Accounting & finance operations
- Choosing and setting up accounting systems
- Moving from paper and spreadsheets
- Commission and payout processes
- Budgeting and forecasting routines
- Cleaner month-end processes
Business performance & technology consulting
Better business performance, powered by technology your team actually uses.
I help small and mid-sized businesses improve how the whole business runs: sales, marketing, operations, accounting, and reporting. I find the right tools, simplify the process, and make sure your people actually adopt them. You get practical, plain-English guidance from someone with more than 30 years of business and technology leadership.
- 30+ yearsleading business & technology
- Whole businessnot just the IT department
- Upfront pricingfixed quotes, no surprises
- Local & remoteDenver area and nationwide
Sound familiar?
It might be time for help if…
Most growing businesses reach a point where the way they operate, and the tools they run on, can't keep up. A full-time executive to fix it often isn't in the budget.
- Your IT bills keep climbing and nobody can say exactly what you're paying for.
- You've paid for software your team barely uses.
- You rely on one "IT person" or an outside vendor, with no one checking their work.
- You're opening, moving, or merging offices and need it to go smoothly.
- You're not sure your data is backed up or secure enough to survive a bad day.
- You want a clear plan to grow, not just quick fixes.
- Getting a simple report means exporting spreadsheets and stitching them together.
- Sales, marketing, and accounting each use different tools that don't talk to each other.
What I can help with
One partner for the whole business and the technology that runs it.
From your sales process and reporting to your phones and Microsoft 365, here are some of the ways I help small and medium businesses perform better.
01 Business operations & growth
Reporting & dashboards
- Key numbers every owner should see
- Sales and productivity tracking
- Automated recurring reports
- Simple dashboards for leadership
- One trusted source for your data
Marketing operations
- Digital and email marketing strategy
- Social media and online presence
- Marketing tools and automation
- Promotions, advertising, and campaigns
- Measuring what's actually working
Training & onboarding
- Training programs for staff and teams
- Live and on-demand online training
- Faster onboarding for new hires
- How-to guides and documentation
- Rollout training for new systems
Sales operations & technology
- CRM selection, setup, and cleanup
- Sales processes and pipeline tracking
- Tools that make salespeople faster
- Mobile tools for teams in the field
- Productivity and performance reporting
Process & policy
- Mapping and simplifying workflows
- Automating repetitive tasks
- Policies and procedures that stick
- Inventory and purchasing processes
- Operations playbooks as you grow
02 Technology
Strategy & planning
- Multi-year technology roadmaps
- IT budgets and capital planning
- Technology to support growth
- Buy-vs-build and vendor selection
- A second opinion on big decisions
Cutting IT costs
- Phone and internet bill audits
- Software licensing and subscriptions
- Copier and printer contracts
- Vendor negotiations and renewals
- Smarter hardware purchasing
Microsoft 365 & email
- Microsoft 365 setup and migrations
- Business email moves and cleanup
- Teams for chat and meetings
- SharePoint and OneDrive file sharing
- Company intranets and document libraries
Internet, Wi-Fi & phones
- Faster, more reliable business internet
- Office Wi-Fi that actually reaches
- Modern cloud phone systems
- Connecting multiple offices
- Firewalls and network equipment
Security & compliance
- Security check-ups and risk reviews
- Spam, virus, and phishing protection
- Laptop encryption and device policies
- Access controls and IT policies
- Audit readiness and software compliance
Backup & disaster recovery
- Reliable backups you can test
- Business continuity planning
- Server and system consolidation
- Cloud and co-location options
- A plan for when things go wrong
Offices, moves & mergers
- New office technology build-outs
- Office moves with minimal downtime
- Combining offices and locations
- Merging IT after an acquisition
- Standardizing across locations
Support, vendors & people
- Choosing and managing an IT provider
- Help desk setup and faster response
- Remote support tools
- Staff training and onboarding
- Bring-your-own-device programs
Business systems & data
- Moving from paper to digital
- Custom tracking and reporting tools
- Accounting and commission systems
- Databases and simple business apps
- Computers, laptops, and refresh plans
Who I work with
Built for growing businesses that want to perform better
Typically 10 to 500 employees, in one office or many. If you know your business could run better but don't have the time or the team to fix it, we'll get along well.
Ways to work together
Flexible help, sized to your business
Start small with an assessment, bring me in for one big project, or keep me on as your part-time IT leader. Every engagement has a clear scope and price agreed up front.
Start here
Business & Technology Assessment
A focused review of how your business runs: processes, reporting, tools, spending, and risks. Delivered as a straightforward report with a prioritized action plan.
- Process, reporting, and tools review
- Cost, contract, and risk review
- Prioritized 12-month roadmap
Best for: getting a clear, honest picture fast.
Recommended
Fractional Operations & Technology Leader
Ongoing, part-time leadership on a monthly basis. I work alongside you on operations, performance, and technology, own the plan, and keep it moving.
- Strategy, goals, and performance tracking
- Process, vendor, and budget oversight
- Regular check-ins with leadership
Best for: businesses that need senior judgment every month.
One-time
Implementation & Adoption
Hands-on leadership of a specific change, from choosing the tool to training your team, so it's adopted, used, and delivers results.
- CRM, accounting, and reporting rollouts
- Microsoft 365, phones, and office moves
- Training programs and system rollouts
Best for: a big change you need your team to embrace.
What you can expect
Real, measurable improvements
Better performance across the business, using the same approach I've applied at organizations from a single office to more than 100 locations.
Stop overpaying
Most businesses are paying for phone lines, licenses, and contracts they don't need. I've found savings of 20–40% in telecom and infrastructure.
Numbers you can trust
Clear reports on sales, productivity, and finances, so you can spot problems early and act with confidence instead of guesswork.
Tools people actually use
Training and rollout plans that turn new systems into everyday habits. One rollout I led cut help requests by 80%.
Protected and prepared
Reliable systems, sensible security, and a plan for bad days, so one failure doesn't put the business at risk. One upgrade I led cut phone outages by 95%.
Projects without drama
Office moves, mergers, and system upgrades planned so work keeps flowing, delivered on time and on budget.
Confident decisions
A roadmap and budget you understand, with honest advice on what to do now, what can wait, and what to skip.
How it works
From strategy to adoption to results
New tools and processes only pay off when people use them. That's why I stay with you past the plan, through rollout and training, until the results show up.
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01
Understand
Learn your business, your goals, and how your people really work day to day.
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02
Plan
Find the biggest opportunities and agree on priorities, budget, and timeline in plain English.
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03
Implement & adopt
Put the right process and tools in place, with training and support that make them stick.
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04
Measure & improve
Track the numbers that matter and keep tuning until performance improves.
About
I've sat on your side of the table.
Before I was a consultant, I was the person responsible for keeping the operation running, the budget in line, and the people productive.
For more than 30 years I've helped businesses of every size perform better, working, with everyone from small offices to organizations with more than 100 locations and thousands of users. I've managed budgets, teams, vendors, and big changes, so I know what really moves the needle for a business and what's just noise.
I started out in retail management, handling budgets, inventory, promotions, and staff. Then I helped small businesses move their accounting from paper to computers. Since then I've built commission and productivity reporting systems, shaped marketing and digital strategy, created training programs for more than a thousand people, and sped up onboarding for sales teams. That mix lets me see how technology, operations, and sales fit together.
Today I work directly with business owners and leadership teams on the whole business: how it sells, operates, reports, and grows. Technology is a powerful lever, but only when it fits the business and people embrace it. You get senior-level experience, honest advice, and a partner who cares about results, not about selling you more software.
Independent
No products to sell or commissions to chase. My advice is about what's right for you.
Plain English
Clear explanations and options so you can make confident decisions.
Business first
Every recommendation ties back to cost, risk, sales, or growth.
FAQ
Common questions
What size businesses do you work with?
Mostly small and mid-sized businesses, from a single office to dozens of locations, that don't have a full-time IT executive, or want a second opinion from one.
Are you an IT consultant?
IT is part of what I do, but my focus is the whole business: operations, sales, marketing, accounting and reporting, and training. I use technology, and make sure it's adopted, as a way to improve performance, not as an end in itself.
Do you replace my IT company or IT staff?
Usually not. I work alongside them, setting direction, holding vendors accountable, and making sure the work lines up with your business goals. If a change is needed, I'll help you make it smoothly.
How does pricing work?
Health checks and projects are quoted at a fixed price up front. Fractional IT Director engagements are a predictable monthly fee based on how much time you need.
Do you work remotely?
Yes. I'm based in the Denver area and work with clients on-site locally and remotely anywhere in the U.S.
What happens on the free consultation?
We spend about 30 minutes on your business, your current setup, and what you'd like to improve. You'll leave with a few practical ideas, whether or not we work together.
Let's talk
Ready for a business that runs smoother?
Tell me what's working, what isn't, and where you want to go, anywhere in your business. The first conversation is free, with no obligation.
Email hello@rickwalker.proBased in the Denver area. Serving clients locally and remotely.