What exactly is “operations”, anyway?
When people ask me what I do for a living, I often tell them I am an operations consultant. I am then usually met with a blank stare.
So, what exactly are “operations”?
In short, operations includes all the systems, processes, communication, and decision-making that keep a business moving.
You’ve probably seen good operations in action. In Denver, one of my favorite dessert spots is Snowl. Customers place orders at kiosks; 2-3 employees receive orders, create an impressive quantity of desserts that are uniform in quality and portion size, set the finished products out for pickup, and keep a large customer space clean. I am always amazed that 2-3 employees can generate so much revenue so efficiently.
Good operations feel invisible. Bad operations feel like everyone is putting out fires while pretending they’re not on fire.
Operational problems also change as a company grows. The systems that worked beautifully for a five-person startup become absolute chaos at fifty employees. And, what worked for fifty can buckle under the weight of a larger organization.
This is where operations experts come in—we help businesses build systems that actually make life easier.
0–10 Employees: The Hustle
At this stage, businesses run on hustle, caffeine, and every employee doing twelve things at once. Processes live in someone’s head. Roles are fuzzy. Slack messages become project management systems by accident.
Small businesses don’t need bureaucracy—they need to be able to generate ideas, adapt quickly, and respond to new information.
An operations consultant can help start-ups by:
Creating simple workflows that reduce confusion and duplicate work
Setting up lightweight systems for onboarding, communication, and task management
Helping founders prioritize what actually matters versus what just feels urgent
Building repeatable processes before growth turns small inefficiencies into giant headaches
Identifying operational bottlenecks that are limiting revenue or negatively affecting the customer experience
At this size, operational support is about adding just enough structure to improve efficiency while not slowing down growth.
10–100 Employees: The Crucible
At this stage, companies start to grow rapidly. Teams form. Departments emerge. Meetings multiply like rabbits.
Suddenly:
Communication gaps appear between teams despite more meetings
Processes and decisions become inconsistent depending on who happens to be handling or making them
Employees struggle to know what they are responsible for, often resulting in duplicate work and conflicting information
Leaders have built a company by reacting quickly and well, and often struggle to make the shift to proactive planning.
An operations consultant can help by:
Clarifying roles, accountability, and decision-making structures
Streamlining cross-functional communication between departments
Improving hiring, onboarding, and employee retention systems
Building scalable operational processes that reduce dependency on individual employees
Helping leadership teams shift from “survival mode” into strategic planning
This is often the sweet spot for operational consulting because the business is growing fast enough to feel pain—but still flexible enough to change.
100+ Employees: The Simplication
Large organizations rarely struggle because employees aren’t working hard enough. They struggle because complexity quietly takes over.
Processes pile up. Teams become siloed. Decision-making slows down. Leaders spend half their time in meetings discussing why nothing moves faster.
At this stage, operations work becomes less about creating systems and more about simplifying them.
An operations consultant can help by:
Identifying inefficiencies that developed during rapid growth
Improving organizational alignment across departments and leadership teams
Reducing operational drag caused by outdated processes or unclear approvals
Supporting organizational restructuring, mergers, or expansion initiatives
Helping executives focus on strategic priorities instead of operational firefighting
Large organizations don’t usually need more activity. They need more clarity.
Often, the most valuable operational improvement isn’t adding something new—it’s removing the five unnecessary steps everyone secretly hates but was forced to execute.
The reality is that every company has operational challenges. The difference is whether those challenges stay manageable, or quietly become the reason growth stalls, employees burn out, and leaders spend their nights and weekends answering “quick questions” on their phones.
Good operations won’t make a business perfect, but they will make growth a whole lot less painful… and maybe even enjoyable.
