Rakvia Ops | Workflow

Don't sell a $10K engagement to someone who's never heard of you. Build trust in stages. Each step delivers value AND gives you intelligence.

Stage 1: Free Value $0

Deliver: AI Readiness Assessment (15 min via Cal.com) + 2-3 recommendations + follow-up email with 1-page summary

Learn: Pain points (their words), CRM used, decision maker, budget signals, fit

Target: 30-50% move to Stage 2 | Cost: 15-30 min per call

Rule: Give them the WHAT, not the HOW. Save HOW for paid work.

Stage 2: Low-Risk Entry $500-$1,500

Deliver: Data Health Check -- CRM audit, data quality score, recommendations report, 30-min debrief

Learn: Actual data quality, team workflows, internal politics, decision process, budget cycle

Target: 50-70% move to Stage 3 | ED can approve without board

Stage 3: Quick Win $2,000-$5,000

Deliver: CRM Jumpstart -- configure features, 2-3 dashboards, 1 key integration, staff training

Learn: Staff adoption speed, real bottlenecks, vendor relationships, next initiative

Target: 40-60% move to Stage 4 | This is where you earn bigger work

Stage 4: Deeper Engagement $3,000-$10,000

Deliver: Systems Connect / Automation Build -- full integration, custom workflows, documentation, 3-month check-ins

Learn: Full tech stack, funding sources, strategic priorities, AI opportunities, retainer candidacy

Target: 30-50% move to Stage 5 | Plant the AI seed here

Stage 5: Strategic Partner $8,000-$15,000

Deliver: AI Readiness Program -- AI strategy, tool selection, pilot, governance, training, measurement

Learn: Innovation appetite, multi-year potential, referral network

You become "their technology person"

Stage 6: Ongoing Advisor $500-$1,500/mo

Deliver: Monthly retainer -- monitoring, optimization (3 hrs/mo), quarterly review call, annual re-assessment, priority access

3 retainers x $1,000/mo = $3,000/mo recurring baseline

Retainer Tiers

Retainer Pitch Script

Tier	Hours/Mo	Price	Best For
Light	2-3 hrs	$500/mo	Simple systems (1 CRM, 1-2 integrations)
Standard	4-5 hrs	$750-$1,000/mo	Connected systems (CRM + email + accounting)
Premium	6-8 hrs	$1,250-$1,500/mo	Complex setups or active AI adoption

"Everything's running well right now. Here's the documentation so your team can handle the basics. But I want to be honest -- the systems we built need some ongoing attention. CRMs accumulate bad data, integrations break when vendors push updates, and your board is going to ask for new reports every quarter. I've seen orgs invest in a great setup and then watch it degrade over 12-18 months because nobody was minding the store.

I offer a monthly retainer for clients who want to protect that investment. It's $750 a month -- that gets you a monthly health check, up to 3 hours of maintenance and optimization, and priority access if something breaks. Once a quarter we hop on a 30-minute call to review.

It's not for everyone, and you don't have to decide now. But if you're interested, I'll send over a simple one-pager."

The Funding Intelligence Play

"I know technology consulting isn't always easy to budget for. One thing I've seen work well is including data infrastructure as a line item in capacity-building grant proposals. If you're applying for any grants this year, I'd be happy to help you articulate the technology needs -- it strengthens the proposal and gets the work funded."

Consulting Workflow -- 11 Phases

Funding Source	How to Use
Capacity-building grants	Include "CRM optimization" or "data infrastructure" as a line item. Many funders specifically fund tech.
General operating grants	Position as "operational efficiency" -- saves staff time, their biggest cost.
Capital campaign tech line items	Capital campaigns often have a "technology" budget. Get included.
Board-designated tech funds	Ask about this in discovery. Some boards set aside annual tech budgets.
Annual budget cycle	Learn fiscal year start. Propose 2-3 months before so you're in next year's budget.

0 Lead Triage Filter before investing time

Inbound qualification, lead scoring, no-show management. Form submission → CRM record + auto-response.

1 Inbound / Marketing They come to you warm

LinkedIn content, case studies, community engagement (NTEN, AFP), referral nurture, Loom demos.

2 Discovery Mutual fit check

30 min call: current systems, what's broken, qualifying questions, pain documentation, fit decision.

3 Proposal / SOW Eliminate ambiguity

Scope doc, pricing, Loom walkthrough option, payment terms (50/50 or milestone), out-of-scope definition.

4 Kickoff No one confused

45 min call: logistics, access collection, expectations, shared workspace, timeline confirmation.

5 Audit / Diagnostic Evidence-based foundation

System audit, data quality review, staff interviews, benchmark comparison, findings document.

6-7 Roadmap → Build May swap order for unfamiliar platforms

Findings walkthrough, prioritized recommendations, visual roadmap, then configuration/development with docs-as-you-go.

8 Review Refinement without infinite loops

Client review, 5 biz day feedback window, 1-3 rounds (set in SOW), edge case testing, sign-off.

9 Handoff Client can operate without you

Deliverables package, documentation, training session (recorded), credential transfer, Loom library.

10 Close Turn project into relationship

Retainer pitch, Phase 2 opportunities (from scope flags), testimonial/case study request, referral ask, post-project survey.

11 Nurture Stay relevant, not salesy

30/60/90 check-ins, quarterly touchpoints, annual re-engagement, referral network maintenance.

Automation Priority

Current Client Mapping

Priority	What	Why
P0: Now	Proposal gen + follow-up	Close rate + speed to revenue
P0: Now	Scope change management	#1 solo consultant revenue leak
P0: Now	Invoice triggers	Cash flow = timely billing
P1: Next	Discovery prep + post-call	30-45 min saved per prospect
P1: Next	Client onboarding sequence	Reduces kickoff friction
P2: Soon	Post-project close sequence	Retainer + referral engine

UNO Chicago

Trust: Stage 3 (Quick Win) | AI Readiness: Stage 2 → 3

Pipeline: $2,500 CRM Activation + $400/mo retainer potential + $2K-$3.5K event = $8.4K-$13.4K in 2026

Training Mar 25. Retainer pitch at closeout. Draper & Kramer $50K grant = QuickBooks sync seed.

Urbanity Dance

Trust: Stage 3 (Complete, dormant) | AI Readiness: Stage 3

Re-engage Q2 2026. Quarterly check-in, referral ask, case study permission.

Illinois Joining Forces

Trust: Stage 1 → 2 boundary | AI Readiness: Stage 1 (est.)

Stalled. Needs follow-up. Target: Data Health Check ($500-$1,500).

Capacity Model (Solo)

Work Type	Weekly	Monthly
Retainer clients (3)	3 hrs	12 hrs
Active project delivery	15 hrs	60 hrs
Discovery + outreach	5 hrs	20 hrs
Proposals + admin	2 hrs	8 hrs
Total	25 hrs	100 hrs

Retainer ceiling (solo): 4-5 clients max. At 5 retainers x $750/mo = $3,750/mo recurring + 1-2 projects = $7K-$12K/month.

Workflow & Trust Ladder