Full-Service Retainers

Integrated support for the whole business

Our full-service retainers provide ongoing, multi-domain support for founders who want clarity, structure, and partnership.

Whether you need light-touch strategic guidance, collaborative management support, or a deeply embedded operational partner, Good Apple offers retainers at three engagement levels to match your stage and pace of growth.

What’s in every retainer?

We offer three tiers of engagement for retainer clients, based on their business needs and maturity.

Explore the Engagement Tiers

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Guided Tier

Light-touch strategic and operational support for founders who want clarity, accountability, and aligned decision-making without a heavy weekly cadence. Consistent check-ins but not full-scale management in your day-to-day.

You implement. We guide.

Managed Tier

Hands-on partnership across strategy, finance, operations, people, and marketing. Ideal for founders who want a consistent manager-level counterpart supporting planning, execution, and weekly momentum.

Your team delivers. We manage.

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Embedded Tier

A deeply integrated operating partner embedded in your business. Executive-level support across all domains with a focus on systems, leadership, and driving real change week over week.

We deliver with you.

Retainers IRL

Maple & Main Market is the kind of neighborhood convenience store everyone knows—the place you stop for a cold drink, a forgotten ingredient, or a quick treat on the way home. It’s run by Samantha, a second-generation owner who knows her customers by name.

Business is steady, but this quarter has been tough. One employee just left, another is going on maternity leave, and hiring feels overwhelming. The shelves are stocked, but Sam isn’t sure which products actually make money and which are just taking up space. She’d love to run simple seasonal promotions, but marketing always falls to the bottom of the list.

She isn’t in crisis. She’s just stretched thin and ready for more clarity, structure, and support.

Below, explore how Good Apple might support Sam, based on the level of her retainer agreement.

How Retainers Work

  • Consultation

     We learn about your business — where you are now, what’s working, and what needs support.

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  • Diagnostics & Priorities

    Using the Smart Business Framework, we identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities across all five domains.

    Icon of a magnifying glass with a line graph inside, a gear partially visible behind it, and a small gear at the bottom left.
  • Level Selection

    In the context of your priorities, we recommend the tier that fits your goals, pace, and internal capacity.

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  • 90-Day Kickoff Plan

    We begin with a 90-day roadmap, build a project plan, and check progress with regular meetings.

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FAQs

How do I know whether I need Guided, Managed, or Embedded?

We help you choose based on your timeline, internal capacity, and immediate priorities. Most clients begin at the Management level because it offers steady partnership without full operational integration. As your needs shift, we can scale support up or down.

Can I switch levels once we begin?

Yes. Your level can be adjusted as your business needs change. We revisit your goals regularly, and if the pace or depth of support needs to shift, we update the engagement so the work stays aligned and effective.

What if I need help with a project?

Projects can be added when needed, especially for time-bound or specialized work. Retainers already include strategic planning, operational support, and multi-domain guidance, but some initiatives require a defined scope and timeline. We will recommend a project only when it clearly benefits the outcome.

Do retainers include Exit Planning or Brokerage?

No. Exit Planning and Brokerage are separate offerings. If you are preparing for a transition or considering a sale or purchase, we can add those services alongside your retainer to support the full process.

How involved will Good Apple be in the day-to-day?

Your level determines the depth of involvement. Guidance offers strategic support, Management adds weekly partnership and hands-on help, and Execution places us inside your operations to lead the work. We help you choose the level that matches your capacity and goals.

What kind of results can I expect from a retainer?

Retainers bring clarity, structure, and consistent progress. Clients often see improvements in hiring, operations, financial reporting, and decision-making. Every level includes a 90-day plan, regular check-ins, and multi-domain support that strengthens the business and reduces overwhelm.

Project vs. Retainer Quick Check

Retainer: Ongoing Partnership

Retainers are best when you want consistent support across multiple areas of the business. We work alongside you on planning, delivery, and decision-making so you are not carrying everything alone.

Retainers are ideal when you want:

  • Ongoing strategic conversations and accountability

  • Support across several domains at once (like money, people, marketing)

  • A 90-day plan and quarterly recalibration, not a one-time push

  • Help managing priorities, projects, and change over time

  • A steady partner who learns your business and stays involved

Project: Focused Engagement

Projects are best when you have a clear outcome, a defined scope, and a specific timeline. We step in to design and deliver that piece of work, then you decide what support you need next.

Projects are ideal when you want:

  • A specific result, such as a launch, a system build, or a strategic plan

  • A clear beginning and end, with milestones along the way

  • Intensive work on one area, rather than ongoing support across many

  • Specialist help that your current team cannot cover

  • A way to test working together before moving into a retainer

Most clients have both retainer and project-based needs over the full lifecycle of our work together. It’s not uncommon to be working on projects inside of a retainer!

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LET’S FIND THE RIGHT LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR YOUR BUSINESS

We’ll talk through your goals, walk through each tier, and help you choose the approach that fits where you are now — and where you’re headed.