Dylan LaValleyPractical Business Support Start a conversation
Business consulting Missoula, MT / local & remote

A fresh set of eyes. Help getting it done.

I help local business owners sort out everyday problems, organize the work and get projects done. When you need another pair of eyes or an extra hand, we work through what’s needed and get on with it. One project or occasional support, without hiring someone full-time.

Start with a free conversation about what you want to improve. Before paid work begins, we agree on the result, timing and a fixed price.

Let’s talk See a workflow example

How I can help.

Bring something that needs attention: work getting stuck, a project you haven’t had time for, or a decision you want to talk through. We’ll agree on a useful result and the help you need.

Business Consulting

Sort it out.
Get it done.

When this helps

Too much comes back to you, follow-ups get missed, or a project needs someone to keep it moving. You want practical help without adding a full-time position.

What we do

I listen, look at how the work happens and help work out what needs attention. We choose a sensible next step. I can help clarify responsibilities, compare options, organize a project or put a better way of working into practice.

What you get

Depending on the project we agree on:

  • A clear explanation of what needs attention and a practical next step
  • The agreed help: a comparison, project plan, checklist or clearer responsibilities
  • Help putting the change into use and checking it, when that’s part of the plan

Possible project: sort out how jobs pass from the office to the crew, agree who checks the details, and try a simple handoff checklist.

Talk through what you need

Software Setup & Training

Get more from
tools you have.

When this helps

You already pay for software but aren’t getting much from it. Your team needs help with a task, a simpler setup or clear instructions. AI is an option if it actually helps.

What we do

We start with what you already use and one useful task. I help with the agreed setup and show your team how to use it. If a checklist or clearer process is enough, we keep it that simple.

What you get

Depending on the project we agree on:

  • The agreed setup or template, tried with realistic examples
  • Simple instructions and reusable templates for the task
  • Hands-on practice, including what to do when something goes wrong

Possible project: organize an existing shared job list and show staff how to update it, find overdue work and keep it useful.

Get help with a tool

Agree the work. Know the price. The first conversation is free. Investigation, practical project help, setup and training are paid work. Before you decide, you receive a written plan with what’s included, what you’ll get, timing, a fixed price and how we’ll check the result.

A useful answer can be the whole project. You can also get help putting an agreed change into practice. Occasional support is available by agreement, with clear tasks, time and price.

Less chasing.
A clearer process.

  • Trigger Request arrives by email Clear steps
  • Copying Details typed into the job list Tools may help
  • Wait Sits unnoticed in an inbox Clear steps
  • Decision Manager approves the exception Your team decides
  • System Job list updated by hand Clear steps
  • Chase Ask the customer for missing details Tools may help
  • Copy Re-copied into a report sheet Clear steps
  • Judgment “Can we take this job?” Someone decides Your team decides
Clear steps Tools may help Your team decides

A customer asks for a quote. Their details pass between an inbox, a job list and your team. Looking at those steps helps us spot missed requests and unclear responsibilities.

The fix might be a shared checklist, a named person to follow up or better use of a tool you have. Software and AI are options when useful. This fictional example shows one clearer handoff.

See one improvement
in action.

Try a complete quote request, then one with a missing phone number. See how the request reaches the job list, or pauses for your team to fill in the missing detail before moving on.

A scripted illustration, not a live customer system. No real customer information is used.

Illustrated workflow · fictional customer request
  1. Email Customer asks for a quote
  2. Office task Organize the request details
  3. Agreed step Check name and contact details Missing phone number
  4. Team check if needed Your team checks what’s missing Not needed, details are complete
  5. Agreed step Add the request to your job list
  6. Next step Ready for your team to follow up

Choose an example to see what happens.

A clear next step.
A team that knows what to do.

The aim is to give each request a clear next step and someone responsible for it. For a project like this, we test complete and incomplete requests with your team. You keep the agreed process map, setup and instructions, with a named person to look after it.

Here’s how
we work together.

We talk through what you need, agree on a manageable piece of work, and get it done together. Sometimes that means a useful answer. Sometimes it means helping your team make a change.

  1. 01

    Talk it through

    Tell me what isn’t working and what you want to change. We use a free conversation to decide whether I can help.

  2. 02

    Agree the work and price

    You receive a written plan: the work, what you’ll get, timing, what I need from your team, a fixed price and how we’ll check the result.

  3. 03

    Do the work and check it

    I do the agreed work, keep you informed and involve the people who will use the result. We check that it does what we agreed and deal with any gaps.

  4. 04

    Explain it and hand it over

    You receive the results and materials we agreed on, with an explanation of how to use them. Training and follow-up are included when they’re part of your plan.

Business first.
Practical by nature.

Dylan LaValley

I’m Dylan LaValley, based in Missoula, with a business finance degree from the University of Montana. My work has included financial analysis, operational reporting, vendor management and process improvement.

I’ve also run a small event and wedding video-production business in Montana. You work directly with me. I bring a fresh perspective and hands-on help, whether you need to untangle a problem, weigh your options or get an overdue project moving.

Bring a question like:

  • “Why does everything still come back to me?”
  • “Can you help me compare these options?”
  • “Who can help keep this project moving?”
  • “How do we stop missing follow-ups?”
  • “Can you show the team a simpler way to do this?”

You don’t need to know what’s causing the problem or which solution to buy. A description of what happens today and what you want to improve is enough to start.

Tell me what you have in mind

Fair questions.

What does it cost?

The first conversation is free. For paid work, you receive a written plan and fixed quote. You’ll know what’s included, what you’ll get, timing and price before deciding. Extra work is agreed and priced separately.

Do we have to know exactly what needs fixing?

No. Describe the question or task that’s giving you trouble. The free conversation helps us decide where to start. Detailed investigation is paid work and can finish with an answer and practical recommendations.

Do we need new software or AI?

No. We start with what you already use. Clearer instructions or a feature you haven’t used may be enough. If a new tool would help, we discuss its price and who will maintain it before choosing it. If we use AI, we include how to check its answers.

How will we know the work helped?

Before we start, we agree on what should improve and how to check it. That might mean a report answering a specific question, fewer missed requests, or staff completing a task on their own. At the end, we review those checks together and explain any limits.

Can I get help with just one thing?

Yes. We can agree on one project, one decision or one recurring task. Occasional support is also possible when we agree on the tasks and time involved. Your written plan sets out timing, price and what I need from you.

What would you need from our team?

Someone who knows the task, a few relevant examples, and time to review the work or practice with the tool. The written plan explains what I need from your team. We agree on any data or system access before you share it. For the first conversation, a general description is enough.

What happens after the project or training?

You keep the agreed reports, setup, templates or instructions. I explain how to use them, and we agree who will look after any ongoing process or tool. Any follow-up is written into your plan. Ongoing support is optional and quoted separately.

What would you like
to make easier?

Tell me what needs attention: a problem you want another opinion on, work that keeps getting stuck or a project you need help finishing. You don’t need a technical brief. A few sentences are enough.

  1. 01Send a short description of what you have in mind.
  2. 02We have a free conversation to see whether I can help.
  3. 03If I can help, you receive a written plan, timing and fixed price before deciding.
Email Dylan

Opens your email app. Share a general description of what you need; please leave out customer records and sensitive documents.

If you use webmail, copy dylan.lavalley@gmail.com into a new email and send a few sentences about what you need.