About Us: Small Business OS

After more than three decades working across family businesses, corporate environments, and SME leadership roles, a consistent pattern became clear: most growing businesses don't stall because of a lack of effort or ambition. They stall because their business structure doesn't evolve as the company grows. What worked at $500k often breaks at $2m, and what worked at $2m rarely survives $5m. Yet many owners are left to figure this out on their own, often through stress, burnout, or costly mistakes. Small Business OS exists to provide effective growth strategies and shorten that learning curve.

Small Business OS is grounded in practical, operator-led thinking, emphasizing the importance of a solid business structure:

- Structure comes before scale

- Clarity beats complexity

- Systems should support people, not slow them down

- Growth strategies should reduce pressure on the owner, not increase it

The focus is not on chasing tactics, hacks, or the latest ideas. Instead, it’s on building strong foundations through a small business operating system that allows a business to grow with confidence.

"Small Business OS has taught us to focus on the big rocks first. It's helped us get organized with process. It is very methodical." — Patricia, Manager at Family Business

"It's given us the capability to reverse engineer what we want to get out of the business and put a plan in place to make it happen." — Martin, Partner in Small Business

Small Business OS is designed for business owners who understand the importance of a solid business structure. Created by J. Porter, who has dedicated over 35 years to working with small and family businesses as an operator, advisor, and interim leader, this system emphasizes practical growth strategies. J. Porter’s approach centers on what truly works in the complex reality of small business, rather than relying on theoretical frameworks that may look impressive on paper but often fail in real-world applications. When he's not collaborating with business owners, he is busy refining the tools and templates that facilitate the implementation of an effective small business operating system.

Most business problems stem from issues with business structure rather than personal dynamics. Simple systems often outperform complex ones in efficiency. Small business owners shouldn't require consultants to effectively manage their business operations. Instead, growth strategies should create opportunities without leading to overwhelm.

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