Three Ways Forward
Something needs to change. Find out what to tackle first.
We look at where your business stands, test up to three realistic improvement pathways against doing nothing, and tell you which is worth doing first, and why. No strategy project, no guesswork.
You know something has to change. You’re just not sure what.
You don’t need a perfectly framed strategic question. Most owners who book this have a list of worries and ideas, and not enough time to work out which one matters most.
A good fit if
- Costs are rising and margins are slipping
- Growth has stalled and you can’t see why
- You have several ideas and no clear way to choose between them
- The team is stretched and productivity has flattened
- You want an outside view before you spend money fixing the wrong thing
Probably not the right fit if
- You already know where time and money are being lost. Try Stop the Hidden Leaks.
- You’re weighing a specific investment. Try Grow With Confidence.
- The decision is large, contested or multi-party. Talk to us about a custom engagement.
Sectors we often work with: dairy, red meat, kiwifruit and horticulture, Māori primary assets, food, beverage and FMCG, energy and utilities, plus manufacturing, professional services and other small to medium businesses.
Five steps, one clear answer.
Our AI-driven scenario analysis does much of the heavy lifting. A senior principal leads the work, challenges every finding and interprets it for you.
Understand the business
Where you stand today: pressures, performance, objectives and constraints.
Find the pathways
Up to three realistic improvement options, from your ideas and what the investigation surfaces.
Test each one
Benefits, costs, feasibility, effort, risks, people impacts and how confident we can be.
Compare to doing nothing
Every pathway is measured against keeping things as they are, so change has to earn its place.
Recommend what’s first
A clear order of priority, with the reasoning behind it, in plain English.
A decision you can act on.
Without having to commission a major strategy project.
Business performance snapshot
Your current challenges, opportunities and constraints, on one page.
Three improvement pathways
Realistic options, which could include pricing, process, products, markets, staffing or technology.
Side-by-side comparison
Benefit, cost, feasibility, effort, risk and confidence for each, against doing nothing.
What to do first
A prioritised recommendation with the reasoning, so you can explain it to your team or bank.
Decision brief
An 8 to 12 page plain-English report with the evidence and assumptions behind each finding.
Findings session
A 45-minute session with your principal to walk through the findings and answer questions.
What’s inside.
- Decision briefOne page: where to focus first, and why.
- Business performance snapshotCurrent position, pressures and constraints.
- The three improvement pathwaysWhat each involves.
- Comparative assessmentEach pathway against doing nothing.
- Prioritised recommendationsThe order, with the reasoning.
- Evidence and assumptionsWhere every number came from, and how sure we are.
- Next stepsWhat to do now, and who could help.
Light on your time. Built for real data.
We know small and medium businesses rarely have perfect numbers. That’s fine. We work with what you have and tell you how confident we are in every finding.
Your time
About 2.5 hours in total.
- Online questionnaire15 min
- Kickoff conversation60 min
- Optional call with one team member30 min
- Findings session45 min
What we need from you
Send it in whatever format you already use.
- Profit and loss, last two yearsEssential
- Sales by product, service or customerHelpful
- Any reports you already produceHelpful
One fixed price. No surprises.
You know the full cost before you start, and you pay as the work progresses.
Three Ways Forward, fixed price.
- 50%On booking$1,750
- 30%When your data check is passed and analysis starts$1,050
- 20%Before your report is released$700
Included
- Questionnaire and kickoff
- Up to 3 data sources, tidied for you
- Up to three improvement pathways
- 8 to 12 page decision brief
- 45-minute findings session
- One round of factual corrections
Not included
- An organisation-wide audit
- Detailed financial modelling
- Software or system changes
- Implementing the recommendation
Know your next move.
Many clients use their recommendation to go deeper on one pathway, or to start making it happen.
About Three Ways Forward.
What if I don’t have a clear question?
That’s exactly who this is for. Tell us what’s worrying you and what you’ve been considering. Finding the right question is part of the work.
What kinds of pathways might you recommend?
Anything that could realistically improve the business: pricing, process changes, a new product or market, staffing, technology or AI. AI is one possible answer, not the assumed one, and we always compare against keeping things as they are.
Our numbers are a mess. Can you still help?
Yes. Tidying and reconciling up to three data sources is included. Where data is missing we use public benchmarks and show wider ranges, and every finding carries a confidence rating.
Who will I work with?
A senior principal leads your engagement from start to finish. Our AI-driven tools do much of the analysis; your principal challenges and interprets every finding before it reaches you.
Is my information kept confidential?
Yes. Your data is shared through a private folder, used only for your engagement, and deleted 90 days after delivery unless you book a follow-on package.
Start with a free Exposure Check.
A 30-minute conversation with a principal. We’ll confirm whether Three Ways Forward is the right fit, and if it isn’t, we’ll tell you what is. You can also see a sample report.
Book a free Exposure Check →