MONTHLY OPerationS RETAINERYour whole ops department, without the payroll.
True North is a monthly retainer for creative founders who want someone else running the backend, so they can get back to the work they love and the growth they've been putting off.
Your business is growing and somehow you've become the whole ops department.
Well I know that is NOT what you signed up for
If you've ever finished a week and realised you spent most of it chasing invoices, onboarding a contractor, fixing a workflow that broke mid-launch and answering "where's that doc?" for the fourth time, thennn you're not alone.
This is what happens when the offers evolve, the team expands and the momentum builds. Every new hire, launch or shiny new offer stretches how the business runs, and it all lands on you because nobody else owns it.
You could hire someone in-house. That's a salary, a recruitment process and a leap you're not sure you're ready for. You could get a VA, but a VA does the tasks and someone still has to own the operations. Which lands you right back where you started.
ORRRR there's a third option…
meet true northA monthly retainer that becomes your ENTIRE ops department.
Strategy from me with an Ops Manager in your tools and your business, and the everyday running of things off your plate for good.
Maybe your systems were set up months or years (no judgement!) ago and they mostly work, until a new offer, hire or launch stretches them a little too far.
Maybe you've got a VA doing the tasks but nobody owning the bigger picture, so you're still the one deciding what happens and when.
Maybe you've got a team now and the wheels are on, but only because you're personally holding every single one of them.
Whatever the situation, your business has outgrown the way it's being run. And you've outgrown being the one running it.
True North gives you a proper ops team:
strategy, operations lead
This sits with me, Harriet - founder of HEO HQ, I’m the one you work with on the big plans, I get to know your business plans in detail and then delegate to the team to delivery.
operations manager
Once the big plans are made I hand you to your ops manager who handles the day to day operations, sets up systems, the team, sorts the tech tools, you name it they’ve got it covered.
implementation specialist
When your roadmap calls for a bigger project, like a new CRM, a ClickUp overhaul, or a big launch we bring in a specialist who knows how to build it inside out. While your Ops Manager keeps everything else ticking along.
project assistant
If your requirements need more admin based support we’ll place an assistant in your business ops to support your Ops Manager in the running of your tech and systems.
And YOU can just get back to the work you love (and the growth you've been putting off) while the backend just... runs.
how it works
Every True North retainer starts with a month-long audit of how your business runs BTS, so we build your ops department in exactly the way you need it.
Step 1: Your first month - we audit and understand
Week 1: Getting to know you. Once you've booked, you'll get a reflection form to fill in so I can see how you, your business and your goals tick. Then we sit down for your founder interview, and if you've got a team, I'll chat with them too, because they usually know exactly where things get stuck.
Weeks 2–3: The digging. This is where we roll our sleeves up. We go through your tech, your team, your client experience, marketing, sales systems and everything we learned in week one. We work out what's working, what's broken and what needs to be in place to get you where you want to go.
Step 2: Your roadmap and your quote.
We send your roadmap to you with a clear picture of what's working, what isn't, and what you need over the next 3, 6 or 12 months. We have a call to review it and alongside it comes your quote for the retainer, based on what the roadmap shows. It covers which systems we'll set up, what team you need in place, and how long you'll need us.
Step 3: Your ops department opens
Once you're happy with your roadmap and quote, we get logged into your tools, you meet your Ops Manager, and we start on priority number one.
Already done an audit with me? You've got your roadmap already, so we go straight to your quote and open the doors.
Step 4: Roadmap renewal
At the end of the 3/6/12 month period we will review progress, goals and create your a new roadmap to continue on with. This way we always have a clear, structure plan. We don’t do winging it round here!
Booking True North means booking Harriet
Incase we haven’t met, HI, I’m Harriet - Founder of HEO HQ.
I've spent half a decade in the (business!) backends of creative businesses from floristry studios to photographers, consultants, agencies a real mix! So I've got a very specific set of ideas and opinions about how they should run, backed by years of building the stuff, which is what you're paying for.
I lead your department, I learn your business inside out, sit down with your team, and write your roadmap, I’ll make the call on what happens next. I'm in your Slack channel and I'm in the weekly decisions with your Ops Manager. Nothing gets built without me knowing why.
My team are the hands, the doers who make magic happen. They're in your tools every week and I've hand-picked and trained them to do it the way I would. You get multiple brains in your business ensuring your ops are the best they can be.
monthly operations retainerwhat happens every month in your retainer?
True North puts a whole operations department inside your business, without you having to hire one.
We get to know you, your goals and how your business really ticks, then we roll our sleeves up and get stuck in right alongside you. We’re in your Slack, in your tools and in your decisions.
We help you weigh up what’s next, put the right people in the right places, and keep everything moving, so you’ve got a team in your corner who cares about your business as much as you do.
Every business is a little different, but here’s how your ops department runs on a monthly rhythm…
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For 60-90 minutes a month we look at what's shifted in the business, what's coming up, and what needs to happen next. The priorities we set on this call become your Ops Manager's deliverables for the month.
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They're in your project management tool, your CRM, your email platform, etc. Managing the team who are building, fixing, maintaining, to keep things moving. They own the month's deliverables and the everyday business bits, so nothing waits for you.
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Every week your Ops Manager posts what's done, what's in progress and what they need from you. Meetings are only required if we have projects running alongside the day to day. I'm in the channel too, so decisions get made quickly and nothing gets stuck on hold.
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This is how your months look now, we start the new month with your strategy call.
some of the tech tools we work in
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some of the tech tools we work in ✷
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"You have completely transformed behind the scenes of my business.
"You are so on top of everything and I feel like my business runs so smoothly behind the scenes now. It's also been a HUGE help having you suggest which tasks to delegate to Emmelie, it's helped me really pick apart my business and find which parts I actually wanted to outsource."
—Becy Stabler, Belle Art Photography
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"I had no idea what was available and at my disposal in terms of set up and organisation"
"Working with Harriet was eye-opening! She truly is are a master of her craft. To have the admin and client side of my business sorted is such a relief — something I knew was a mess but just couldn't find time to fix."
—Jen Evans, Liberty Lane Floral Design
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"You've made my systems much smoother and smarter "
"I trust you to have an eye on everything going on and keep me on track, as well as continually find ways for me to work more effectively. You've saved me time and pain doing admin tasks I don't like to do. You make new goals less daunting by breaking them down, and you've made working with a VA so much easier."
—Hannah, Hannah Spicer Consulting
from £1,800 per monthlet’s open your ops department
me leading it, an ops manager running it.
Quoted for 3, 6 or 12 months to match your roadmap.
Packed into EVERY retainer…
☎️ monthly call with me💬 weekly slack check-ins💻 your ops manager👏 team management🔨 tech updates and maintenance📈 project managementYOUR LEVEL OF SUPPORT…
We start off with your audit month, this is priced between £1200 and £1800 depending on the number of team members you have as we interview a bunch of them! Then depending on the support you need here’s how your pricing could look:
from £1,800/MONTHYOU’VE GOT A VA
Strategy from me, plus an Ops Manager running your operations and managing your VA and up to two subcontractors.
from £2,250/MONTHYOU NEED A VA
Everything on the left, plus an assistant we provide and manage, so your day-to-day is fully covered.
NEED SYSTEMS BUILt OR GOT A LAUNCH COMING UP?
Your first stretch is priced higher while we build your Dubsado, ClickUp or Flodesk, then you settle down into the level of support that fits from the option above.
Got a launch coming up after 3/6/9 months? We’ll bring in a specialist and your quote goes up for that stretch then back to business as usual post launch!
What shapes your support + PRICE:
ADMIN OFF YOUR PLATE
TEAM SIZE
TERM LENGTH
TOOLS & FIXES
BUILDS OR OVERHAULS
Frequently asked questions
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Nope, you won't need to hire one. If you've already got a VA you love, brilliant, your Ops Manager will manage them and make sure they've got proper processes to work in. If you don't have one and your audit shows you need one, we'll place an assistant in your business and manage them for you. That gets built into your monthly price.
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Yes. That's how I make sure your retainer fits your business. Without the audit I'd be guessing at what you need and how much it should cost, and neither of us wants that. Get Your Bearings gives us the full picture, so your quote is spot on from day one.
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That's what your audit tells us. Once your roadmap's ready, I'll quote your retainer for 3, 6 or 12 months, depending on how much needs doing. That way the support you need is locked in for as long as you need it.
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Six weeks before the end of your term, we'll renew your roadmap. We'll look back at everything we've ticked off, map out what's next, and work out whether you need more support, less support, or you're ready to fly solo. If you're staying with us, you'll renew for another 3, 6 or 12 months at whatever level of support your new roadmap needs.
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If your audit was in the last 6 months, nope. As long as not much has changed your roadmap's still fresh, so I'll send your True North quote and once you're happy we get you locked in, you meet your Ops Manager, and we open the doors. If it's been longer than that, a lot can change in a business, so we'll give your roadmap a refresh first. That way your retainer matches where you are now, rather than where you were back then.
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Your Ops Manager. They're your person in Slack and in your tools, every week. I lead the department: I'm on your monthly call, I'm in your Slack channel and I'm in the decisions with your Ops Manager. If your roadmap shows you need a Project Assistant too, they'll pick up build work and admin, managed by your Ops Manager so you never have to.
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Your Ops Manager. They'll onboard them, give them clear processes and SOPs to work from, keep their tasks moving in your tools, and chase or unblock them so you don't have to. Up to two of your subcontractors are included from £1,800/month. If your team's bigger than that, your audit will show what managing them involves and your quote will reflect it. Anything employment-related, like contracts, payroll or HR, stays with you.
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Most of the big names! you're running. Dubsado, ClickUp, Honeybook, Asana, Mailerlite, Flodesk, Kit, Zapier and plenty more. If it's a tool we haven't met yet, we'll learn it. If it's a tool you probably shouldn't be using, we'll tell you.
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True North keeps your business running and evolving. It doesn't cover bookkeeping, copywriting or marketing delivery. We like to stick to what we're best at, which is operations.
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Totally doable. If your audit shows you need one, we'll build your systems first and price that stretch accordingly, then your retainer drops once we're into the day-to-day running. If a project like a Flodesk build or a launch pops up later, we'll bring in a specialist for as long as it needs.
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Because good ops work takes a little time to bed in, and most roadmaps cover more than a month or two. Quoting your retainer for the length your roadmap needs means your support is locked in from start to finish, and you're never left halfway through.
You've built a brilliant business. It's time it ran without you holding it up.
Whether you've invested in your systems before or you've been slapping things together as you grow…
True North gives you an ops department that owns the lot. The systems, the team, the everyday bits, the stuff currently living in your head. Led by me, run by your Ops Manager, so you get your time back for the work you love and the growth you keep putting off.
Scaling gets breezy, your clients get the best of you, and you finally get the freedom (I promise!) you've been working so hard for.