From our blog

Lean Expansion Business Consulting in Toronto: Customized Consulting Solutions

When is the best time to bring on a business consultant? Are you ready to achieve greater results in less time? Whether it’s a start-up or a “reasonably” well-oiled machine, working with an independent business consultant who understands how to audit your operations is one of the best ways to learn about the opportunities you may […]

01 Nov, 2020 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Kaizen Business Consulting: The Principle of Continuous Improvement

The idea of performance improvement has been around for more than one hundred years. Rooted in the manufacturing process, it has evolved to meet the needs of modern business processes. Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning to “change for the better” or “continuous improvement.” It is a methodical process of consistently and gradually improving operations. Success […]

29 Sep, 2020 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Business Consultant Reveals the Worst Question to Ask an Employee

Is it time to train up the next generation of business leaders in your organization? Do you plan to do it internally or hire a business consultant who specializes in guidance and mentorship? Today, executive coaching is a tricky business, because different workplaces hold different expectations on their leaders. Does your organization take a traditional approach to the corporate […]

14 Sep, 2020 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Lean Methodology: 5 Reasons to Consider a Lean Business Consultant

Are you considering business consulting services? If it’s time to bring in a fresh set of eyes to refine processes and solve problems, consider looking for a lean business consultant. Lean business consultants are experts at helping organizations to reduce costs and improve efficiencies. By implementing a methodology like lean or Six Sigma, these consultants […]

21 Aug, 2020 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Back from the Brink Business Consulting: How Hoshin Kanri Helped a Struggling Client During SARS-Part 3

When SARS came to Toronto in 2003, I had recently been hired by an organization that was already navigating potential layoffs and shutdown. For a new business consultant, it was a worst-case scenario. The client was just starting to stabilize when news of a disease that started halfway around the world triggered mass economic turmoil […]

11 Aug, 2020 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Back from the Brink Business Consulting: How Hoshin Kanri Helped a Struggling Client During SARS-Part 2

I have offered business consulting services in Toronto and across North America for almost two decades. As a senior business consultant, one of my greatest challenges was helping a struggling organization to negotiate the SARS pandemic. In part two of our blog, we’ll look at how Hoshin Kanri (Policy Deployment) helped operations recover during the SARS pandemic. Today, many businesses […]

19 Jul, 2020 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Back from the Brink: How Hoshin Kanri Helped a Struggling Client During SARS-Part 1

As a Toronto business consultant who specializes in Hoshin Kanri (policy deployment),  I work with corporations across North America. Organizations turn to business consulting for various reasons. One of the most popular is when they can’t reach major milestones. Somehow there never seems to be enough time, enough money, or enough personnel. Sound familiar? One […]

24 Jun, 2020 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Business Consulting Toronto: Creating Respect, Focus, and Continuous Improvement – Part 3

Through services for business consulting, Toronto native Leslie Barker collaborates with businesses to overcome hurdles and achieve profitability and growth. In the last blog, we looked at an issue around leadership coaching. A business that was having supply chain challenges. But the team huddles that were meant to resolve issues were making certain team members […]

09 Jun, 2020 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Executive Coaching: Creating Respect, Focus, and Continuous Improvement – Part 2

In our last post on executive coaching, we looked at a business that was having supply challenges. Purchases were out of control, yet team members couldn’t get the products required to do their jobs. In this case, DJ, the team leader was spending a lot of time trying to understand reports and could not effectively […]

28 May, 2020 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Leadership Coaching: Creating Respect, Focus, and Continuous Improvement – Part 1

As business management consultants in Toronto, when we undertake leadership coaching, it’s difficult to predict what type of challenge(s) a client may be facing. One of the primary outcomes is teaching team members how to process and react to rapidly changing information during a team huddle. Sometimes, incremental changes can dramatically change outputs and processes. Let’s take […]

05 May, 2020 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca