About Kelly
You should not have to figure out the business side of your business alone.
Kelly Claiborne, working as Systematically Kelly, is a business operations and systems integrator for contractors and growing service businesses. I work with owners who are good at what they do and have reached the point where running the business takes a different set of decisions. You run the business. I help you figure out how the business should run.
The work
The decisions behind the work.
You may know your trade, your customers and how to get the work done. Meanwhile, the business asks you to understand job costs, pricing, financial reports, software, hiring, scheduling, vendors and what to fix first.
You can bring me the goal, frustration, question, decision or messy process. You do not need to diagnose the company before asking for help.
Mostly, I set things up. I figure out where the work breaks, design how it should run, and implement it in your systems: QuickBooks Online, CRMs, project and field tools, billing and vendor workflows, automations and the SOPs that make them stick. Every project is fixed-scope, and where a licensed specialist is needed, I coordinate with them.
What you can expect from me
- Clear thinking about what is actually happening.
- Direct feedback, delivered collaboratively and without condescension.
- Questions you may not have considered.
- Research when we need it, and an honest answer when I need to find out more.
- No pushing software because someone pays me to sell it.
- No pretending every problem needs AI.
- No rebuilding parts of the business that already work.
- Hands-on setup, tested on real work, not a slide deck.
Background
An operator first.
I have done operations and systems work for 10+ years across banking, real estate, hospitality, construction and professional services. I figure out how work really moves through a business, then build the systems that keep it moving without the owner chasing it: CRM pipelines, automations, project tracking, SOPs, billing and back-office controls, and the training that gets people to use them.
Construction back office
For an owner-led construction and remodeling business I was the owner's operations partner: subcontractor onboarding with W-9s, agreements, insurance certificates and workers' comp requirements where they applied, vendor setup, invoicing, AP and AR, payroll, budgets and job costing, set up as repeatable workflows so the owner could see project costs, cash flow and profitability.
CRM that does the follow-up
I designed, built and tested a custom GoHighLevel CRM for a kitchen-and-bath remodeling business: lead intake, pipeline stages, missed-call text-back, consultation reminders, estimate follow-up, and review and referral requests, so follow-up stopped depending on memory.
Billing and system changes
For a professional-services firm I reconciled recorded time against invoices and engagement terms, found exceptions and unbilled work, and fixed the billing workflow with time-entry standards and training. I have also run system changes across time tracking, billing, HR, payroll and project management.
Owner, not just advisor
I co-founded and ran an independent specialty coffee bar for nearly six years, from formation, licensing and build-out to SOPs, budgets, inventory controls, hiring and training. I know what it is like to be the owner paying for the tools.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Western Governors University. MBA in progress, Western Governors University.
How I think about the work
Practical. Curious. Direct.
I look before recommending.
A new tool, hire or process might help. First, I want to understand the problem and the business around it.
I find out when I do not know.
I ask questions, investigate, compare options, and bring in a qualified specialist when the work calls for one.
We choose what matters first.
The point is not to change everything at once. We scope the biggest current priority as a fixed project, finish it, and then see what the business needs next.
Who I work with
Contractors and growing service businesses.
My work is especially relevant to contractors, remodelers, home-improvement companies, field-service businesses and other teams delivering jobs or projects. A strong-fit service business outside those industries may be a fit too.
There is no single revenue number that defines fit. It is more about whether the business has consistent work and cash flow, enough complexity for systems to matter, and an owner ready to invest in improvement and put changes into practice.
Tools I have worked in
Named only to describe compatibility. I am not affiliated with any of these companies and do not sell software.
QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Time, JobTread, ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Salesforce, Zoho, Pipedrive, Airtable, Asana, ClickUp, Monday.com, Ramp, Rippling, Gusto, Lever, Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Dropbox, PandaDoc, DocuSign, Dropbox Sign, 1Password, ChatGPT, Claude.
What I am not
Not a CPA, accountant, tax advisor or attorney. Not a lender, loan broker or financial advisor. Not a software developer or reseller. Not an inbox and calendar assistant. Tax, audit, legal, insurance and other licensed or specialized work belongs with the appropriate qualified professional, and I am glad to coordinate with yours.
Common questions
Who is Kelly Claiborne?
Kelly Claiborne is a business operations and systems integrator for contractors and growing service businesses. She has 10+ years of operations work across banking, real estate, hospitality, construction and professional services, and she co-founded and ran a specialty coffee bar for nearly six years.
Is Kelly a CPA or developer?
No. Kelly is not an accountant, CPA, tax advisor, attorney or software developer. She offers bookkeeping support and back-office help, and coordinates with your CPA or attorney for tax, accounting and legal questions.
Does Kelly sell software?
No. She does not push software because someone pays her to sell it. When a tool decision is needed, she helps define the requirements and compare options against them.
Where my work stops
Kelly is not an accountant, CPA or lawyer. What she provides is operational guidance and implementation based on her personal experience running businesses and operations departments, not accounting, tax, legal or financial advice. For those, please talk with your own CPA, attorney or financial professional.
Bring me the problem
You do not have to figure it out alone.
Book the free 15-Minute Systems Fit Call. I learn what you need and how you want to solve it, tell you whether and how I can help, and if it is a fit you get a fixed-scope proposal.