Guides for Coquitlam business owners

Second location or bigger service area? The math

Read the guide to second-location math.

This guide is for owners deciding whether to open another site, perhaps near a SkyTrain station or in a growing part of Burke Mountain, or to serve more of the city and its neighbours from where they are. It explains:

• how to calculate break-even in customers per month, not just in dollars;
• how to estimate the cash you'll need to carry while a new location ramps up;
• why the owner's own time is often the most expensive input;
• how to compare expansion with the option of improving what you already have.

It pairs with our growth and expansion planning service, which applies the same method with you.

Setting a marketing budget you can defend

Read the marketing budget guide.

Most small businesses set their marketing budget by habit, by competitor-watching or by what a sales rep suggests. This guide shows a better way: start from what a customer is worth over a year, decide what you can afford to pay to win one, and build the budget from there. It covers:

• calculating 12-month customer value from your own sales records;
• setting a ceiling on what you'll pay to win a customer;
• splitting the budget between proven channels and small tests;
• the monthly numbers that tell you whether the budget is working.

It's the do-it-yourself version of our marketing strategy and budget work.

The owner's week: a two-week time audit

Read the owner's time audit guide.

When a business depends on the owner for everything, growth stops at the owner's limit. This guide walks you through tracking your own hours for two weeks, sorting tasks into what only you can do and what someone else could, and choosing what to hand over first. It covers:

• a simple tracking method that takes five minutes a day;
• four categories for sorting every task;
• how to put a dollar value on your own time;
• how to write a one-page handover checklist.

It's a natural first step before our operations advice.

Who writes the guides

Ali Sedighi, MBA, writes and reviews each guide, drawing on 17+ years of growth and marketing consulting. The worked examples use illustrative figures rather than real client data, so you can follow the arithmetic without guessing at anyone's private numbers. Where a guide mentions a City of Coquitlam plan or a provincial office, it links to the official page and notes the date we checked it. Plans and requirements change, so confirm anything important with the source before you act.

What the guides won't do

They won't tell you what to decide. Each one gives you a method and a set of questions; the answer depends on your numbers, your appetite for risk and what you want from the business. They also don't replace professional advice on tax, legal or employment matters. Where a step touches one of those areas, the guide says so and suggests who to ask.

How to use these guides

Read the one that matches the decision in front of you, then work through it with your own numbers. Write down the result, even if it's only a few lines. A decision written down is easier to check later, and easier to explain to a partner, a lender or your team.

If the guide raises more questions than it answers, that's normal. Bring your working to an hourly strategy session, and we'll pick up where you left off. You can also browse all our services or call, text or email with a question.