How I work, and why it's business development, not a slide deck.
Six rules that shape every engagement. If they sound like your kind of conversation, the next step is a 30-minute call.
A short honesty check before we get on the phone.
This Is For You If
- You own or run a small to mid manufacturer, distributor, or Tier 1 or Tier 2 supplier
- You are tired of consultants who have never run a manufacturing or distribution company
- You suspect the product you already make fits customers you have never called on
- You are leaving margin on the table and want a straight answer
- Your LTA renewal is coming up and you need outside perspective
- You inherited a family business and want a second pair of eyes
- You are building something new and want someone who has been through patents, trademarks, and federal litigation
What You Get From Working With Keaton
- A straight answer in plain English, not a 60 page slide deck
- The name of the next vertical and the first account I plan to open
- Margin you can see on the next invoice, not a year from now
- An outside set of eyes that has actually run the machines and made payroll
- Decisions you can act on Monday morning, backed by real operator experience
- Your time and money treated like mine: fixed scope, fixed fee, no surprise invoices
Honest fits make honest work. If that sounds like your situation, the next step is a 30-minute call.
Walk the Floor Before I Open My Mouth.
Most of the money is hiding in plain sight: a print bench set up wrong, a label spec nobody has questioned in eight years, a bulk pack that should be a tote, a foam pivot that could be die-cut in half the time. I find it by walking it, not by asking for a spreadsheet.
Find the Next Vertical.
The product you already make almost always fits a customer you have never called. Small arms parts to the Marine Corps. Frozen aerospace epoxies. PCB thermal management. Windshield masking. Foam for ergonomic benches. I connect the product to the buyer and I make the first call myself.
Make It Here or Make It Overseas.
Real-world advice on where and how to produce. Domestic runs in Georgia and across the US, overseas sourcing in Asia and Latin America, or a hybrid of both. Lead times, tariffs, freight, labor, tooling, prototyping. You get an honest read on the trade-offs, plus hands-on help moving a product from prototype to first production run.
Operator to Operator, Not Podium to Audience.
No buzzwords. Battle-tested advice. I use the words your customers use: margin, surcharge, lead time, terms, cash, chargeback. Real talk, on the phone or in the plant.
Discovery Call is Free.
Thirty minutes, no obligation. If we fit, I'll lay out a two-week paid diagnostic and the first account I plan to open. If not, you walk away with an outside view and a few honest observations.
Everything Stays Between Us.
Confidentiality by default, not an upsell. Pricing, customer names, supplier issues, family business dynamics. Nothing leaves the conversation. NDA on paper if you want one.
What working together looks like.
What happens on the first call?
Thirty minutes, no pitch. You tell me what you make and what is stuck. I tell you whether I can help and what it would look like. If I cannot help, you get told on that call.
How long does an engagement run?
Most are measured in weeks, not quarters. Fixed scope, fixed fee, defined finish line. If the work grows, we agree on the new scope before anything else happens.
Do you work on site?
Yes, and the first visit usually pays for itself. Walking the floor beats any spreadsheet for finding money hiding in a print bench or a pack out station.
Will you sign an NDA?
Confidentiality is the default with or without paperwork, and I will sign yours if you want it in writing. Pricing, vendors, and customer names never leave the room.
Got something keeping you up at night?
Free. No pitch. Battle-tested advice. If I cannot help, I will tell you.