The Crew Consultants
The Crew Consultants is a privately held, bootstrapped Chicago-based consulting firm founded in 2015 that provides fractional financial analysis, operational advisory, and CRM implementation services to small business owners across diverse US SMB verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Crew Consultants does
The Crew Consultants is a privately held, bootstrapped business consulting firm headquartered in Chicago and founded in 2015 by Colleen Sarihan, a former M&A investment banker at Lehman Brothers/Barclays Capital. The firm provides professional advisory services to small business owners across diverse verticals — including food/natural products, retail, legal services, and wellness — focused on financial analysis, weekly reporting, pricing strategy, CRM platform implementation, business audits, and operational streamlining. Services are delivered as collaborative, fractional team-member engagements rather than detached consulting projects, positioning the firm as an embedded finance and operations partner for resource-constrained SMBs.
The business operates a professional services revenue model with no publicly disclosed pricing. New engagements begin with a complimentary 20-minute phone consultation followed by bespoke short- or long-term advisory work delivered remotely via video conference and Slack. The go-to-market motion is consultative and sales-led, supported by top-of-funnel content marketing through a blog ("Calculated Risk"), ConvertKit-powered email newsletter, and Instagram presence.
The firm has no proprietary technology platform; service delivery relies on standard SaaS tools including Google Workspace, Xero, QuickBooks, Asana, HubSpot, Squarespace, ConvertKit, and Zapier. As of 2025, the firm operates with one full-time principal (the founder/CEO), has opened a part-time Consulting Associate role (10-15 hours/week), and maintains a strategic partnership with Meredith Patrick's Vinsko Jacobs practice for operational specialist capacity. No external funding, institutional investors, M&A activity, or geographic expansion beyond US-domestic SMB clients has been disclosed.
The Crew Consultants firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Crew Consultants
- Legal name
- The Crew Consultants LLC
- Website
- https://thecrewconsultants.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Crew Consultants is a privately held, bootstrapped Chicago-based consulting firm founded in 2015 that provides fractional financial analysis, operational advisory, and CRM implementation services to small business owners across diverse US SMB verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Crew Consultants industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Organization Design & Operating Model Consulting (BPAHAGAB), Performance Management & Productivity Consulting (BPAHAGAL)
Keywords
Where The Crew Consultants is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Crew Consultants business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for small businesses including financial analysis, weekly reporting, pricing strategy, and CRM platform implementation. Services are delivered collaboratively as a member of the client's team.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Consultation-based initial engagement |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
The Crew Consultants product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Crew Consultants is a Chicago-based business consulting firm founded in 2015 that partners with small business owners across diverse industries to optimize their operations. The firm delivers financial analysis, weekly reporting, pricing strategy development, CRM platform implementation, and full business audits through tailored short-term and long-term engagements.
Product overview
The Crew Consultants is a business consulting services firm (not a software product company) that helps small business owners understand their financial numbers, streamline operations, and make smart business decisions. The company offers a unified set of consulting services focused on making businesses more sustainable, scalable, and profitable. Services include business audits, financial analysis and reporting, pricing strategy development, inventory management, accounting system organization, and CRM platform implementation and rollout. The firm works with clients as a collaborative team member on both short-term and long-term engagements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Roadmap to streamlined inventory and more profitable sales
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Crew Consultants
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Crew Consultants technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Crew Consultants partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Vinsko Jacobs (Meredith Patrick)minorMeredith Patrick operates Vinsko Jacobs, a consulting company named after her grandmothers that supports female, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ business owners. She partners with The Crew Consultants and their clients.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Crew Consultants competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- B2B CFO: Nationwide network of fractional CFOs providing part-time financial leadership to small and mid-sized businesses. Comparable in client size, fractional delivery model, and finance-and-operations advisory focus.
- Chief Outsiders: Fractional executive services firm providing part-time CMOs, CFOs, COOs, and CTOs to small and mid-sized businesses. Highly comparable model to The Crew Consultants' embedded, fractional approach to serving SMB owners across finance, marketing, and operations.
- EOS Worldwide: Provider of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) implementation for small and mid-sized businesses. Directly comparable in helping SMB owners systematize operations, clarify priorities, and execute strategy.
- Focus CFO Group: Fractional CFO and financial advisory firm serving small and mid-sized businesses across the U.S. Directly comparable to The Crew Consultants in delivering outsourced financial leadership, financial analysis, and operational guidance to growing SMBs.
Emerging players
- Pilot: Tech-enabled bookkeeping, tax, and fractional CFO services for small businesses and startups. Competes for the same SMB customer base as The Crew Consultants but with a more productized, SaaS-enabled delivery model.
- Bench: Online bookkeeping and financial reporting service for SMBs, complemented by access to financial experts. Targets the same small business owner segment as The Crew Consultants with a technology-first, lower-touch delivery approach.
Broad incumbents
- Kreischer Miller: Mid-Atlantic accounting, tax, and business advisory firm serving SMBs with consulting, outsourced CFO, and operational improvement services. Comparable in serving growth-stage SMBs with finance and operations advisory work.
- Insperity: Provider of HR, payroll, and business performance solutions targeting small and mid-sized businesses. Comparable in serving the operational and performance improvement needs of SMBs, though through a much broader, more standardized suite.
- BDO USA: Global accounting and advisory firm with a significant SMB and middle-market practice covering tax, consulting, and outsourced finance. Offers overlapping capabilities to The Crew Consultants as part of a much broader portfolio of services.
Others
- SCORE: Nonprofit network of volunteer business mentors providing free advising and education to small business owners. Not a direct competitor but serves the same SMB customer base seeking strategic and operational guidance.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
The Crew Consultants social profiles
Digital presenceThe Crew Consultants financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Crew Consultants leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Crew Consultants funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Crew Consultants M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Crew Consultants
What does The Crew Consultants do?
The Crew Consultants is a Chicago-based business consulting firm founded in 2015 that partners with small business owners across diverse industries to optimize their operations. The firm delivers financial analysis, weekly reporting, pricing strategy development, CRM platform implementation, and full business audits through tailored short-term and long-term engagements.
Is The Crew Consultants a public or private company?
The Crew Consultants is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Crew Consultants founded?
The Crew Consultants was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Crew Consultants based?
The Crew Consultants is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Crew Consultants make money?
One revenue line is on record: consulting Services.
Who are The Crew Consultants's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are B2B CFO, Chief Outsiders, EOS Worldwide and Focus CFO Group. Emerging players are Pilot and Bench. Broad incumbents are Kreischer Miller, Insperity and BDO USA. SCORE is listed as an others.
Does The Crew Consultants have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Crew Consultants.
What industry is The Crew Consultants in?
The Crew Consultants's product category is Business Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAB, Operations & Process Improvement Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHAGAB, Organization Design & Operating Model Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.