How can SLS help?
You work in your business. We work on it together.
Owners are the experts in their craft, whether that's barbering, pest inspections or building design. That's where they should stay.
Garrett works alongside the owner on the business work there's no time for: the plan, the cash, the people and getting found. It starts free: he finds the easy fixes and fixes them.
- Starts free
- Pay only after results
- In person, Austin to San Antonio
Sound familiar?
The owner is the best worker in the building. That is the problem.
- Behind the chair, the counter or the tools eight hours a day, and the business only grows when the owner does.
- Customers come in for the owner, so the rest of the team stays booked light and never gets developed or promoted.
- Cash runs week to week. Payroll Friday decides which bills wait.
- Good reviews sit unanswered, the Google listing is half done, and booking runs on two systems.
- Pay, roles and expectations live in the owner's head, not on paper.
- There is a growth plan, maybe a second location, and no hours left in the week to build it.
Working harder will not fix it. The business needs someone working on it while the owner works in it.
What Garrett does
The owner stays in the craft. Garrett works on the business alongside.
The owner's ideas plus the SLS strategy, worked on together. Garrett never takes over the craft. He takes on the business work the owner has no hours for, and does it, not just advises on it.
A written plan
One goal that matters, measured from the business's own numbers, with a weekly rhythm to hit it.
Cash under control
The real numbers in one place, a weekly cash habit, bills timed to deposits, and break-even the owner can see.
A team that can carry more
Clear roles, a fair pay model, one-on-ones and training, so the business stops depending on one person.
Found and booked
Google listing completed, reviews answered, website fixed, and one booking system every customer uses.
A shop that runs smoothly
Lean basics like 5S and standard work: less hunting, less rework, problems seen early.
A partner for the big moves
When it is time to grow, such as a second location, Garrett plans and builds it alongside the owner.
The steps
Each step is proof, not a pitch
Serving first builds trust. Once a Phase 1 goal is spotted, Garrett hits it. When Phase 1 reveals a bigger goal, he does that too, and only then is there talk of a long-term partnership.
Step 0 · Serve First (free)
Useful before anything is asked
Garrett looks the business up online: the listing, the reviews, the website, the booking. He finds the easy fixes, asks the owner, "Mind if I fix these?" and starts fixing them. Meanwhile he and the owner shape a measurable Phase 1 goal together. SLS earns the right to define Phase 1 by already being useful.
Phase 1 · Paid after results
Hit the goal
One measurable goal, agreed in writing. Garrett and the owner work the plan week by week. Payment starts only once results show, spread over 12 months. It is two-way due diligence: each side sees whether the other is the right fit.
Phase 2 · Grow
Take on the bigger goal
When Phase 1 reveals a bigger goal, such as a second location, Garrett plans and builds it alongside the owner. SLS earns a share of ownership as sweat equity, and the two talk about a long-term partnership.
Phase 3 · Partner
Plan for the long run
Under a management agreement, the owner runs the business and SLS does the strategic planning.
Why SLS can wait to get paid
A management company, not a hired gun
Servant Leadership Strategies, Inc. is a management company. Every relationship starts with Serve First and grows through consulting. For a few owners, it leads to a partnership: SLS earns a share of the business and keeps doing the strategic planning under a management agreement, while the owner runs the business.
So SLS only does well when the owner does well. That is why the result comes before the bill.
A good fit
Who SLS works with
- An owner-operator with a strong reputation and loyal customers.
- Problems that come from too little time, not too little skill.
- A business that could be much more than it is today.
- An owner with a growth vision and a gap Garrett can fill.
- An owner who wants to learn the strategy, not just hand off problems.
Questions
Before the call
What does it cost to start?
Nothing. Serve First is free: Garrett looks the business up, finds the easy fixes, asks the owner if he can fix them, and starts. Meanwhile he and the owner shape a measurable Phase 1 goal together.
When does the owner pay?
Only in Phase 1, and only after its agreed result shows. Payment is then spread over 12 months. If the result never shows, SLS has carried the cost, not the owner.
Does the owner have to give up any ownership?
No. Most businesses stay with Serve First and Phase 1. A partnership is only discussed later, if both sides want it, and any SLS share is earned through the work, never bought.
What kinds of businesses?
Owner-operated shops and service businesses where the owner is still doing the work all day: barbershops and salons, trades, fabrication, home services, repair and similar.
Where does Garrett work?
In person across Central Texas: Austin, San Marcos, New Braunfels, San Antonio, Canyon Lake, Boerne and the Hill Country. First calls can be by phone or video.
It starts free.
Garrett looks the business over, finds the easy fixes and starts fixing them. Phone, video or in person anywhere from Austin to San Antonio and the Hill Country.