Your Business Doctor

business consulting services

When you have an issue with your body, you choose the appropriate doctor to see. If your mouth hurts, you see a dentist; if your feeling unwell and don’t know why, you see a primary care physician. But have you ever considered where you’re supposed to go when the health of your organization begins to decline? IA Business Advisors is Chicagoland’s #1 business doctor. When you have high employee turnover, are losing money, or can’t seem to grow despite a seemingly healthy business, IA Business Advisors is your go-to partner. Like other doctors, we start by identifying the issue. From there, we make recommendations for remediation. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which recommendations you implement for the health of your business.

Identifying the Issue

IA Business Advisors starts by diagnosing the problems in your business. We do this through our trademarked BizVisionprocess, which is essentially an in-depth dive into the inner workings of your organization, your team, and the processes and policies your team and organization operate under. Like your doctor, we ask lots of questions to understand your business in totality. This allows us to understand your perspective. From here, we immerse ourselves in your company so we can identify if the issues you are noticing are the only issues present, or if there are other issues that may not be as obvious to you.

Identifying the root cause of your organization’s issues is the best and first step to remediating the issues and getting your business back on track to reach its goals. Once we have exhausted our questions and feel we have enough information to move forward with developing some treatment plan options, we will put together our top recommendations for helping your organization get back to a healthy state.

Related Blog: Do you have a BizVision?

Developing a Treatment Plan

IA Business Advisors has over twenty-five years of experience helping organizations develop the best treatment for the problems that prevent them from reaching their goals and growing influential in their industries. We analyze the information received during our BizVisionprocess to identify the root cause (or causes) of issues in your organization. From here, we develop our list of recommendations. Our recommendation list is typically separated by priority, putting the items that must be done first in phase one of the play and recommendations that could be optional in phases two or three (depending on how your plan unfolds).

It is typically imperative that our recommendations are followed in a particular order, otherwise they could create more problems. We will communicate with you openly regarding which tasks should be completed first or in tandem with other tasks. However, while we will make several recommendations to help alleviate the pain points in your business, it is ultimately up to you to choose your business’s prescription. Like a doctor recommends treatments for you to be healthy, we can only recommend treatments for your business.

Choosing a Prescription

We remain mindful to ensure that all our recommendations are made in a sequential order that would allow your organization to continue working with minimal disruption. This means we don’t put the cart before the horse. Our hope is that by engaging in our BizVisionprocess, you will trust us to implement all our recommendations to help your organization become healthy. However, the treatment plan you choose to move forward with is completely customizable and up to you. Like your doctor, we will perform our due diligence and alert you of the issues that could occur should you not choose to implement our full recommendations. While a doctor can provide the best path forward, ultimately you choose how to handle the health of your business. IA Business Advisors would be honored to be trusted to implement all our recommendations to help your organization become and remain as healthy as possible.

Since businesses are considered entities, they need and deserve to have doctors to help diagnose their pain points and give recommendations to keep them healthy. Most stakeholders will appreciate the initiative taken to keep your business strong and working well. IA Business Advisors is Chicagoland’s #1 business doctor with over twenty-five years of business consulting experience. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business reach its goals.

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How to Mitigate Financial Risk Using the S.M.A.R.T. Management System

June 9, 2025

In an increasingly volatile economy, businesses cannot afford to be reactive when it comes to their finances. Whether you're a startup founder, a growing enterprise, or a seasoned business owner, the risk of financial instability is real—and growing. At IA Business Advisors, we help companies proactively navigate these risks using our comprehensive S.M.A.R.T. Management System . S.M.A.R.T. is more than just a goal-setting acronym. It is a decision-making and execution framework that brings clarity, structure, and alignment to every part of your business. From six-week action plans to one-year targets and long-term strategy, S.M.A.R.T. ensures your financial operations support healthy growth and resilience. Understanding Financial Risk in Today’s Business Climate Financial risk is multifaceted. It ranges from cash flow disruptions and market shifts to internal mismanagement and over-leveraged growth. As Brian Smith shared on a recent Daily Influence podcast episode, unchecked growth can drive a company into bankruptcy. Scaling without intention—chasing fast growth without aligning the internal team and financial resources—leads to diluted communication, quality issues, and operational chaos. Mitigating financial risk begins by understanding that more revenue doesn't always equal more stability. True sustainability comes from building systems that support intentional, well-paced growth. The S.M.A.R.T. Framework in Action: Reducing Financial Risk Our S.M.A.R.T. Management System guides businesses in creating resilient, financially stable operations through: 1. Specific: Build with Intentionality Clarity is power. One of our podcast guests, Mike Heatwole (CEO of The Dala Group), emphasized the importance of sitting down to define what matters most—whether that’s paying down debt, investing in growth, or launching a new venture. When your financial goals are specific, your strategy becomes targeted and less prone to reactive decision-making. “If we don’t know what the goal is, how do we get there?” — Mike Heatwole, CEO of The Dala Group 2. Measurable: Track What Matters Many companies are blindsided not by invisible risks, but by unmonitored ones. We help clients implement tools to track cash flow, margin fluctuations, and budget variances in real time. Visibility into your financial health gives you the power to respond early and course correct as needed. 3. Achievable: Assign Financial Stewardship Risk is reduced when financial responsibility is distributed. Through teamwide financial literacy and clear accountability, we empower organizations to make stronger daily decisions. No individual person should carry the entire burden—and no key area should go unmonitored. 4. Relevant: Make Risk Management a Habit Quarterly or biannual financial health check-ins create a sustainable rhythm. These don’t have to be complicated—they just need to be consistent. Regular reviews embed risk awareness into your company culture and decision-making process. 5. Timely: Foster Honest Dialogue Financial silence is a hidden threat. As Brian noted on the podcast, emotions like fear or shame can prevent businesses from facing financial realities. We encourage honest, blame-free communication around financial performance, creating space for solutions and collective action. Case in Point: Short-Term Action, Long-Term Impact One of our clients, a family-run distribution company, had strong revenue but was bleeding cash due to aging receivables. Together, we built a six-week S.M.A.R.T. Plan focused on accounts receivable recovery. We implemented weekly check-ins, assigned ownership, and used real-time tracking. Within 90 days, their outstanding A/R dropped by 22%, freeing up capital and restoring operational confidence. It’s Never Too Late to Get Financially Intentional Many leaders in their 40s, 50s, or 60s worry they’ve waited too long. But as Mike Heatwole wisely shared: “It’s never too late. Just get started. Do something.” Progress—not perfection—is the goal. Start small. Build momentum. Take the next best step. This mirrors a concept we love from The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan: measure progress based on how far you've come, not just how far you have to go. Final Thoughts: Make Financial Stability a Strategy Mitigating financial risk isn’t about a dramatic overhaul. It’s about consistent action, visibility, and intentional decision-making. With the S.M.A.R.T. Management System, IA Business Advisors helps businesses turn risk into clarity, fear into focus, and instability into opportunity. If you’re ready to start, we’re ready to help. Let’s have a conversation about what matters most to you—and build from there.

Enhancing Interpersonal Relationships for Toxic Workplace Recovery

May 29, 2025

Hello, team! Mary here, continuing our journey through the I in Team series, where we challenge and empower you to Find , Be , and Build Your Influence. One of the most common things we’re asked to help our clients with is toxic workplace recovery. This directly connects to the culture of the team, and while rebuilding that culture takes time and intention, it is absolutely possible. In fact, with the guidance of our I in Team approach and S.M.A.R.T. Management system, we’ve successfully helped more than 19,000 teams evolve into high-performing, values-based cultures. If you’re ready to take the lead and breathe life back into your team, we’re here and ready to support you. Practice Emotional Intelligence One of the most impactful steps you can take on your toxic workplace recovery journey is to practice emotional intelligence (the ability to recognize, understand, and manage both your own emotions and the emotions of those around you). Toxic environments are often the result of emotional disconnection, poor communication, unnecessary competition, and a culture that avoids constructive feedback. Begin by shifting your perspective: respond with empathy, ask thoughtful questions, and use “I” statements. These habits model two traits, emotional regulation and empathy, that influence how your team interacts and solves problems. Start small. For example, set a personal goal to give one piece of sincere praise or recognition per day. This is a S.M.A.R.T. goal, and it starts to reinforce positive emotional exchanges. Over time, this contributes to a psychologically safe environment where people feel seen and supported. Foster Open Communication Once emotional intelligence begins to take root, toxic workplace recovery is just around the corner. Open communication becomes more natural because when team members are aware of their own and others’ emotions, communication becomes seamless. The number one rule? Listen. Really listen. Without listening, communication is incomplete. Try implementing monthly influence partnerships—team pairings that rotate so members can get to know each other beyond surface-level roles. This creates connection and, when done with consistency (Timely), fosters trust across your team. Another way to build open communication is by creating a structured feedback loop. Clarify how and when feedback should be given—perhaps during weekly one-on-ones or monthly review meetings—and make sure all team members understand the difference between criticism and constructive feedback. S.M.A.R.T. feedback is Specific and Relevant, and when delivered with respect, it encourages team members to grow without fear. Lead by Example As we say throughout the I in Team series, everyone is a leader regardless of title. Whether you’re in the C-suite or just starting your first job, how you show up directly shapes the culture of your team. To begin, set some respectful boundaries rooted in your values. Let others know what you need to succeed and what behaviors support or disrupt your work. When disagreements arise, demonstrate what respectful disagreement looks like—calm, focused on solutions, and free from personal attacks. If your workplace has leaned into competition, shift the focus to collaboration. Collaborate on micro-goals, like shared tasks or cross-functional projects. Make the results Measurable and celebrate wins together (publicly, if possible). Consider S.M.A.R.T.-based team-building events (like problem-solving challenges or goal-setting workshops) to reinforce collaboration in a meaningful way. Final Thoughts Toxic workplace recovery starts with you. Every interaction, every word, every moment of listening is a chance to model what’s possible. Show up the way you want others to show up. If your team is struggling to rebuild or you need expert guidance, reach out . We’re here to help. Let’s keep influencing responsibly and positively together.