Launch planning
Opening checklist, vendor timing, staffing, soft-open priorities, and the final punch list.
Cannabis retail consulting
Dispensary launches get messy fast.
High Maintenance Consulting helps cannabis operators turn the moving parts into a store that can open, pass inspection, train staff, receive product, and serve customers without guessing.
Sales floor
Vault
Receiving
Customer flow
Product custody
Staff handoffs
1 full pre-opening build
Illinois adult-use retail. License to open doors.
9-person team
Hired, scheduled, trained, and badged before soft open.
Full SOP suite
Written from scratch. Tied to training records and Metrc routines.
IDFPR inspection ready
Security plan, ITP, staffing docs, and compliance binders complete.
Short list. Real work.
Most store problems come from unclear ownership. I help define the work, train the people, and make the handoffs visible.
Layout and flow
Customer path, staff movement, delivery access, online orders, cash handling, and bottlenecks.
Vault and inventory process
Receiving, package checks, organization, counts, variances, waste, returns, and menu accuracy.
SOPs and compliance prep
Procedures people can follow, tied to training records, Metrc routines, and inspection files.
Hiring and team structure
Roles, interviews, onboarding, lead training, manager rhythm, and accountability.
POS, vendors, and menu
POS setup, reporting, online menu workflow, vendor coordination, assortment, and local outreach.
One full build, start to open.
Illinois adult-use retail, 2025–2026. New license. No existing processes. Nine people to hire, train, and schedule before doors opened.
01
Staffing and team structure
Nine roles defined and filled — GM, assistant manager, shift leads, and budtenders. Scheduling logic, coverage rules, and compliance minimums built before hiring started. Three badged employees per shift, per §1290.320(d).
02
SOP suite, from scratch
Full operating procedure library written for the specific store: receiving, vault, floor, POS, cash, opening and closing, and every compliance-facing routine. Tied to training records and staff sign-off logs.
03
Metrc and inventory process
Manifest verification, package intake checks, vault organization, cycle counts, variance logging, and menu accuracy workflow. Built with Flowhub as the POS layer and Alpine IQ for online menu and loyalty.
04
IDFPR inspection prep
Security plan, Inventory Tracking Plan, staffing and training documentation, and compliance binders organized for inspection. Pre-opening checklist run against §1290 requirements. No surprises on walk-through day.
05
Opening order and vendor coordination
~250 SKUs selected from approved Illinois vendors across flower, vape, edibles, and accessories. Vendor timing coordinated with licensing milestones. Nothing short-dated. Nothing from excluded brands.
06
POS and menu setup
Flowhub configured with product catalog, staff accounts, and end-of-day reporting. Online menu and loyalty connected. Day-one workflows documented so floor staff weren't guessing at opening.
The handoffs
The store runs on what happens between roles.
A good process is not just a document. It is the moment one person hands work to the next without losing product, context, or accountability.
01
Vendor deliveryManifest, package check, exceptions.
02
Vault intakeStorage, labels, counts, menu status.
03
Floor readyStaff notes, POS accuracy, customer flow.
Nick Campbell, cannabis retail operator and founder of High Maintenance Consulting.
About Nick
I work on the parts people notice when they go wrong.
I started High Maintenance Consulting after working through the practical side of cannabis retail: opening stores, building workflows, training teams, dealing with compliance pressure, fixing inventory issues, coordinating vendors, and making the floor work when real customers show up.
My work is hands-on. I help owners and managers make decisions, document the right things, train the team, and build routines that still make sense after opening week.
- Plainspoken guidance: what needs to happen, who owns it, and what can wait.
- Respect for the floor: systems have to work for the people using them during a rush.
- Compliance without theater: records, routines, and training that hold up under review.
How work starts
Start where the store is.
No giant discovery process. We look at the store, the plan, the people, and the gaps.
01
Walk the operation
Layout, vault flow, receiving, POS, staffing, SOPs, training, vendors, and timing.
02
Separate urgent from noisy
Some issues threaten the license. Some slow the team down. Some can wait.
03
Build the routine
Update the process, train the people, assign ownership, and leave behind something usable.
Common questions
What operators usually ask first.
What does a cannabis dispensary consultant help with?
Launch planning, layout and flow, vault setup, SOPs, compliance prep, Metrc inventory process, POS setup, vendor coordination, hiring, training, and day-to-day operating systems.
Do you work with dispensaries in Illinois and Missouri?
Yes. High Maintenance Consulting works with cannabis retail operators in Illinois and Missouri.
Can you help before a dispensary opens?
Yes. Pre-opening w