These guides are for Ontario owners who are thinking about paying an adviser on results, whether through our Growth Partner Program or anyone else's. Each one is written to be useful on its own: you should come away knowing what to ask, what to prepare and what to watch for, even if you never get in touch.
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The numbers a growth partner will ask you for
Before anyone can be paid on results, both sides need to agree what a customer is worth and where customers come from. This guide covers the eight numbers that matter, how to calculate each one from your own records, and the common mistakes.
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How to read a performance-based consulting agreement
A performance agreement is only as good as its definitions. This guide walks through the seven things every one should spell out, what to ask about each, and the warning signs, from a business point of view rather than a legal one.
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When performance-based pay fits, and when a fixed fee is smarter
Paying an adviser on results sounds safer, but it isn't always the better deal. This guide sets out the conditions that make performance pay work, four illustrative Ontario scenarios, and a simple way to compare it with a fixed fee.
How to read a performance-based consulting agreement
A clause-by-clause checklist for the document that decides whether a pay-for-results deal is fair. It covers the seven areas every agreement should spell out: the definition of a result, the baseline, the record, how payment works, seasons and unusual months, account ownership, and the term and exit.
For each area, the guide explains what good wording looks like, gives a question to ask the adviser, and lists the warning signs. It's especially useful if you've been offered a deal and want to test it before showing it to your lawyer.
The numbers a growth partner will ask you for
The eight figures that decide whether growth can be measured and priced fairly. They are average sale value, gross margin, gross profit per customer, new customers by month, customer sources, close rate, response time and capacity.
Each comes with a worked example using round numbers, plus the common mistakes owners make when estimating it. The guide ends with a one-page summary table you can fill in before a first conversation with any adviser. It also shows how a modest lift in close rate can add more profit than extra traffic.
When performance-based pay fits, and when a fixed fee is smarter
An honest look at the trade-off: less risk at the start in exchange for sharing the upside. The guide sets out five conditions that make performance pay work, then walks through four illustrative Ontario scenarios: a Durham Region home-service company, a Cambridge manufacturer, a new Ottawa restaurant concept and an Oakville practice at full capacity.
It includes a simple cost table comparing weak, expected and strong outcomes under a fixed fee, and a seven-question self-check to see where your business stands.
How the guides connect to our services
Each guide maps to a step in how a partnership is set up.
| Guide | Related service |
|---|---|
| Reading the agreement | Growth Partner Program |
| Numbers to prepare | Fit and baseline assessment |
| When it fits | Fixed-fee consulting |
If a guide raises a question about your own business, the quickest route to an answer is a short conversation.
Who the guides are written for
Owners and managing partners of established Ontario businesses who make their own growth decisions. That includes trades and home-service companies, professional practices, B2B suppliers, clinics and local retailers. You don't need a marketing background to follow them; every term is explained the first time it appears, and every calculation can be checked with a phone calculator.
If you run a larger company with a finance team, the guides still help as a shared checklist between the owner, the finance lead and any adviser being considered.
A note on what these guides aren't
They're business guidance from a consultant, not legal, tax or securities advice. Where an agreement is concerned, your own Ontario lawyer should review the final wording. Where margins and tax treatment are concerned, your accountant is the right person to confirm the figures.
The examples in the guides use made-up numbers and invented scenarios to show the reasoning. They aren't client stories, and they don't predict results for any business. Our only published case studies are results from our HVAC work, on the results page.
To discuss anything in the guides, call or text (604) 632-4959 or email Ali@Sedighi.ca, or read the FAQ first.
Frequently asked questions
Which guide should I read first?
If you're still deciding whether performance pay makes sense, start with the guide on when it fits. If you're already in talks with an adviser, read the one on agreements first.
Are these guides specific to Ontario?
The principles apply anywhere, but the examples use Ontario markets, seasons and business types, from Durham Region to Ottawa and Waterloo Region.
Do the guides replace legal or accounting advice?
No. They're business and marketing guidance. Have your own lawyer review any agreement and your accountant confirm your margin figures.