 10 | ~15 |
| **TRANSFORM Scale** | 1 (3h) | 1 (2h) | 15 | ~25 |
| **ADVISORY** | 1 (3h) | 3 (6h) | 20 | ~40 |

#### Phase 3: Renewal & Expansion (Month 10-12)

**Renewal Process**:

**Month 10** (60 days before renewal):
- **Trigger**: CRM alert to founder
- **Action**: Review client health score (engagement, NPS, results)
- **Decision**:
  - 🟢 Green (high engagement, happy): Proactive renewal email
  - 🟡 Yellow (medium engagement): Schedule retention call
  - 🔴 Red (low engagement, at-risk): Intervention (founder calls immediately)

**Month 10 Email** (Green clients):
```
Subject: Let's talk about Year 2 🚀

Hi [Name],

I can't believe we're almost at the end of Year 1 together!

Quick snapshot of what we've accomplished:
- Scale Framework Score: [XX] → [YY] (+[Z] points 🎉)
- Revenue Growth: [Metric, if known]
- [1-2 other wins]

I'd love to schedule a call to:
1. Celebrate everything you've achieved
2. Map out Year 2 goals
3. Discuss if your current package is still the right fit

How's [Date/Time] work?

Looking forward to Year 2,
Gregory

P.S. If you refer another CEO before your renewal, you'll get $1,000 credit 😉
```

**Month 11 (Renewal Call - 30 min)**:
- **Agenda**:
  1. Reflect on Year 1 (what worked, what didn't)
  2. Client shares Year 2 goals
  3. Recommend tier (same, upgrade, or downgrade - be honest!)
  4. Discuss pricing (usually same, unless tier change)
  5. Handle objections
  6. Close: "Ready to commit to another year?"

**Objection Handling**:
| Objection | Response |
|-----------|----------|
| "Budget constraints" | "I totally understand. A few options: 1) Stay at current tier, pay quarterly (spreads cost), 2) Downgrade to Growth tier (still valuable), 3) Pause for 3 months, rejoin when ready. What feels best?" |
| "Didn't get value" | "I'm sorry to hear that. Tell me more - what was missing? [LISTEN]. Here's what I can do: [custom solution, discount, or amicable exit]." |
| "Too busy to engage" | "I hear you. Year 2 might not be the right time. Let's stay in touch - I'll check in Q3 to see if things have calmed down." |
| "Want to try someone else" | "That makes sense! Who are you considering? [Learn]. I'm confident you'll find value. If it doesn't work out, my door is always open." |

**Renewal Targets**:
- **Retention Rate Goal**: 80% (Year 1 → Year 2)
- Industry benchmark: 70-85% (B2B SaaS/coaching)
- Churn reasons (acceptable):
  - Business closure/sold (5%)
  - Budget constraints (10%)
  - Moved to competitor (5%)

**Upsell Opportunities**:
- Platform → TRANSFORM Growth (20% of Platform members)
- TRANSFORM Growth → Scale (30% after 6 months)
- TRANSFORM Scale → ADVISORY (15% high-growth clients)

**Month 12 (Contract Renewal)**:
- Send contract 30 days before expiration
- Payment: Auto-renew (if credit card on file) OR invoice (Net 15)
- Celebration: "Welcome to Year 2!" email with gift (book, swag)

---

## ✅ QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK

### Quality Standards

**Service Delivery Commitments**:

1. **Response Time**:
   - AI Coach: <5 seconds
   - Email support: <24 hours (business days)
   - Urgent issues (platform down): <2 hours

2. **Session Quality**:
   - Coach arrives 5 min early (set up, review notes)
   - Start on time (respect client's schedule)
   - Full attention (no multitasking, phone away)
   - Recap email sent within 24 hours

3. **Content Quality**:
   - Workshops: Professional slides, 4.5+ rating
   - Resources: Tested (no broken links, errors)
   - Platform: 99.5% uptime

4. **Communication**:
   - No jargon (speak client's language)
   - Proactive updates (if delays, notify immediately)
   - Personalization (use name, reference their business)

### Quality Measurement

**Client Satisfaction Metrics**:

**1. Net Promoter Score (NPS)** - Quarterly
- **Question**: "How likely are you to recommend GBCM to a peer?" (0-10 scale)
- **Calculation**:
  - Promoters (9-10): [%]
  - Passives (7-8): [%]
  - Detractors (0-6): [%]
  - **NPS = % Promoters - % Detractors**
- **Target**: NPS ≥ 50 (Excellent), ≥ 70 (World-class)
- **Action**: Detractors get immediate call from founder

**2. Session Ratings** - After each workshop/coaching call
- **Question**: "How valuable was today's session?" (1-5 stars)
- **Target**: Average ≥ 4.5
- **Action**: <4.0 ratings reviewed, coach adjusts approach

**3. Milestone Achievement** - Monthly
- **Metric**: "% of clients who achieved ≥1 goal this month"
- **Target**: 70%
- **Action**: Low performers get proactive outreach

**4. Engagement Score** (Composite) - Calculated weekly
- **Inputs**:
  - Workshop attendance (25% weight)
  - 1-on-1 attendance (25%)
  - Platform logins (15%)
  - AI Coach usage (15%)
  - Community participation (10%)
  - Content completion (10%)
- **Scale**: 0-100
- **Segments**:
  - 80-100: Super Users (celebrate, ask for referrals)
  - 50-79: Healthy (maintain)
  - 20-49: At-Risk (re-engage campaign)
  - 0-19: Churned (exit interview)

### Continuous Improvement Process

**Monthly Operations Review** (Founder, 2 hours):
1. Review metrics (NPS, engagement, session ratings)
2. Analyze feedback (surveys, support tickets)
3. Identify 1-3 improvement areas
4. Implement changes (update process, create resource, coach training)
5. Document in "Operations Playbook"

**Quarterly Retrospective** (Founder + VA, 3 hours):
- What went well? (celebrate wins)
- What didn't go well? (failures, near-misses)
- What did we learn? (insights)
- What will we change? (action items, assign owners)

**Annual Audit** (External consultant, $5K - Year 2+):
- Mystery shop (consultant poses as client)
- Platform UX audit
- Process efficiency analysis
- Benchmarking vs competitors
- Report with 10-15 recommendations

---

## 🖥️ TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS

### Platform Maintenance

**Daily Tasks** (Automated + VA oversight):
- ✅ System health check (uptime, errors, slow pages)
- ✅ Backup verification (database, files)
- ✅ Security scan (failed logins, suspicious activity)

**Weekly Tasks** (VA, 2 hours):
- 📊 Upload new content (workshop recordings, blog posts)
- 🐛 Bug triage (review support tickets, prioritize fixes)
- 📈 Analytics review (traffic, engagement, errors)
- 🔄 Update CRM (new leads, client status changes)

**Monthly Tasks** (Founder or Tech Consultant, 4 hours):
- 🔧 Platform updates (Quarkus, dependencies, security patches)
- 🚀 Feature releases (from roadmap)
- 📊 Performance optimization (page speed, database queries)
- 💾 Data cleanup (remove old logs, archive inactive accounts)

**Quarterly Tasks** (Tech Consultant, 8 hours):
- 🔒 Security audit (penetration test, vulnerability scan)
- 📋 Disaster recovery drill (test backup restore)
- 🗺️ Roadmap review (reprioritize features based on usage)

### Vendor Management

**Critical Vendors** (Year 1):

| Vendor | Service | Cost/Mo | Contract | SLA |
|--------|---------|---------|----------|-----|
| **AWS** | Cloud hosting | $500 | Monthly | 99.99% uptime |
| **OpenAI** | AI Coach (GPT-4) | $150 | Monthly | 99.9% API uptime |
| **Zoom** | Video conferencing | $20 | Annual | 99.9% uptime |
| **Stripe** | Payment processing | 2.9% + $0.30 | None | 99.99% uptime |
| **ConvertKit** | Email marketing | $50 | Monthly | 99.9% uptime |
| **Circle.so** | Community platform | $99 | Annual | 99.9% uptime |
| **HubSpot** | CRM | $0 (Free) | Monthly | - |
| **Notion** | Docs & knowledge base | $10 | Annual | 99.9% uptime |

**Vendor Reviews** (Quarterly):
- Performance vs SLA (any outages?)
- Cost vs value (still best option?)
- Alternatives evaluation (new tools emerged?)
- Relationship health (support responsive?)

**Vendor Escalation Process**:
1. Issue detected (monitoring alert OR client report)
2. Contact vendor support (within 1 hour)
3. If critical + no response in 2 hours → escalate to account manager
4. Communicate to clients (status page, email if downtime >30 min)
5. Post-mortem (document, request credit if SLA breach)

---

## 📈 CAPACITY PLANNING & SCALING

### Current Capacity (Year 1)

**Founder Time Allocation**:
- **Client delivery**: 25 hours/week = 1,300 hours/year
- **Capacity per client type**:
  - ADVISORY (72h/year each): 1,300 ÷ 72 = **18 clients max**
  - TRANSFORM Scale (26h/year each): 1,300 ÷ 26 = **50 clients max**
  - TRANSFORM Growth (6h/year each): 1,300 ÷ 6 = **216 clients max**

**Current Mix (Year 1 Target: 30 clients)**:
- 10 ADVISORY × 72h = 720 hours
- 15 TRANSFORM Scale × 26h = 390 hours
- 5 TRANSFORM Growth × 6h = 30 hours
- **Total**: 1,140 hours (87% capacity utilization ✅ SUSTAINABLE)

**Bottleneck Analysis**:
- ✅ Delivery capacity: 1,140 / 1,300 = 88% utilized (healthy)
- ⚠️ Sales capacity: Founder doing all sales calls (10h/week)
- ⚠️ Content creation: 2 blog posts/week = 8h/week (founder-dependent)

### Scaling Plan (Year 2-3)

**Year 2 Capacity Challenge**: 63 clients (target)
- If same mix: ~2,400 hours required
- Founder capacity: 1,300 hours
- **Gap**: -1,100 hours ❌ NOT FEASIBLE without changes

**Scaling Strategies**:

**Strategy 1: Shift Client Mix** (Increase tech-enabled tiers)
- Reduce ADVISORY: 10 → 8 clients (-2)
- Increase TRANSFORM Scale: 15 → 20 clients (+5)
- Increase TRANSFORM Growth: 5 → 25 clients (+20)
- Add PLATFORM: 0 → 10 members (+10)
- **New Hours**: (8×72) + (20×26) + (25×6) + (10×0) = 1,246 hours ✅ FITS

**Strategy 2: Hire Senior Coach** (Q3 Year 2)
- **Role**: Deliver 50% of workshops, handle TRANSFORM Scale 1-on-1s
- **Capacity**: Adds 1,000 hours/year
- **Cost**: $80K salary + $20K benefits = $100K
- **ROI**: Enables $240K+ additional revenue (2.4:1)

**Strategy 3: Productize Delivery** (Ongoing)
- Record all workshops → Clients watch async (save 3h live × 12 = 36h)
- AI Coach handles 70% of questions (vs 60% Year 1)
- Peer coaching program (clients help each other, reduce 1-on-1 needs)

**Year 3 Team Structure**:
```
Founder / CEO (Gregory)
├── Senior Coach (1 FTE)
│   ├── 20 TRANSFORM Scale clients
│   ├── 50% of workshops
│   └── Community management
│
├── Sales Manager (0.5 FTE → 1 FTE mid-year)
│   ├── All discovery calls
│   ├── Strategy sessions (founder still closes large deals)
│   └── Partnerships management
│
├── Marketing Manager (0.5 FTE)
│   ├── Content creation (blog, social)
│   ├── Campaign management (ads, email)
│   └── Analytics & optimization
│
└── Operations Manager / VA (1 FTE)
    ├── Client support
    ├── Platform administration
    ├── Finance & reporting
    └── Vendor management
```

**Total Year 3 Team**: 4.5 FTE (vs 1.5 Year 1)

### Scaling Metrics

**Efficiency Ratios** (Higher = Better):
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 Target | Year 3 Target |
|--------|--------|---------------|---------------|
| **Revenue per FTE** | $120K | $140K | $189K |
| **Clients per FTE** | 20 | 28 | 33 |
| **Gross Margin** | 91.7% | 91.7% | 91.8% |
| **Delivery Hours per Client** | 38h | 31h | 25h (more automation) |

**Growth Constraints** (Monitor closely):
- ⚠️ Founder time (max 50h/week sustainable)
- ⚠️ Quality (maintain 4.5+ rating as scale)
- ⚠️ Culture (hire right people who fit values)
- ⚠️ Cash (hire ahead of revenue = cash burn)

---

## 🤝 VENDOR & PARTNER MANAGEMENT

### Key Vendor Relationships

**Technology Vendors** (Covered above in Tech Operations)

**Professional Services Vendors**:

**1. Legal (Corporate Counsel)**
- **Firm**: [TBD - local business attorney]
- **Retainer**: $0 (pay-as-you-go, Year 1)
- **Usage**: Contract templates, client agreements, IP protection
- **Cost**: ~$3,000/year (Year 1)

**2. Accounting (CPA)**
- **Firm**: [TBD - small business CPA]
- **Retainer**: $200/month (bookkeeping + tax prep)
- **Usage**: Monthly financials, tax filing, audit (if needed)
- **Cost**: $2,400/year + $1,500 tax prep = $3,900/year

**3. Insurance (Business Insurance Broker)**
- **Coverage**:
  - General Liability: $1M coverage ($500/year)
  - Professional Liability (E&O): $1M coverage ($1,200/year)
  - Cyber Liability: $500K coverage ($800/year)
- **Total**: $2,500/year

**4. Tech Development (Freelance or Agency)**
- **Usage**: Platform enhancements, bug fixes (beyond founder capacity)
- **Rate**: $75-125/hour (freelancer) OR $10K-25K/project (agency)
- **Budget**: $15,000/year (Year 1)

**5. Content Production**
- **Graphic Designer**: $50/hour, ~5 hours/month = $3,000/year
- **Video Editor**: $75/hour, ~5 hours/month = $4,500/year
- **Copywriter** (as-needed): $500/blog post × 10 = $5,000/year
- **Total**: $12,500/year

### Partner Ecosystem Management

**Types of Partners** (from Section 7):
1. Complementary service providers (CPAs, lawyers, agencies)
2. Industry associations (EO, YPO, Vistage)
3. Technology partners (software integrations)

**Partner Lifecycle**:

**Recruitment** (Month 1-3):
- Identify 50 potential partners (research, networking)
- Outreach (personalized email, LinkedIn, intro calls)
- Qualification (do they have our ICP clients? are they reputable?)

**Activation** (Month 4-6):
- Sign partnership agreement (simple 1-pager, non-exclusive)
- Onboarding (educate on GBCM services, referral process)
- Co-marketing (joint webinar, content collaboration)

**Management** (Ongoing):
- **Quarterly check-ins**: 30-minute call (how's it going? any referrals?)
- **Value delivery**: Share insights, invite to workshops, send referrals back
- **Tracking**: CRM tracks referrals by partner (pay commissions quarterly)

**Evaluation** (Annual):
- Review performance (# referrals, quality, close rate)
- Tier adjustment (promote to Platinum, demote to Silver, or exit)
- Renew or terminate partnership

**Partner Portal** (Year 2 feature):
- Dashboard: See referrals, commissions, resources
- Marketing materials: Co-branded decks, one-pagers
- Training: Videos on how to refer, when to introduce GBCM
- Community: Partners can network with each other

---

## ⚖️ LEGAL & COMPLIANCE

### Business Structure & Registration

**Entity Type**: Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- **Formation**: Delaware LLC (recommended for credibility + protection)
- **Cost**: $300 filing fee + $300/year franchise tax
- **Registered Agent**: Northwest Registered Agent ($125/year)

**Licenses & Permits**:
- Business license (local municipality): $50-200
- Professional coaching license: NOT required (industry unregulated)
- DBA ("Doing Business As"): If operating under different name ($50)

**Tax Registrations**:
- Federal EIN (Employer Identification Number): Free, IRS.gov
- State tax ID (if hiring employees): Varies by state
- Sales tax permit: NOT required (coaching services typically exempt)

### Contracts & Legal Documents

**Client Agreements** (Reviewed by attorney):
- **Master Services Agreement (MSA)**: Terms & conditions (liability, IP, termination)
- **Service Order Form (SOF)**: Specific package, price, duration
- **Cancellation Policy**: 30-day notice, pro-rated refund (or no refund after 90 days)

**Key Clauses**:
1. **Scope of Services**: Clearly define what's included/excluded
2. **Payment Terms**: Due dates, late fees, auto-renewal
3. **Confidentiality**: Both parties protect sensitive info
4. **IP Ownership**:
   - GBCM retains: Frameworks, platform, content
   - Client retains: Their business strategy, plans created in sessions
5. **Limitation of Liability**: "GBCM is not liable for business results (coaching, not guarantees)"
6. **Dispute Resolution**: Mediation first, then arbitration (avoid litigation)
7. **Termination**: Either party can terminate with 30 days notice

**Other Legal Documents**:
- **Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)**: For partners, contractors (protect client data)
- **Independent Contractor Agreement**: For VA, freelancers
- **Partnership Agreement**: For referral partners (commission terms)

### Compliance & Risk Management

**Data Privacy**:
- **GDPR Compliance** (if serving EU clients):
  - Obtain consent for data collection
  - Provide data portability (export all data)
  - Right to erasure (delete account)
- **CCPA Compliance** (California clients):
  - Disclose data collection practices
  - Allow opt-out of data selling (we don't sell data)
- **Privacy Policy**: Posted on website (required)
- **Cookie Policy**: Disclose tracking (Google Analytics, etc.)

**Security Compliance**:
- **Data Encryption**: TLS 1.3 (in transit), AES-256 (at rest)
- **Access Controls**: Role-based permissions (clients can't see each other's data)
- **Backup & Recovery**: Daily backups, 30-day retention
- **Incident Response Plan**: If breach, notify clients within 72 hours (GDPR requirement)

**Financial Compliance**:
- **Bookkeeping**: Accrual accounting (GAAP standards)
- **Tax Filings**:
  - Federal: Form 1065 (Partnership) or 1120-S (S-Corp) - Annual
  - State: Income tax, franchise tax - Annual
  - Quarterly estimated taxes (if profitable)
- **Audit**: Not required (unless revenue >$5M or investor-backed)

**Insurance (Risk Transfer)**:
- **General Liability**: Covers bodily injury, property damage (in-person events)
- **Professional Liability (E&O)**: Covers "bad advice" claims, negligence
- **Cyber Liability**: Covers data breach costs (legal fees, notifications, credit monitoring)
- **Business Interruption**: Covers lost revenue if operations disrupted (optional, Year 2+)

---

## 📊 OPERATIONAL METRICS & KPIs

### Dashboard (Weekly Review)

**Client Health**:
| Metric | Target | Current | Status |
|--------|--------|---------|--------|
| Active Clients | 30 (EOY) | [XX] | 🟢/🟡/🔴 |
| Engagement Score (Avg) | 65+ | [XX] | |
| NPS | 50+ | [XX] | |
| At-Risk Clients (<30 engagement) | <3 | [XX] | |

**Delivery Quality**:
| Metric | Target | Current | Status |
|--------|--------|---------|--------|
| Workshop Attendance % | 60% live | [XX]% | |
| Session Rating (Avg) | 4.5+ | [XX] | |
| Response Time (Email) | <24h | [XX]h | |
| Platform Uptime | 99.5% | [XX]% | |

**Operational Efficiency**:
| Metric | Target | Current | Status |
|--------|--------|---------|--------|
| Founder Hours/Week | <50 | [XX] | |
| Delivery Hours per Client (Avg) | 38h | [XX]h | |
| AI Deflection Rate (% handled by AI) | 60% | [XX]% | |
| Revenue per Founder Hour | $140+ | $[XX] | |

**Financial Health** (Monthly):
| Metric | Target | Current | Status |
|--------|--------|---------|--------|
| MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) | $15K (EOY) | $[XX] | |
| Churn Rate | <5%/year | [XX]% | |
| Collection Rate (invoices paid) | 98%+ | [XX]% | |
| Gross Margin | 91%+ | [XX]% | |

### Operational Cadence

**Daily** (10 min):
- Check platform health (uptime, errors)
- Review support tickets (respond if urgent)
- Scan calendar (prep for today's sessions)

**Weekly** (1 hour):
- Review metrics dashboard
- Process payables (invoices, expenses)
- Plan next week (content, outreach, priorities)

**Monthly** (3 hours):
- Financial close (reconcile accounts, review P&L)
- Client health review (identify at-risk, celebrate wins)
- Operations retrospective (what to improve?)
- Plan next month (content calendar, campaigns)

**Quarterly** (8 hours):
- QBR prep (all clients)
- Vendor review (performance, cost optimization)
- Strategic planning (OKRs, roadmap adjustments)
- Board meeting (if applicable - Year 2+)

**Annual** (3 days):
- Year-end financial audit (with CPA)
- Strategic planning retreat (2027 goals, budget)
- Team offsite (if team >3 people - Year 3+)
- Compliance filings (taxes, licenses)

---

## 🎯 OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE GOALS

### Year 1 Targets

✅ **Client Success**:
- 30 clients by Dec 31, 2026
- 80% renewal rate (first cohort renews Year 2)
- NPS: 50+ (Excellent)
- 10 case studies documented

✅ **Operational Efficiency**:
- Founder time: <50 hours/week (avoid burnout)
- Platform uptime: 99.5%
- AI deflection: 60% of queries
- Process documentation: 20+ SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)

✅ **Quality**:
- Session rating: 4.5+ average
- Zero compliance issues (data, legal, financial)
- Zero client churn due to quality issues

### Year 2-3 Evolution

**Year 2**:
- Hire Senior Coach (Q3) - Double delivery capacity
- Reduce founder delivery time to 40% (from 50%)
- Launch Partner Portal (20+ active partners)
- Achieve profitability (Q2)

**Year 3**:
- Build team of 4.5 FTE (founder + 3.5 staff)
- Founder role: 80% CEO (strategy, partnerships, sales), 20% delivery
- SOC 2 Type II certification (security compliance)
- 100 clients, $850K revenue, 13% EBITDA margin

---

## 📌 CONCLUSION

Le plan opérationnel de GBCM LLC est conçu pour **scaler de manière durable** sans compromettre la qualité:

✅ **Hybrid delivery model** (high-touch human + high-tech AI) = 4x capacity
✅ **Process-driven excellence** (SOPs, metrics, continuous improvement)
✅ **Client-centric design** (every process optimizes for client success)
✅ **Technology leverage** (automate 60% of interactions, platform scales infinitely)
✅ **Team scaling plan** (1.5 FTE → 4.5 FTE over 3 years)

**Key Differentiator**: Most coaching firms scale linearly (1 coach = 15 clients). GBCM scales exponentially (1 coach + tech = 60 clients) 🚀

**Next**: [Section 09 - Team & Organization](./09-team-organization.md)

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© 2025 GBCM LLC - Business Plan v2.0 | Operations Plan