Mission
Control
A complete operational blueprint for Highlands Collective — every tool, workflow, rhythm, and automation from pre-license through opening day.
This document covers technology only. It addresses the digital infrastructure, business systems, communications, and operational workflows supporting Highlands Collective's brand development, business operations, licensing process, and team coordination — from pre-license transition through opening day and beyond. It does not address cultivation, harvest, processing, or manufacturing operations. Those disciplines are managed through separate operational planning and are outside the scope of this roadmap.
Eleven Integrated Components
Running on Google Workspace, designed to carry Highlands Collective from the first permit filing through a fully operational dispensary.
Each component below links to its own section — this is the map of the full system.
📁 Google Drive Architecture
Structured folder hierarchy separating licensing, operations, finance, HR, and marketing — with access tiers for each team role.
📊 Google Sheets Dashboard
Multi-tab master spreadsheet covering compliance tracking, inventory, financials, HR, and a live phase dashboard.
📋 SOP System
Templated standard operating procedures organized by department — opening, inventory, customer, compliance, HR, and emergency.
📅 Google Calendar Rhythm
Five shared calendars covering operations, compliance deadlines, team events, marketing, and facility maintenance.
💬 Chat Spaces
Seven structured Chat Spaces keeping communication organized by function — from daily ops to licensing to marketing.
🔄 Weekly Execution
A repeating weekly rhythm with day-by-day focus areas, standing meetings, and review checkpoints built in from the start.
🗺️ Phase Roadmap
Five phases from Foundation through Launch, each with clear milestones, owner assignments, and completion criteria.
⚙️ AI Automation / Apps Script
Six automations reducing manual work — compliance alerts, weekly summaries, inventory flags, onboarding, and more.
🔐 Access & Permissions
Role-based access tiers ensuring the right people see the right documents at each stage of growth.
📐 Design Principles
Six operating principles guiding how the system is built, maintained, and evolved over time.
🧬 Technology & Data Strategy
How Highlands Collective turns operational data — labels, COAs, compliance history, retail trends — into a durable strategic asset.
Google Drive Architecture
A folder architecture built for compliance-first cannabis retail — clear separation between licensing, operations, finance, and team resources.
Access tiers are noted per top-level folder — restricted, management+, owners only, or all staff.
Google Sheets Dashboard
A single Google Sheets workbook serving as the operational nerve center — seven tabs covering every layer of the business.
Click between tabs above to preview each layer of the live dashboard.
All data shown here is illustrative placeholder content — names, figures, dates, and statuses are examples only. Once the actual Google Sheets workbook is built, this section will be updated to reference the live spreadsheet. No data is currently linked to or pulled from any Google Workspace file.
| Phase | Milestone | Owner | Due | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | HC Brand Kit complete | Jason, Michael | Jun 30 2026 | In Progress |
| Phase 1 | HC Landing Page complete | Michael | Jul 1 2026 | In Progress |
| Phase 1 | Google Workspace setup complete | Michael | Jul 2026 | In Progress |
| Phase 1 | Drive structure built & permissioned | Michael | Jul 2026 | Not Started |
| Phase 1 | SOP templates drafted | Michael | Aug 2026 | Not Started |
| Phase 2 | State license application submitted | Legal | Sep 2026 | Not Started |
| Phase 2 | Location secured & lease signed | Derek | Oct 2026 | In Progress |
| Phase 3 | License received | Legal | Nov 2026 | Not Started |
| Phase 3 | POS system selected & configured | Ops | Nov 2026 | Not Started |
| Phase 4 | First hire made | HR | Dec 2026 | Not Started |
| Phase 4 | Opening inventory ordered | Ops | Dec 2026 | Not Started |
| Phase 5 | Soft open | All | Jan 2027 | Not Started |
| Requirement | Authority | Due Date | Renewal | Status | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Cannabis Retail License | Virginia ABC | Sep 2026 | Annual | Pending | Legal |
| Floyd County Business License | Floyd County | Oct 2026 | Annual | Not Started | Michael |
| State Tax Registration | VA Tax | Nov 2026 | Ongoing | Not Started | Finance |
| Security System Certification | VA ABC | Nov 2026 | Annual | Not Started | Ops |
| Employee Background Checks | VA ABC | Dec 2026 | Per hire | Not Started | HR |
| Seed-to-Sale Tracking Setup | METRC | Dec 2026 | Ongoing | Not Started | Ops |
| Category | SKU | Product | Units | Cost/Unit | Retail | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flower | FL-001 | Sativa — 3.5g | 48 | $8.50 | $18.00 | 53% |
| Flower | FL-002 | Indica — 3.5g | 60 | $8.00 | $17.00 | 53% |
| Edibles | ED-001 | Gummies 10mg — 10ct | 24 | $6.00 | $14.00 | 57% |
| Edibles | ED-002 | Chocolate 5mg — 5ct | 18 | $5.00 | $12.00 | 58% |
| Vape | VP-001 | Distillate Cart — .5g | 36 | $12.00 | $28.00 | 57% |
| Tincture | TN-001 | CBD:THC 1:1 — 30ml | 20 | $14.00 | $32.00 | 56% |
| Category | Line Item | Q1 Budget | Q1 Actual | Variance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expense | Legal / Licensing | $8,000 | $4,200 | +$3,800 | Application fees pending |
| Expense | Buildout / Renovation | $45,000 | $0 | — | Pre-lease phase |
| Expense | Technology / POS | $6,500 | $0 | — | Vendor selection in progress |
| Expense | Marketing — Pre-Launch | $4,000 | $800 | +$3,200 | Brand identity work |
| Expense | Operations Setup | $3,500 | $620 | +$2,880 | Workspace, supplies |
| Revenue | Hemp Co. — Legacy Sales | $12,000 | $9,400 | -$2,600 | Wind-down in progress |
| Role | Hire Target | Status | Wage Range | Reports To | Required Certs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Manager | Nov 2026 | Not Posted | $52–62k | Ownership | VA Cannabis Handler |
| Lead Budtender | Dec 2026 | Not Posted | $18–22/hr | GM | VA Cannabis Handler |
| Budtender (2x) | Dec 2026 | Not Posted | $15–18/hr | Lead BT | VA Cannabis Handler |
| Security Officer | Dec 2026 | Not Posted | $17–20/hr | GM | DCJS License |
| Marketing Coordinator | Jan 2027 | Not Posted | $38–45k | Ownership | None required |
| KPI | Category | Target | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 Completion | Roadmap | 100% | 22% | 🟡 On Track |
| SOP Templates Built | Operations | 12 | 0 | ⚪ Not Started |
| Compliance Items Filed | Licensing | 6 | 0 | ⚪ Not Started |
| Vendor Relationships | Operations | 8 | 2 | 🟢 Ahead |
| Monthly License Updates | Compliance | 1/mo | Active | 🟢 On Track |
| Pre-Launch Email List | Marketing | 500 | 0 | ⚪ Not Started |
| Vendor | Category | Contact | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowhub / Treez | POS System | TBD | Evaluating | Demo scheduled |
| METRC | Seed-to-Sale | VA Rep TBD | Required | VA state-mandated |
| Local Cultivators x3 | Wholesale Flower | Various | Relationship Active | From Buffalo Hemp era |
| Wythe Electric | Electrical / Security | On file | Pre-Buildout | Quoted buildout |
| Virginia Community Bank | Banking | Branch Manager | In Discussion | Cannabis-friendly banking |
SOP System
Standard operating procedures organized by department. Each SOP follows a consistent template: purpose, scope, owner, frequency, and step-by-step instructions.
New SOPs should follow this same five-field template before being added to Drive — reserved for future process notes.
Opening & Closing Checklist
DailyInventory Receiving
Per DeliveryCustomer ID Verification
ComplianceEnd-of-Day Cash Reconciliation
DailyNew Employee Onboarding
HRSecurity Incident Response
EmergencyGoogle Calendar Rhythm
Five shared Google Calendars, color-coded by function. Everyone on the team sees what they need — and nothing they don't.
Each calendar's color matches its dot here — consistent across Calendar, Chat, and Drive references.
Operations
Compliance
Team
Marketing
Facility
Chat Spaces
Seven structured Chat Spaces keeping communication organized by function. Each Space has a defined purpose, membership set, and cadence.
New hires are added to Spaces based on role during onboarding — see Apps Script Automation 04.
Weekly Execution
A repeating weekly cadence with day-by-day focus areas. Structure reduces decision fatigue and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
Highlighted tasks mark the two standing meetings anchoring the week — Monday and Friday.
AI Automation / Apps Script
Six targeted automations that handle recurring, error-prone work — so the team stays focused on what matters.
Time-based scripts run on a fixed schedule; trigger-based scripts fire on a spreadsheet change.
Compliance Deadline Alerts
Scans the Compliance tab weekly and sends a Chat message + email when any deadline is within 30, 14, or 7 days.
⏱ Time-based · Every Monday 8amWeekly Summary Digest
Pulls KPIs from the Sheets dashboard and posts a formatted weekly summary to #general every Friday at 5pm.
⏱ Time-based · Every Friday 5pmInventory Low-Stock Flag
Monitors the Inventory tab and posts to #inventory-vendors when any SKU drops below its defined par level.
⏱ Time-based · Daily 7amNew Employee Workspace Provisioning
When a new HR row is marked "Hire Confirmed," triggers Google Workspace account creation and Chat Space additions.
⚡ Trigger: Spreadsheet onChangePhase Milestone Notifications
When a Phase Tracker milestone is marked Complete, posts to #general and updates the phase completion percentage.
⚡ Trigger: Spreadsheet onChangeMonthly Finance Snapshot
On the first of each month, compiles the Finance tab into a formatted Google Doc and shares it to the Finance Drive folder.
⏱ Time-based · 1st of month 9amThe Hidden Asset We Already Own
Most cannabis and hemp businesses see themselves as cultivators, processors, manufacturers, and retailers. Highlands Collective has an opportunity to be something more — an operator that treats every product, compliance filing, and transaction as a data asset, not just a byproduct of doing business.
This section frames how Buffalo Hemp's history and Highlands Collective's future operations combine into a long-term technology and data strategy.
Years of The Buffalo Hemp Company operations — product development, manufacturing partnerships, retail activity, labeling projects, compliance work, and industry involvement — have quietly built a difficult-to-replicate collection of industry data and operational knowledge. Individually these have value. Combined, they're a strategic advantage.
🏷️ Label & Packaging Archive
Hundreds of product labels and print-ready production files spanning years of development — a historical record of how labeling evolved through changing regulations, not just a library of finished products.
⚖️ Compliance & Regulatory Knowledge
Years navigating Virginia hemp packaging, labeling, retail, and manufacturing requirements, plus industry guidance and legislative developments — knowledge that compounds as regulations grow more complex.
🧪 COA & Batch Data
Every compliant product generates Certificates of Analysis, batch records, cannabinoid profiles, and manufacturing consistency metrics — building a structured compliance and product-quality database over time.
🛒 Retail & Consumer Data
Sales, category performance, inventory turnover, seasonal demand, and purchasing trends — the record of which products succeed, which fail, and why.
Once licensed operations begin, Highlands Collective generates entirely new categories of information. Every day of operation increases the value of the dataset.
🌱 Cultivation Data
Environmental conditions, yield metrics, strain performance, harvest outcomes, and labor inputs.
🏭 Manufacturing Data
Formulations, batch records, packaging workflows, and production efficiency.
📋 Compliance Data
Label reviews, COA validation, product approvals, and regulatory audits.
🏪 Retail Data
Inventory movement, consumer purchasing behavior, and product performance.
Every tool built to run Highlands Collective more effectively is a potential product. Compliance systems, cultivation analytics, retail intelligence — developed for internal use first, but with the architecture to become something more. Built right, those internal systems become a second layer of assets alongside the core business. Systems built from the ground up specifically for cannabis companies.
Compliance Review Systems
Automated checks against current state regulations for labels, packaging, and COAs before products reach the floor.
COA Analysis Tools
Structured parsing and tracking of cannabinoid profiles and testing outcomes across every batch.
Product Onboarding Systems
Standardized intake for new SKUs — labeling, COA, compliance sign-off, and catalog entry in one flow.
Inventory Forecasting
Demand prediction built on historical retail and seasonal data to reduce stockouts and overstock.
Cultivation Analytics
Environmental and yield tracking that turns grow data into repeatable, improvable process.
Regulatory Intelligence
A living reference of Virginia hemp and cannabis regulation changes, tied to compliance history.
One example already identified: automated product compliance review. This creates immediate value for Highlands Collective while serving as a potential commercial product for other manufacturers, retailers, and processors.
- Product label
- Packaging artwork
- Certificate of Analysis (COA)
- State regulations
- Compliance report
- Required corrections
- Updated compliant label
- Audit-ready documentation
The Buffalo Hemp Company was the foundation — limited resources, team members working across disciplines, survival-oriented. Highlands Collective is the next stage: a scalable organization with defined responsibilities and dedicated technology development.
The Buffalo Hemp Company
Historical- Experience operating in Virginia's hemp market
- Relationships with regulators, legislators & industry orgs
- Product development & manufacturing experience
- Retail & compliance experience
- Labeling & packaging experience
- Historical product, retail & testing data
Michael's role: technology, e-commerce, website development, systems integration, photography & media, product labeling & design, technical problem solving. AI experimentation during this period was exploratory and educational, not a formal initiative.
Highlands Collective
Future- Team moves into roles aligned with professional expertise
- Defined responsibilities & strategic initiatives
- Dedicated technology development
- AI as a major component of future operations
- Business, retail & cultivation analytics
- Compliance systems & operational automation
Leadership has openly discussed AI's role across business analytics, retail analytics, cultivation analytics, compliance systems, operational automation, and decision support.
Business operations, overall company vision, strategy, policy, and partnerships.
Grow operations and facilities — cultivation strategy, physical infrastructure, and site management.
Day-to-day cultivation operations, crop scheduling, environmental monitoring, and harvest coordination.
Brand presence, community engagement, content, and marketing campaigns.
Technology, software, AI, systems architecture, automation, data strategy.
Financial planning, budgeting, reporting, and business performance analysis.
Accounts payable and receivable, bookkeeping, payroll coordination, and financial record-keeping.
Regulatory compliance, operational administration, and licensing coordination.
Hiring, onboarding, personnel records, scheduling, and team HR administration.
Floor operations, customer experience, sales team coordination, and product knowledge.
Customer service, point-of-sale, product education, and daily retail operations.
Highlands Collective succeeds by selling great products and running tight operations. Technology supports that — it doesn't replace it. Over time, the tools and data built to run Highlands Collective more effectively may become assets in their own right, but that's the byproduct of doing the core business well.
Products generate revenue. Data generates leverage. Technology creates scale.
Don't advance to the next phase until the prior phase criteria are fully met.
Phase Roadmap
Five phases from now to opening day. Each phase builds on the last — milestones are gates, not guidelines.
Phase colors match the sidebar dots and Phase Tracker badges throughout the page.
Foundation
- Highlands-Collective.com Branding
- Landing Page live (URGENT)
- Google Workspace configured
- Drive structure built
- SOP templates drafted
- Phase tracker live
- Brand identity finalized
- Legal entity confirmed
Pre-License
- License application submitted
- Location secured
- Financial model built
- Vendor relationships active
- Pre-launch marketing begins
- Banking relationship started
Activation
- License received
- Buildout begins
- POS selected & configured
- METRC account active
- Security system installed
- SOPs finalized
Buildout
- First hires made & trained
- Opening inventory ordered
- Mock open day completed
- All compliance docs filed
- Marketing — launch campaign
- Soft launch readiness check
Launch
- Soft open — invite only
- Public grand opening
- Full team live on all systems
- First monthly review
- Post-launch refinement
- Community presence established
Design Principles
Six principles that guide how this system is built, maintained, and evolved. When in doubt, come back to these.
Document info and version history sit at the bottom of this section.
Build for the long game
Every folder, SOP, and automation is designed to support a 10-year operation, not just opening week. Complexity is added only when it earns its place.
One source of truth
Information lives in one place. No parallel copies, no offline spreadsheets, no siloed DMs. If it's not in the system, it doesn't exist.
Compliance first
Virginia's cannabis licensing requirements shape every workflow decision. When convenience and compliance conflict, compliance wins — always.
Access by need
Team members see exactly what they need to do their job. No more, no less. Permissions are deliberate and reviewed each phase.
Automate the repetitive
Any task done the same way more than twice is a candidate for automation. Human attention is reserved for judgment, not data entry.
Document as you go
SOPs are written when processes are designed — not reconstructed after the fact. The system documents itself as the business grows.