Small Business Consultant

We are searching for a highly skilled Small Business Consultant to partner with a growing business on a project-basis. The company operates as an importer/distributor with minimal manufacturing, serving retailers and ecommerce outlets. The ideal candidate will bring a blend of business process analysis and operational expertise, financial acumen, and strategic thinking to evaluate, establish, and optimize core business processes while maintaining a holistic view of interdepartmental coherence.

This role will serve as a trusted advisor to the business owners, helping them align operational processes with their strategic objectives and improve profitability across all functions. Candidates with a proven track record of streamlining processes, enhancing sales and product profitability, and implementing business improvements are encouraged to apply.

Role and Responsibilities:

Strategic Evaluation and Recommendations:

• Conduct a thorough evaluation of the current business state, identifying inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with ownership to understand their objectives and vision for the business.
• Provide guidance informed by previous experience: “This is what I did over here,” offering actionable insights tailored to the company’s unique needs.

Business Process Development:

• Formalize and streamline existing processes across all departments (operations, sales, inventory, and accounting).
• In collaboration with executives, Develop a clear roadmap to transition from the current state to the desired future state, ensuring alignment with goals.
• Design and Document core business processes or redesign/optimize existing ones.

Product Management and Profitability Analysis:

• Perform sales profitability analysis to determine which products generate the highest margins or returns.
• Organize the existing product portfolio and identify opportunities for growth by emphasizing profitable or high-potential items.

Inventory Management and Forecasting:

• Analyze current inventory processes and implement best practices to enhance forecasting accuracy and improve inventory turnover.
• Advise on systems or approaches to ensure inventory meets demand without overstocking or tying up cash flow unnecessarily.

Interdepartmental Alignment:

• Promote cohesion among departments by establishing shared goals, clear communication channels, and efficient workflows.
• Develop cross-functional processes that bring operations, sales, and accounting functions into alignment.

Software Utilization:

• Leverage tools like Excel and QuickBooks to build dashboards, improve financial visibility, and streamline data management.
• Recommend additional software solutions (if needed) to support growth and scalability.
• Proven business analysis and operations experience, particularly with distribution, import/export, or retail.
• Strong financial acumen: ability to analyze sales data, profitability metrics, and overall business finances.
• Experience working with businesses operating on digital retail platforms such as Amazon and partnering with large retailers like Home Goods.
• Deep knowledge of inventory management and forecasting for an import/distribution business model.
• Proficiency in Excel and QuickBooks; familiarity with creating reports and tracking KPIs.
• Prior experience in identifying, documenting, and mapping optimized business processes.
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to build trust and rapport with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.