FAQ

These are the questions I get most often from prospective clients. If you don’t see your question here, please don’t hesitate to contact me or set up an intro call to chat about it.

  • If you’re a solo business owner and any of these sound familiar, I can help you:

    • You have a lot of business ideas and goals but aren't sure which ones to pursue, or how to move forward.

    • You feel overwhelmed by the day-to-day and feel like you don’t have time to work on longer-term goals.

    • You're not sure if you're doing the right things to hit your revenue goals (or you don’t have revenue goals).

    • You didn't come from a business background and sometimes wonder, am I doing this right?

    The good news is that these are the problems my services are designed to solve. Set up a free 30-minute intro call and we'll chat about what we can work on together to make your business thrive.

  • My approach depends on what you need. Some clients come to me with a specific challenge, like pricing changes, overwhelming workload, or a decision they’re struggling to make, and we work through it together in a series of General Consulting sessions.

    Others want a more structured engagement, which I offer in my Strategic Planning, Operations Analysis, and Business Resilience Jumpstart.

    Whatever the scope, I meet you where you are and work closely with you on your specific situation or challenge, so you can get the business results you need.

  • I've worked with solo business owners across a wide range of industries, including retail and wholesale businesses, health and wellness practitioners, professional service providers, artists and craftspeople, food and hospitality businesses, and creative professionals.

    You can read real reviews of my services from a wide range of business owners on my Testimonial page and my Google profile.

    If you're not sure whether your business is a good fit, schedule a free intro call and we’ll discuss your specific situation.

  • It differs based on what you need and how I can best support you. The length of our initial engagement depends on which of my services you choose, which is something we’d discuss in your free intro call.

    Some clients have a specific challenge or situation to work through, and we address it together in 1, 3, or 5 General Consulting sessions (or more, if the client wants to continue). Sprint and Strategic Planning engagements are ongoing for either 3 or 6 months. An Operations Analysis engagement typically requires ~4-5 weeks to complete, as does a Resilience Jumpstart project. 

    Many clients decide to continue meeting with me even after our initial engagement ends, and the frequency of those sessions is entirely up to the client. For Strategic Planning, renewals are also an option; I have several clients who renew for an updated plan every 6 months.

  • My approach as a consultant is more hands-on than most coaches tend to be. As someone with expertise and practical experience with strategic planning and business operations, I can give you targeted advice and do actual work for you (like building strategic plans, creating a cash flow forecast, or documenting your processes). 

    Consulting conversations can sometimes feel similar to coaching conversations, especially when we’re working through sensitive or vulnerable topics, but my ability to do hands-on work for you is the main differentiating factor.

    Free resources like the SBDC can be really valuable and I don’t discourage anyone from using them. The main differences are depth, structure, and continuity. With me, you get someone who knows your specific business, is dedicated to you and your goals, and is up to date on the technological and economic realities of being a solo business owner today.

  • About 1 business day before the call, I’ll email you a reminder with the call date, time, and Google Meet video link. During the call, we'll spend 30 minutes chatting about your business and what motivated you to reach out for support, and I'll talk about how my services can help you with your specific situation.

    After the call, I'll send you a written proposal with all the details regarding timeline, scope, and cost for the service(s) we discussed.

    You’ll take your time reviewing it, let me know if you have any questions, and decide if you want to move forward. If so, we’d then sign my consulting contract and schedule our first session.

  • I work in a home office and primarily meet with clients on video call (Google Meet, specifically). Occasionally I meet with local clients in person if necessary, and I’m also happy to meet up for a chat or a coffee!

    But often, the nature of consulting sessions requires focus and confidentiality, and I’ve found that video calls are the best option.

  • The price for each service is listed on its specific service page. Look under the "Investment" header for all pricing details.

    Project scope and price will always be defined up front as part of the proposal and contract that I share before work begins, so there are never any surprises when it comes to pricing.

    30 minute intro calls are always free; schedule one here.

  • I'm based in Buffalo, NY, but I'm available to work via phone and/or video call with small business owners located anywhere in the US.

    Feel free to schedule an intro call, or reach out at courtney@catbird-consulting.com.

  • Please reach out to me at courtney@catbird-consulting.com and let me know what's on your mind.

    I look forward to hearing from you!