Get in touch about your Greater Victoria business

What to include in your first message

Three numbers and one sentence are enough to start. You don't need a pitch deck or perfect figures.

1. What you sell and roughly where your customers are, for example "kitchen renovations, mostly Saanich and Oak Bay".
2. Approximate size: last year's revenue and how many people work in the business.
3. Your rough gross margin, if you know it.
4. Monthly marketing spend, including any agency fees.
5. The decision you are stuck on, in one sentence.

If you can, mention any deadline, such as a lease renewal date or a contract bid due next month. That tells us how quickly to schedule the first conversation.

A template you can copy

Change the brackets and send it by text or email.

Hi Ali, I run [Business name], a [type of business] serving [City or municipalities]. We did about [$ revenue] last year with [number] staff. Our marketing spend is about [$ per month]. The decision I'm stuck on is [one sentence]. The deadline is [date, if any]. You can reach me on [days and times].

A shorter version works too: "[Business name], [type of business], [City]. Stuck on [decision]. Can we talk this week?"

What happens after you get in touch

Four steps, with nothing signed until the end.

1. Reply: Ali replies, usually within one business day, to confirm a time for the free 30-minute consultation.
2. Consultation: in person, by video call or by phone. We ask about the business and the decision, and you ask anything you like about us.
3. Written note: if paid work makes sense, you receive a short note with the recommended starting point, timeline and a fixed price or hourly rate. If it doesn't, we say so and, where possible, suggest who could help.
4. Start: if you go ahead, we send a list of the figures we need and agree the first working session.

There's no pressure to decide on the call. Most owners take a few days to read the note.

Before you contact us, it may help to read

A few pages answer the most common first questions. The pricing page explains the four fee formats and what moves a quote. The services overview helps you choose between a growth plan, a spend review, an operations review, a seasonal plan or advisory time. The guides cover planning, budgets and service areas with worked numbers you can try on your own business first.

When a call is better than an email

Call when the decision has a deadline inside two weeks; email when the question needs documents. A lease renewal, a contract bid or a staff departure is easier to talk through, and a short call lets us judge whether the free consultation should happen this week. A marketing proposal, a set of monthly figures or an agency report is easier to review in writing first, so attach it.

Texting suits owners who spend the day on site or behind a counter. Send a line with your name, business and a good time to reach you, and Ali will reply by text or call back at that time. If you leave a voicemail, include your number twice, slowly; it saves a round of phone tag.

Privacy and how we use your details

We use your contact details only to reply and, if you hire us, to run your engagement. We only email people who have contacted us first. If you share figures before an engagement starts, we treat them as confidential. You can ask us at any time to delete messages or files you've sent.

For the wider group, see Sedighi.ca. For the group's consulting rate card, see BusinessConsulting.ca.