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How long is the average consulting project?
Consulting projects are broken into three distinct phases, the
Business Evaluation, the Business Solution, and an optional
Implementation Effectiveness Review. The Business Evaluation is
typically completed within forty hours and provides a detailed
look at the barriers the company faces in fulfilling the owner’s
expectations. The Business Analysis process provides the owner
with a written Business Improvement.
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The next phase of an engagement is the Business Solution, which is
the implementation of the Business Improvement Plan. The length of
the Business Solution varies depending upon the complexity and
number of issues facing the company. Additionally, a client may
pre-arrange to implement only a portion of the Business Solution
based upon time or financial commitments. Experience with our
clients notes that an average Business Solution is completed
within a three to five week timeframe based upon the needs of the
client.
Upon a completion of a project, it is our policy to recommend
optional Implementation Effectiveness Reviews on a periodic basis
to measure and reinforce the implementation of the Business
Solution. Effectiveness reviews typically are completed in less
than one week, based upon the scope of work to be reviewed.
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Will a consultant being at my business
interfere with my staff getting their work done? How about my
work?
No. The most important thing we emphasize is that the operation of
the business comes first. While we need access to your employees,
we are adept at working around their schedule to get the
information we need and the information and training they might
require without disrupting your business.
Your time commitment is crucial to the success of your consulting
project. After all, it is your business and you are the one that
needs to “get it.” We need access to you. We need your thoughts,
your ideas, your input, your concerns, your aspirations…and you
need to get your work done. You’ll work a little harder when we
are around, but we think you’ll appreciate your effort. Remember,
the successes of the business belong to the owner, as do the
shortcomings.
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Will a consultant always be on site?
Not necessarily. We have found that it is more efficient to
complete some of our work off site. We want to maximize your
efficiency, and ours. We can often get more work completed by not
being on the premises. This is especially true for developing work
products such as spreadsheets and operational procedures and
policies. You will always be able to reach your consultant by
phone.
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What do you with the information you collect
from my business?
We hold all information gathered on the behalf of your business in
strict, absolute confidence. Information regarding your business
will not be shared with anyone outside your company. Our pledge to
your confidentiality is outlined in great detail in our Consulting
Services Agreement.
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Do consultants guarantee results?
While we at Brio Consulting Partners, LLC will do everything
within our ability to improve your company, we cannot guarantee
results. Other consulting companies might offer assurances or
guarantees, but we feel that such practices are misleading. Here
is why. First, we are dealing with business systems and people
systems. While our desire is to deliver change to both, clearly we
cannot promise changes to business systems when people operate
these systems. We pride ourselves in our ability to facilitate
change; however, changing behavior, often YOUR behavior, is quite
difficult to measure in terms of results.
Secondly, in a fluid business environment “objective” results such
as a targeted increases in profit, or sales, or decrease in
operating expenses typically cannot be attributed to any direct
cause and effect model. Sales up 20% may or may not be attributed
to Brio Consulting Partners, LLC. We can certainly take the
credit, but from an ethical position, we know that we cannot
establish impact without significant, costly research. Likewise we
know that we can reduce your costs dramatically; however, without
understanding the long-term impact to your business, it would be
unwise to promote assurances.
What we do is facilitate your becoming a better business person so
you can understand and weigh the factors impacting your business
to improve your knowledge base make more informed decisions.
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Can a consultant hire or terminate an employee
for my company or me?
Our function is to maximize the potential of all your employees.
We can certainly teach you what skills and traits to look for in
employees based upon the functional requirements of your business.
We can help you with interviewing skills, and we can assist you
with writing job descriptions so your business knows what its
functional requirements are. Likewise we can help you implement
employee evaluation procedures, provide an assessment of current
employees, and provide mechanisms to hold employees accountable
for results. We do not directly hire or terminate of employees.
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Can I offer a job to a consultant; if during
the course of a project, I feel she/he would be a good fit for my
company?
Certainly. While other consulting companies prohibit such
activities, we believe that if it is something that you and the
consultant are interested in and it’s in the best interest of your
company, then we support the endeavor. We ask only that you
complete the current consulting project prior to offering a
full-time position to a consultant.
You may also be interested in knowing that we offer an Interim
Management Services Agreement that allows you to engage a
consultant for an extended period of service (less than one year)
without offering full-time employment, but at a rate lower than
our normal consulting rates. We would be happy to supply you with
the details regarding this program.
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Do you charge fees based on per hour charges
(billable hours) or project fees?
We charge fees based upon a project charge that is pre-agreed upon
between our client and us. It is our position that charging
billable hours are usually not in the client’s best interest. We
charge for a pre-agreed upon service, not the number of hours we
are going work.
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What are your payment terms? Can I arrange a
payment plan for your services?
Payment terms require a fifty percent down payment at the
beginning of a consulting engagement and payment in full at the
completion of the engagement.
Our Company policy is not to arrange payment plans. If you require
a payment plan, it is most likely due to a poor cash flow
situation. The last thing you need in this situation is another
creditor. We would rather scale back a consulting agreement, or do
it in scheduled segments to work on the most critical situations
facing your company (i.e., cash flow). We do not see any merit in
having you go further in debt for results that can only be
delivered over time. We honestly believe it is our obligation to
work within your cash restraints and modify a project to your cash
flow rather than to have you “finance” a project.
Additionally, we are a consulting company and have purposely not
created the infrastructure to do Accounts Receivable, as it would
increase our cost structure to our clients.
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Are your consulting services tax deductible?
You need to always consult your tax advisor regarding the
deductibility of business expenses. The IRS notes that for a
business expense to be deductible, it must be ordinary and
necessary. Generally, an expense is necessary if it is appropriate
and helpful to the business.
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