About Beverlee
The Voice for Small Business Owners
Beverlee Rasmussen, MA, CEC, PCC, is the founder of Systems Business Coach® and has dedicated her entire professional and academic career to helping small business owners achieve sustainable success. With extensive expertise in strategic planning and business process development, Beverlee has empowered hundreds of entrepreneurs to streamline their operations, achieve consistent profitability, attract and retain loyal customers, and build high-performing teams. Through her proven coaching methods, Beverlee equips franchisors, economic development agencies, business banks, coaches, consultants, and other dedicated professionals and organizations with the tools and training needed to enhance their support for small business owners.
Entrepreneur by Necessity
When I left my job to start my own business, I was a single mom with no financial safety net and no prior business experience. Determined to create a better life for my son and myself, I launched Somerville Travel Inc. in 1993, naming it after my great grandmother. Within just two years, I had built a thriving independent Canadian travel agency generating over three million dollars in annual sales, employing seven full-time staff, and achieving profitability—all while gaining the freedom I had worked so hard to attain.
Building this business taught me invaluable lessons about the power of systems and the intricate ways leadership, operations, finance, team dynamics, and sales come together to create a world-class business. By developing these systems, I was able to structure the company to operate independently of me, ultimately positioning it for a successful sale. These foundational principles now drive my passion for empowering others to achieve sustainable business success.
In 2002, I had the opportunity to meet Michael E. Gerber, the legendary author of The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, during his visit to Vancouver. After briefly sharing my business success story with him, he immediately invited me to join the E-Myth Worldwide team.Over the next three and a half years, I met with more than 3,300 small business owners, listening to their hopes, dreams, frustrations, and struggles. Even then, I recognized the urgent need to address business failure, and I set out to do just that.
Along the way (2006-2007), I became the first female president of our local Rotary Club, leading under the theme “Lead the Way, ” growing our club from 50 to 82 members in one year. This experience inspired me to deepen my involvement as the Rotary District 5050 Trainer, facilitating workshops and large events, including the Rotary District Assembly and Presidents Elect Training, with up to hundreds of participants. Through this role, I trained business professionals to successfully build and sustain thriving Rotary Clubs.
When I first started working with business owners, I relied heavily on “consulting”—a lot of telling them what to do—and was puzzled when they rarely followed through. I soon realized I needed skills to empower my clients to take meaningful action. In 2011, I pursued professional training at Royal Roads University, earning certificates in both Executive Coaching and Organizational Development. I later became accredited as a Professional Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation and was honoured to receive the Vancouver ICF Business Coach of the Year award in 2014.
The Successful Business Field Guide
My entire academic and professional career has focused on “one thing”: reducing small business failure. I dedicated over 10,000 hours to create the Successful Business Field Guide, built on adult learning principles and tested with more than 500 small business clients globally. While researching for my master’s project, I was struck by the fact that the small business failure rate—50% by year five—has remained unchanged for 30 years. Determined to shift that outcome, I earned a Master of Arts in Executive and Organizational Coaching, writing about the democratization of small business coaching to drive sustainable change.
My Vision
A world where all business owners have the skills, tools, and confidence to positively contribute to a healthy world economy—creating secure, meaningful employment while maintaining personal prosperity and freedom
Every small business owner deserves more than a 50/50 chance at survival.
To achieve my vision, we must do better. We need to invest in real training and sustainable resources for business longevity. The UN 2030 Goals—to end poverty, eliminate hunger, create decent work, reduce inequality, and build sustainable cities—rely on strong small businesses as their foundation.
This is my mission. We can no longer recycle the same outdated advice for those we rely on for jobs, economic output, and diversity. When businesses fail, communities fail—buildings sit vacant, schools and hospitals close. It’s time to reach out and discover how you can help support small business owners in ways that ensure their success, using the methods I’ve developed.
Contact Beverlee
Committed to reducing small business failure rates and empowering entrepreneurs to achieve sustainable success.