We encounter this a lot. Business people at all levels of experience understand that they need an accountant, a lawyer and a designer but it isn’t common to them to realise that they will gain a lot from a specialist that understands systems, processes, efficiency, optimisation and control. It is always a joy to witness the epiphany that occurs when they realise how bright the future is and how they can break through whatever has been constraining their growth or progress.

Of course, it isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes, businesses must deal with downturns, layoffs and other legal or HR issues but hiring a consultant to help navigate these situations lifts a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt from the business.

Consulting is a vital business service that can help everyone involved, regardless of the business size.

Almost certainly. Why ‘almost’?…

In the vast majority of engagements, we can very quickly give a business some viable ways to improve operational efficiency or solve problems which are holding them back. The Pareto Principle – commonly known as the 80/20 rule – hypothesizes that for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. This commonly applies, across the spectrum, so 80% of the symptoms come from 20% of the causes and 80% of the profit comes from 20% of the business etc. We just happen to be very experienced at identification of how this applies to any given system.

We say ‘almost’ because we do occasionally encounter situations where a business is either extremely well-optimised or has constraints that prevent optimisation. The most common reasons for this are governmental regulation or managerial paradigms.

Absolutely not! In fact, we would be the first to advise that you should not commit anything past the initial engagement costs, usually somewhere between $250 and $1000. Those fees should deliver a clear view on what is achievable for your business and, at the higher end, will provide a solid plan of how to get there so that you can remain in control of your business progress and costs at all times.

Beyond the initial engagement, our fee structure depends upon the nature of the strategy and plan. If the agreed scope has few variables, we like to agree a fixed-price contract budget to facilitate clarity for the client. If the scope has many variables and lacks certainty, we usually propose an hourly rate scheme without contract to facilitate flexibility.

Great question!

There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ consulting company so it is important to understand the roles of niche, expertise and experience.

Our niche is the small business community, generally businesses with fewer than 250 employees but often, just sole proprietors that are looking to improve their performance and profitability. We have worked with the big guys, the multi-national corporations that are brand names and while it is interesting, it lacks the passion and fire we find in the smaller businesses which is why we choose our market. We have been, and still are essentially, a small business and we understand the potential for each given the appropriate knowledge and support. Your success is our success and we love it!

Our expertise is is in the translation of operational best practice to fit small business agility. Where businesses face challenges that are beyond our scope – mergers and acquisitions, legal or accounting issues and so on – we are clear in limiting our scope and at the same time, will assist in finding the appropriate specialist through our network of contacts. We target the process elements of business (think ‘what’, ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘when’) from both high-level and specific application perspectives. In most engagements, we utilise an iterative approach based on our extensive experience in process and quality improvement. If a linear approach is desirable, it is usually in indication that project management would be a better fit.

Our experience has reinforced that it is the control and mastery of the desired outcome which is key to successful engagement. As a business owner, you probably have a good or clear idea of what you wish to achieve but lack the knowledge regarding how to achieve it. If you already know exactly what you want to achieve and how, it is a project manager you seek, not a consultant. (We have excellent project managers at hand too!). Our career portfolios contain profit improvements of over $750M but we would be the first to dismiss that number as irrelevant; what matters is what we can do for you and how we can enable you to have greater clarity and control over your business.

Unfortunately not. We sign a non-disclosure agreement with each and every client. We will happily talk about examples of work that are similar to your own and the results obtained but we cannot divulge any information that reveals client identity or information.

Don’t worry, that is pretty common. Businesses are as diverse as the people that run them and that keeps this role engaging and entertaining.

A consultant is an expert partner that brings to you the best-practices and key lessons that help you to overcome challenges and fuel your desire to be the best you can be.

It all starts with talking to us. Let’s see what we can make happen.

Send us an email, give us a call, shoot over a text; whatever works for you. Let’s have a chat about what you need without any obligation at all.