The Growth Partner Program is a performance-based partnership. Ali Sedighi invests his time upfront and is paid on measurable results. The specific terms are agreed case by case and set out in a written agreement, and partnerships are limited. That is the whole of what we promise about the structure, and this page explains how those few facts turn into a working arrangement.
What it is
It is senior strategy and growth work where the adviser's pay follows the outcome instead of the hours. In a conventional engagement you pay for time or deliverables and carry all the risk that they don't produce anything. In this program, Ali puts in the early work first, and payment is tied to results that both of you can see in your own records.
The arrangement is built around four commitments:
- Performance-based. Payment depends on agreed, measurable results.
- Time upfront. Diagnosis, planning and early work happen before the results that pay for them exist.
- Measurable results. What counts, and where it is recorded, is defined before work starts.
- Limited places. Only a few partnerships run at once, so each gets real attention.
Who it is for
Established businesses with something people already buy, a way to count new customers, and room to take on more. The industry matters less than those three conditions. A professional services firm in Calgary, a manufacturer near Halifax and a clinic group in Winnipeg could all qualify, while a promising start-up with no sales history usually could not.
It is usually not right if:
- you need a fixed, predictable monthly cost for budgeting reasons
- results take years to appear, so nobody could fairly measure them inside a reasonable term
- the owner can't commit time to monthly reviews and decisions
- you want a promised outcome
In those cases the consulting options are often a better fit.
What a partnership typically involves
The work is chosen from what your numbers show, not from a menu. Depending on the business, it tends to draw on Ali's background in growth, marketing and technology consulting:
- Diagnosis. Where do customers come from today, where do enquiries leak, and which few changes would matter most?
- Measurement. A shared growth scorecard that defines each result and the system that records it.
- Positioning and offer. How the business explains itself to buyers, and whether the offer and pricing make the decision easy.
- Demand. Search visibility, website conversion, and paid channels where the economics support them.
- Follow-up. How quickly and how well enquiries are answered, which is often where the cheapest gains hide.
- Review. A regular, written look at the scorecard and the decisions it calls for.
Which of these apply, and in what order, is part of the plan agreed at the start.
What the written agreement should cover
Every term that affects money or obligations should be on paper before work begins. We'd expect a partnership agreement to set out, at minimum:
- the baseline and the period it is drawn from
- the definition of each result, and the system that records it
- how payment is calculated and when it is due
- the term, the review points and how either side can end the arrangement
- who owns the accounts, data and assets created during the work
- what each side is responsible for doing
Have your own lawyer and accountant read it. We don't give legal or tax advice, and a good agreement should hold up to that scrutiny. Our guide to why partnerships break down covers the clauses that most often cause trouble.
How results are measured
Results are measured in your systems, against the baseline agreed at the start, using definitions written down in advance. That might mean booked jobs in your scheduling software, signed contracts in your CRM, or first orders in your accounting system. We prefer measures you already trust over new tools, because a result is only useful if both sides believe the record.
Seasonality is handled in the baseline. A landscaping firm in Saskatoon and a tax practice in Toronto have opposite busy seasons, so month-to-month comparisons can mislead. Comparing like periods, and noting unusual events, keeps the reading fair. The guide on building a trustworthy baseline shows how.
Timeline
A partnership moves through four stages, and the early ones can't be rushed. First comes a free conversation. Then the readiness review and the scorecard, which take as long as your records take to gather. Then the agreement is drafted and reviewed by both sides' advisers. Only after signing does the growth work begin. Some changes, such as faster follow-up, show up in weeks; others, such as search visibility, take months, and the agreement should reflect that.
Mistakes to avoid
- Agreeing on payment before agreeing on measurement. The formula is meaningless if the inputs are disputed.
- Using a single unusual year as the baseline.
- Counting results the partner didn't influence, or failing to count ones they did. Write attribution rules down.
- Leaving ownership vague. Websites, ad accounts and data should have a named owner in the agreement.
- Skipping your own legal review because the arrangement feels friendly.
To ask whether there's room for a new partnership, call, text or email. The contact page lists what to include.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage or share do you take?
There is no published percentage. How Ali is paid is agreed for each business, based on what can be measured and what the margins allow, and it is written into the agreement before work begins.
How long does a partnership last?
The term is one of the things agreed case by case. The agreement should say how long it runs, how it is reviewed, and how either side can end it.
Is the program an investment in my company?
What Ali invests upfront is his time and experience. If you are looking for capital or a shareholder, speak with a licensed financial or legal adviser; we provide business and marketing consulting only.
How many partnerships are open?
Partnerships are limited, and we don't publish a waiting list or a fixed number. Ask when you get in touch and we'll tell you honestly whether there is room.