Effort isn't the problem.
You don't need more effort. You need your efforts to be more aligned and supported with:
- clarity - the kind you can put into practice
- better decision filters - so you can decide confidently, justify your decisions to yourself and others, and stop stalling out because you keep re-opening old issues
- resilient and adaptable systems - because the world around you will always keep changing, and you need to be responsive
- data & operational guardrails - to keep you informed and on track with your own agenda and priorities, so that you respond & change intentionally, not drift
These are the things that combat decision paralysis & fatigue, busywork, and the inertia of the daily hamster wheel.
The good news is that you can sort these things out - without having to "burn it all down."
You just need to make the right strategic shifts - in the areas you can control.
Aly needed quick evaluation and feedback across a series of strategic decisions and tactical plans while growing her business.
Barb brought awareness to the table that I never would have considered.
She demonstrated clear thinking, unswayed by useless rabbit holes. She communicated effectively as to why I didn't need to be enticed by products or services that were outside my lane or off brand.
If you have a vision and are stuck, Barb will clarify and provide a deep knowledge base to make your vision come to life.
-- Aly, Business Owner
The school needed a fractional Program Coordinator during a transition period.
Not only did Barb deliver everything that was immediately needed in the role, she began a planning process for continued growth of the program and redefined the framework for the Program Coordinator's role that will have lasting impact on the students and the program long after her tenure.
Barb's strengths are a remarkable combination of technical capabilities, strategic planning, business acumen and emotional intelligence. I feel very fortunate to have such a strong and generous professional as part of my professional network.
-- Melissa, Board Member
Together we can...
Take control of the narrative
with action-ready clarity.
Strategic Alignment
Vision only works if people can act on it.
Therein lies the real gap between what you say - and how you actually show up.
The Blou Designs approach to closing that gap - and turning vision into action - is a combination of clarity and alignment between strategy and daily judgement calls and actions. Specifically:
- Strategic Narrative / Brand Identity work - so your brand functions as a decision-making tool (not just a marketing asset), and consistently anchors your company across roles, personalities, and time
- 1:1 Advisory Sessions for owners and managers who need targeted, on-demand assistance with working out solutions and making judgement calls
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Strategic Alignment
Compound your efforts with
systems and SOPs.
Processes & Productivity
Reliable, trustworthy, and productive are just buzzwords - unless you have the systems in place to keep you consistent.
Systems and SOPs keep you on track - without locking you in or micromanaging - so you can trust in repeatable results, find opportunities for efficiency in your standardized operations (while maintaining effectiveness), and guard against fads, whimsy, day-to-day minutia, and overwhelm.
Blou Designs approach is to devise systems that
- standardize the process - with appropriate "wiggle room" - so that your success metrics are met
- support consistency across distributed teams and outsourced roles
- hold up when energy or capacity fluctuates
- make it easier to "be who you say you are" as an organization (i.e., incorporate your brand identity into operations)
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Processes & Productivity
- Set up a SOP Repository - so you can find all your documents and related resources, and share easily across teams
- Turn New Ideas into Brand-consistent SOPs
- Revise and Align Existing SOPs for Cohesive Systems
- Get SOP Training - so your SOPs are consistent and do the work you need them to do
Boost confidence in
decisions and direction.
Data Strategy
Data for the sake of data ... is just corporate clutter.
The "strategy" part of a data strategy is what aligns your collection and use of data with your business strategies.
The Blou Designs approach to addressing data needs is usually project based - but only if those projects make sense for your big picture needs - and can involve:
- identifying the data needed to keep you informed and on track
- getting your data into formats that you can reliably audit, curate, and interpret to create information, communicate, and make sound decisions
- training for self-sufficiency - for both individuals and groups
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Data Strategy
- Custom Data Projects - fill the gaps left by existing systems; address workflow and research needs
- Data Training - where data comes from, the data lifecycle: collection to deletion
- Excel Training - get your team on the same page; the basics everyone should know + team-specific needs
- Course: Turn Data into Readable Documents
Who we work with...
The short answer? Service-based businesses, particularly owners and managers, who want to turn ideas and strategies into confident daily decisions and actions.
The longer answer:
Folks who are facing issues that are "too small" or "too messy" for traditional consultants, too strategic for staff, and too specific for generic business coaches.
In other words, folks who need someone who understands how business works, but also how people work and how tech & systems work, so that the approaches/solutions they devise are realistic and achievable.
- Team / committee leads, middle management, and C-suite who need to make regular decisions - ones they can confidently justify to themselves and to others. This work can include Excel apps, dashboards, and other data projects.
- Solopreneurs and other small business owners juggling mutliple roles who need help prioritizing and systematizing.
- Org dev employees and consultants who need someone to help with the nitty gritty of data and SOPs, or who just want a behind-the-scenes sounding board and discussion partner to help them work through their approaches and solutions.
- Non-profits and other organizations that have been around a while, but are experiencing mission drift and need help realigning.