Bluestem Business Builders

In 1978, fourteen year-old Toby Asplin started his first business. Toby grew that business exponentially over the next three years and then exited to go off to college.

In the 40 years that followed, Toby has started, acquired and participated in the startup of more than 30 businesses. That experience taught Toby many things. He learned what it takes for a successful startup. He learned how to transition from self-employment to running a business. He discovered ways to grow businesses exponentially without overwhelming himself or the business. He found that he needed to begin with the end in mind – planning his exit strategy along with his startup or growth strategy.

Following his most recent successful exit, Toby started Bluestem Business Builders to make his expertise available to small and medium business owners and would-be entrepreneurs. As a business coach, Bluestem Business Builders is very different from most. Toby felt that there were too many business coaches with little actual experience running a small business. Toby’s coaching is experience-based, pragmatic and custom-tailored for each client. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions even though most businesses face common challenges.

Through Bluestem Business Builders, Toby and his associates offer business coaching in key areas for small and medium businesses:

Startups and introductions to entrepreneurship – from thinking about owning a business through the startup phase and launch

Level-ups and transitions – taking your business to the next level, whether it is from self-employment to hiring employees or from local to international

Exit strategies and planning – begin with the end in mind; if you didn’t, plan your exit now

Strategic planning – developing a vision, mission and values to guide your organization and then connecting your strategy to the day-to-day work that needs to get done

Skills coaching – leadership, time management, communication, sales, project management and other key skill areas

Personnel management – hiring, grooming, motivating, providing incentives, putting the right people in the right roles and letting people go when it just doesn’t work out

Systemization and automation – one of the key elements of exponential growth

Address
1220 35th Avenue Suite 100

Council Bluffs, IA 51501

Hours
9:00AM – 4:00PM
Monday – Friday

Phone
(402) 300-3114

Startups and Introductions to Entrepreneurship
From thinking about owning a business through the startup phase and launch, Bluestem Business Builders will guide you. We’ve been there before. We’ve done that. We understand what makes a great entrepreneur and how businesses are built from the ground up.

Level-ups and Transitions
Whether it’s from self-employment to hiring employees or geographic expansion from local to international, taking your business to the next level can be a monumental challenge. We’ve been through those challenges ourselves and have learned lessons through both success and failure that will prove invaluable to your success.

Exit strategies and Planning
Begin with the end in mind; if you didn’t, plan your exit now. At Bluestem Business Builders, we’ve been developing exit and succession strategies and plans for decades. Whether you’re looking at an equity event or would prefer to pass your business on to a successor, we’ll help you with the necessary steps to achieve your goal.

Strategic Planning
It’s been said many times, “Fail to plan. Plan to fail,” and we believe it. Documented strategic plans with a vision, mission and values to guide your organization are absolutely critical to success. Just as important is connecting your strategy to the day-to-day work that needs to get done. The better your employees understand their role in your organization’s success, the more successful you will be.

Skills Coaching
Everyone has skill areas that can be improved. Whether it’s leadership, time management, communication, sales, project management or other key skill areas, Bluestem Business Builders can help. Many of our associates have decades of experience in specific skill areas.

Personnel Management
Hiring the right people, grooming them for higher levels of responsibility, motivating them to improve, providing incentives to encourage desirable behaviors, putting the right people in the right roles and letting people go when it just doesn’t work out. These are all components of effective personnel management. We’ve had decades of experience with hundreds of employees to refine our guidance to assist you in these areas.

Systemization and Automation
It’s nearly impossible to achieve exponential growth without systemization and automation. Based on years of experience, we believe that most repetitive tasks can be automated and that systemization – whether it be simply documenting standard operating procedures or implementing a technology solution – will provide your organization with a platform to build a successful business. Most importantly, systemization and automation allow you to work on your business rather than in your business.

Address
1220 35th Avenue Suite 100

Council Bluffs, IA 51501

Hours
9:00AM – 4:00PM
Monday – Friday

Phone
(402) 300-3114