35 KiB
35 KiB
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
- Service Delivery Model
- Client Journey & Experience
- Quality Assurance Framework
- Technology Operations
- Capacity Planning & Scaling
- Vendor & Partner Management
- Legal & Compliance
- 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:
- 🔄 Process-Driven Excellence - Documenter et optimiser chaque workflow
- 🤖 Technology-Enabled Delivery - Automatiser 60% des interactions (vs 100% manuel)
- 📊 Data-Informed Decisions - Mesurer tout, améliorer continuellement
- 🎯 Client-Centric Design - Chaque processus commence par "Qu'est-ce que le client veut?"
- ⚖️ 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:
- Quick Questions: "What's the ideal sales comp plan for my industry?"
- Resource Navigation: "Find me the template for OKR tracking"
- Accountability: "Did I hit my goals this week?" (checks data)
- Learning: "Explain the concept of LTV:CAC ratio"
- 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:
- Get to know each other (personal connection)
- Review assessment results together
- Set SMART goals (90-day, 6-month, 12-month)
- Walk through platform (features tour)
- Schedule first 3 sessions (book recurring)
- 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:
- Reflect on Year 1 (what worked, what didn't)
- Client shares Year 2 goals
- Recommend tier (same, upgrade, or downgrade - be honest!)
- Discuss pricing (usually same, unless tier change)
- Handle objections
- 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:
-
Response Time:
- AI Coach: <5 seconds
- Email support: <24 hours (business days)
- Urgent issues (platform down): <2 hours
-
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
-
Content Quality:
- Workshops: Professional slides, 4.5+ rating
- Resources: Tested (no broken links, errors)
- Platform: 99.5% uptime
-
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):
- Review metrics (NPS, engagement, session ratings)
- Analyze feedback (surveys, support tickets)
- Identify 1-3 improvement areas
- Implement changes (update process, create resource, coach training)
- 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:
- Issue detected (monitoring alert OR client report)
- Contact vendor support (within 1 hour)
- If critical + no response in 2 hours → escalate to account manager
- Communicate to clients (status page, email if downtime >30 min)
- 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):
- Complementary service providers (CPAs, lawyers, agencies)
- Industry associations (EO, YPO, Vistage)
- 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:
- Scope of Services: Clearly define what's included/excluded
- Payment Terms: Due dates, late fees, auto-renewal
- Confidentiality: Both parties protect sensitive info
- IP Ownership:
- GBCM retains: Frameworks, platform, content
- Client retains: Their business strategy, plans created in sessions
- Limitation of Liability: "GBCM is not liable for business results (coaching, not guarantees)"
- Dispute Resolution: Mediation first, then arbitration (avoid litigation)
- 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
© 2025 GBCM LLC - Business Plan v2.0 | Operations Plan