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ZEPHYR.
Process · the shape of the work

The same four steps, every time.

We don't custom-shape the engagement to sound impressive. Discovery → diagnostic → plan → cadence. Same shape for an R30m firm as for an R300m firm — the depth changes; the rhythm doesn't.

Step 01 45 min

Discovery

A 45-minute conversation. No deck, no pitch — we listen for the tension between what you say the business is and what the numbers say it is.

Free · no obligation

If we are not a fit, we will say so on the call. We don't pitch you twice.

We do

  • Listen — to the founder, to the situation, to what is unsaid
  • Ask three or four pointed questions about the operating layer
  • Say plainly whether we can help, and where to start if we can

You do

  • Show up — no deck, no preparation needed
  • Speak candidly about what is and is not working

You receive

  • A direct read on whether we are a fit
  • A first opinion on where the work would start
  • A referral to a sharper specialist if it is not us
Step 02 2 weeks

Diagnostic

Two weeks inside the operation. Leadership interviews, a numbers pass, the operating-model map.

Fixed fee — e.g. R45,000

We do

  • Run 6–10 confidential leadership interviews
  • Spend a day with the numbers — three years cleaned and consistent
  • Map the operating model end-to-end — strategy → ops → reporting
  • Surface the 3–5 highest-friction handoffs the business is paying for

You do

  • Make the leadership team available for ~45 min each
  • Share the management accounts and the most recent board pack
  • Forward us the strategy document, if there is one (there often is not)

You receive

  • A 12-page written read of what we found, prioritised
  • A clear recommendation on which practice area to start with
  • A scope and price for the engagement, if you want one
Step 03 4–6 weeks

The plan

A 12-page working document — not a deck — that the leadership team uses every quarter. Drafted with you, not handed to you.

Folded into engagement fee

We never deliver an 80-slide deck. If the read does not fit on a page, it is not a read yet.

We do

  • Draft the strategy, operating model, or governance work — depending on which practice area
  • Run 3–4 working sessions with the leadership team to test and shape it
  • Write the decision log — what was chosen, what was deferred, why

You do

  • Show up for the working sessions — leadership in the room
  • Push back, hard, on anything that does not match the business

You receive

  • The working plan document (~12 pages, kept current)
  • The decision log
  • A quarterly review template — agenda, ownership, rhythm
Step 04 12 months · cancellable on 60 days

Quarterly cadence

We hold the rhythm — quarterly reviews, in-person where possible, with the leadership team. The plan stays current; the decisions get easier.

Monthly retainer — e.g. R25k–R50k / mo

We do

  • Run the quarterly review session with the leadership team
  • Keep the plan and decision log current between sessions
  • Stay reachable — direct line, no associates, no service desk

You do

  • Block the quarterly session 6 weeks ahead
  • Bring the leadership team — same room when possible

You receive

  • Four quarterly reviews — each ~half a day
  • A board-ready summary after each review
  • A direct line to the principal advisor between sessions
05 · Common questions

Common questions — answered plainly.

The questions we get most often, before and during the diagnostic. Click any to expand.

If a question isn't here, write — we will add it. Real answers, not boilerplate.

Ask a question
Fit Who is this really for?
Owner-led firms doing R30m+ in turnover, between 15 and 80 staff, where the founder is still effectively the operating layer. If you are pre-revenue, very early stage, or run a >R500m business with a full executive bench, we are probably not the right fit.
Fit Do you work outside KwaZulu-Natal?
Yes. About a third of engagements run in Gauteng or the Western Cape. We travel for the diagnostic and the quarterly reviews; everything else happens by video.
Engagement How long is a typical engagement?
Discovery is 45 minutes. The diagnostic is two weeks. If you choose to continue, the working plan takes 4–6 weeks and the cadence runs for 12 months. Most relationships continue beyond the first year on rolling 60-day notice.
Engagement Can we just do the diagnostic and stop?
Yes, and many clients do. The diagnostic is a complete deliverable — you walk away with a written read and a clear recommendation. There is no pressure to continue, and we will tell you on the call if we think you should stop.
Money How are you paid?
Discovery is free. The diagnostic is a fixed fee. The engagement is a monthly retainer with a 12-month default and 60-day cancellation. We do not bill by the hour and we do not earn commission on anything — no software, no referrals, no capital-raising fees.
Money Will you tell us up front what it costs?
The diagnostic is quoted before you book it. The engagement is scoped and priced at the end of the diagnostic — once we know the actual shape of the work — and presented as a single number with a clear scope, not a range.
Confidentiality How do you handle our information?
Everything is covered by a mutual NDA before the diagnostic begins. Leadership interviews are confidential — only the read is shared with the founder, not who said what. We do not name clients in marketing without explicit written permission, and we keep references private by default.
Confidentiality Do you keep our data after the engagement?
Working documents (plan, decision log, board packs) stay with you. We keep a minimal record — the brief, the contract, and our notes — for seven years per POPIA, then destroy it. You can ask for early destruction at any time.
Step one · for now

Start with a conversation.

45 minutes. Free. The only step the rest of the process depends on. Bring no deck.

Book a discovery call

Or write — zephyrcoms@gmail.com