Launch it right the first time, with someone who's done it.
Startup consultant for founders building from zero. We help with the launch plan, go-to-market, and first systems, from an operator who bootstrapped his own company.
Two exits. One company taken public.
A startup consultant helps a founder turn an idea into a business that sells: the launch plan, go-to-market, the first systems, and the cash discipline to keep going. Lockhold does that work alongside you. We look at each founder's situation case by case instead of selling a fixed program.
$150k+
a month in sales, from zero
A new product taken from an idea to over $150,000 a month. We built the brand and the sales and operations systems, worked the trade shows, and closed the distribution deals.
What we help founders with
- The launch plan: product, vendors, timeline, and go-live, owned until it ships.
- Go-to-market: who you sell to first, what you say, and where you sell, tested against real sales.
- First systems: books, inventory, customers, and your website set up once, properly, in tools we've used, such as QuickBooks, Shopify, Wix, Zoho, or Momence for studios.
- Cash discipline: spending tied to sales, and profit kept in the business while it grows.
How our founder bootstrapped
Lockhold's founder started his first company from $0, with no experience and no investors. Early on, he moved friends into a seven-bedroom house, and they split 10% of monthly revenue seven ways. That covered the house, down to the laundry soap, and kept the rest in the company account so the business could grow faster.
When a big deal came in, he financed it with 0% credit cards and paid them off once the receivables arrived. Four years after starting, he sold the company in a seven-figure deal. How it was built.
That's our founder's story, not a financing recommendation. Borrowing on credit cards is risky: if a customer pays late or a promotional rate ends, the cost climbs fast. Talk to your accountant before you borrow to fund growth.
What that means for you: we push for the plan that pays for itself first, and we know what it feels like when every dollar has to earn its place.
Who it's for, and who it's not for
For
Founders launching a new company, product, or offer, and small to midsize companies starting something new that no one inside owns yet.
Not for
Raising money for you, legal formation or tax advice, recruiting, or a business plan meant to sit in a drawer.
How engagements work
- Case by case. Every founder's situation is different, so we look at yours before suggesting a scope. No fixed program.
- Set scope. What we deliver, what “done” looks like, and the timeline, in writing first.
- Fixed price. Agreed before work starts. No open-ended hourly billing.
- Plain updates. What moved and what's blocked.
Who's behind it
Joe, founder. He started his first company at 24 with no investors, built it on cash flow, and sold it in a seven-figure deal. He has raised over $30M from investors, built a team of 50+, run contract manufacturing for other brands, and helped take a company from an idea to a public listing. Products he built reached 50,000+ U.S. stores and 26 countries.
Ro runs the client experience. No handoffs: the people you meet are the people who do the work. Meet the team.
How to bootstrap a business to an exit
Grow on your own money and revenue, and build something you can sell. One page, ready to print or share with your team.
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Free guides and tools
How to bootstrap a business to an exit
What it takes, how to grow on your own cash flow, the systems to build early, and how a bootstrapped business gets sold.
Read the guide Guide
How to build a 13-week cash flow forecast
A week-by-week view of cash in and out for the next quarter: what goes in it, how to build it, and the weekly habit that keeps it useful.
Read the guide Guide
What to fix before you hire more people
The signs you are hiring for the wrong reason, what to fix first, and how to tell a role is ready.
Read the guideFree tools for this work: the gross margin calculator and the 13-week cash flow tool. They run in your browser, and what you enter stays on your device. See all the free tools
The Blueprint
Three full days at your business, working with you and the people who run each area. On the last day we lay out what’s broken, what it costs, and the order to fix it. You get a written plan within a week. From $7,500, travel included. Monthly support is quoted after, once we both know the work.
- 3 full days on site (U.S.)
- Travel included
- Written plan within a week
- From $7,500
Questions about startup consulting
What does a startup consultant do?
A startup consultant helps a founder get from idea to a working business: the launch plan, go-to-market, first systems, and early decisions about spending. Some only advise; Lockhold also does the work with you.
How do I start a company?
Start by proving someone will pay for what you sell, ideally before you spend much. Then set up the basics with an accountant and attorney (entity, bank account, books), make your first sales, and build simple systems for orders, customers, and cash as you go.
How do I bootstrap a business?
Fund growth from sales instead of outside money: keep costs low, tie spending to revenue, and reinvest profit. It usually means growing in steps, saying no to costs that don't pay for themselves, and watching cash every week.
What should be on a business startup checklist?
The basics: a clear offer and first customer, your entity and bank account set up with professional advice, bookkeeping from day one, a way to take orders or bookings, a simple website, and a weekly look at cash. Add licenses or permits your industry requires.
How do I launch a product?
Decide who it's for and how they'll hear about it, then work backward from a go-live date: product ready, vendors confirmed, inventory or capacity in place, and a way to take orders. Launch small enough to learn, then adjust before you scale.
Bootstrapped to a seven-figure exit
The founder track record: a company started from $0 with no investors, built on cash flow, and sold.
Read →ResultFitness studio: double-digit monthly growth
A new fitness studio went from a $0 startup to $15k a month in sales, growing at 11% month over month.
Read →WorkSupply chain & manufacturing
Manufacturers, suppliers, quality, and importing, run end to end.
Read →What are you trying to launch?
A few lines is enough. If it's a fit, we'll come back with a scope.
Scope your project