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Practical operating guides

Build a system small enough to understand.

Each guide begins with a job, names the boundary, and ends with a test you can run.

01Client acquisition

A client-acquisition stack under $50/month

A form, one source of truth, one booking path, and clear upgrade triggers for a solo consultant.

10 min readOpen guide →
02Buying decisions

CRM and email plan decisions for small service firms

Fifteen answer-first decisions with current plan boundaries, disclosed cost math, and official sources.

6 min readOpen guide →
03Operations

The 30-minute software stack audit

Find overlap, ownerless data, unused seats, hidden connectors, and annual renewals before they compound.

8 min readOpen guide →
04CRM operations

Free CRM vs spreadsheet: the switch rule

Keep the sheet while one row tells the story. Move when relationships and next actions need structure.

9 min readOpen guide →
05Client delivery

A client-onboarding stack with one doorway

Connect the commercial start, intake, kickoff, client record, and project home without a software pile.

9 min readOpen guide →
06SEO economics

Is Semrush worth it for a solo consultant?

Use a seven-day proof-of-work and break-even rule before committing to a $139 monthly research suite.

10 min readOpen guide →
07Email costs

Email pricing: contacts, sends, seats, or workflows

Model the unit that grows, then price the first tier above your 12-month forecast.

10 min readOpen guide →
08Course delivery

A lean course-platform stack for consultants

Choose hosted delivery or owned WordPress by the operational responsibility you actually want.

9 min readOpen guide →
09Publishing resource

Affiliate disclosure examples that readers can actually see

Plain-language disclosure patterns for articles, comparison tables, tools, and social posts.

7 min readOpen guide →