Service 01 · Strategic Consulting
The blueprint behind a network that lasts.
Before the first franchise agreement, before the recruitment campaign, before the second venue — there is the question of model. Strategic Consulting is the work of answering it, honestly.
What we do
The questions we answer first.
- 01Is your unit economics real, or is it a founder-funded mirage?
- 02Can the model be transferred — or only operated by you?
- 03What does the system look like at ten units, at fifty, at a hundred?
- 04Where, structurally, is the money — and where is the risk?
- 05Is the right vehicle a single-unit franchise, an area developer, or a master?
How we work
Four phases over six to eight weeks.
Phase 01 · 2 weeks
Discovery
Sitting with the founder. Sitting in the store. The work that doesn't fit in a spreadsheet.
Phase 02 · 2 weeks
Diagnostics
Unit economics, brand defensibility, governance, IP, talent. The honest score.
Phase 03 · 2–3 weeks
Design
The model, the financials, the structure, the path. Argued through, not handed down.
Phase 04 · 1 week
Decision pack
A 50-page document, a partner-led debrief, and the honest answer to one question: should you?
What you leave with
Five outputs, one decision.
- ▸The Strategic Report — 50-60 pages, partner-authored, no template
- ▸A five-year financial model, integrated across the network and the franchisor
- ▸An IP & governance memo for the structure ahead
- ▸A pre-franchise punch list — what to fix before the first franchisee signs
- ▸The honest answer to whether to proceed, and when
From our practice
A current example.
Lumina Cafe — building the franchise architecture for a four-venue Sydney brunch operator (Macquarie Park, Castle Hill, Rouse Hill, plus Broadway Shopping Centre newly joined) preparing for wider replication.
The engagement started with two operating venues, deliberate brand discipline, and demand outpacing capacity. Rouse Hill and Broadway Shopping Centre have since opened. The strategic consulting work covers unit economics, model design, and the five-year financial plan that frames everything that follows.
Read the case study →FAQ
Three honest questions.
When is the right time to start? +
Usually after the second or third unit is operating profitably without the founder being in it daily. If the model still requires founder presence to make the numbers work, you're not ready — and franchising won't fix it.
What if the answer is "not yet"? +
Then that's what the report says. We've turned around mandates with a six-month "fix this first" punch list. We've never turned around one with a manufactured "yes."
Do you only work with Sydney brands? +
No — though we're based in Sydney and most of our work is NSW. We've engaged with brands in WA, VIC, QLD, and across the Tasman. We're a small firm; geography matters less to us than fit.