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FAQ — Ember & Crown Advisory

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Straight answers for serious business owners.

If your team is doing more work but generating less margin, you’re in the right place. Below are the questions we hear most from owners of $2M–$20M businesses considering an engagement with Ember & Crown Advisory.

01

What we are (and aren’t).

We are a fractional advisory firm for owner-led businesses that have outgrown their current systems. Where most firms specialize in one function — finance, marketing, operations — we work across all four (revenue, marketing, operations, finance) as one integrated system. Most growing businesses don’t have a single broken function; they have four functions that aren’t aligned with each other.

A CPA tells you what already happened. An agency executes campaigns. A coach asks you questions. We do something different: we diagnose how your sales, marketing, operations, and financial performance are working together — then redesign the system so growth becomes profitable, not just busy.

Both, depending on the engagement. Our Snapshot is a consulting diagnostic. Our Blueprint and ongoing engagements function as a fractional executive team — three senior partners covering partnership, marketing/sales, and operations/finance.

02

Think of it like a visit to the doctor.

Every engagement starts with diagnosis before treatment. The question is how deep the visit goes.

Seeing the nurse.

A 1–2 week diagnostic across your entire business. Quick vitals, top issues identified, a ranked list of what needs attention. You walk out knowing what’s wrong and what to prioritize.

Seeing the doctor.

A 3–6 week full workup — diagnosis, root cause, and a treatment plan. You leave with a 90-day implementation roadmap and a system designed for sustainable, profitable growth.

Almost everyone starts with the Snapshot. It’s how we (and you) decide whether the Blueprint makes sense. If you already know the diagnosis and want full system design and a 90-day roadmap, you can start with the Blueprint directly. 100% of your Snapshot investment applies toward the Blueprint if you choose to continue.

  • Sales pipeline & conversion audit
  • Marketing channel performance review
  • Operational workflow assessment
  • Financial health & profitability check
  • Top 3–5 priority fixes, ranked and actionable
  • Executive presentation with scorecard
  • Deep diagnostic across all four business functions
  • Revenue engine design (pipeline, pricing, sales architecture)
  • Demand engine build (funnels, attribution, campaign strategy)
  • Delivery & profitability system (SOPs, capacity model, margins)
  • Cross-functional integration workshop
  • Full 90-day implementation roadmap

The Snapshot delivers clarity in 1–2 weeks. The Blueprint delivers a complete redesign in 3–6 weeks. Implementation results show up in the 90 days that follow — typically improved sales conversion, cleaner operational reporting, and improving margin within one quarter.

03

Right fit, right stage.

Our sweet spot is $2M–$20M in annual revenue. These are businesses that have proven the model and are now hitting the operating ceiling where founder hustle alone can’t unlock the next stage.

We’re industry-agnostic. The pattern we solve — misaligned revenue, marketing, operations, and finance — shows up the same way in construction, professional services, hospitality, manufacturing, and B2B services. Our partners bring 20+ years of cross-industry experience.

An owner-led business between $2M–$20M where revenue has been growing but profit hasn’t kept pace, where the founder is doing too much, and where the team is busy but the business doesn’t feel like it’s compounding.

The Snapshot can still be valuable if you’re approaching $2M and want to build the systems before you need them. Reach out and we’ll tell you honestly whether the timing is right.

04

How an engagement works.

We share specific pricing on the discovery call so it’s contextual to your scope. What we will tell you up front: the Snapshot is priced as an executive-level diagnostic, not as a discovery call, and 100% of the Snapshot investment applies toward the Blueprint if you choose to move forward.

The Blueprint is scoped to your specific situation. Pricing is shared once we’ve completed the Snapshot (or had enough discovery to scope it accurately). Most Blueprint engagements fall within the range of a single mid-level hire’s annual salary — for a permanent system, not headcount.

Yes. Many clients continue into an ongoing fractional engagement after the 90-day Blueprint — either across all three partner functions or in a single area where they need senior leadership without a full-time hire.

A 30-minute discovery call. We confirm fit, scope the Snapshot, and align on timeline. If we’re not the right firm for your situation, we’ll tell you on that call.

05

Three partners. One system.

The three senior partners. We don’t hand engagements off to junior staff. The same partners diagnosing your business are the ones designing the system and walking you through implementation.

We’re based in Phoenix, Seattle, and Los Angeles, and we serve clients nationwide. Most of the work happens via secure video and shared workspaces, with on-site sessions for key workshops and the Blueprint kickoff.

Both. The diagnostic phase is largely remote so it doesn’t disrupt your team. Workshop days and key strategic sessions are typically on-site when the geography works, and equally effective remote when it doesn’t.

Still have a question? Let’s talk.

A 30-minute discovery call is the fastest way to find out whether your business is a fit for the Snapshot or the Blueprint — or whether you need something else entirely. We’ll tell you straight.

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