How we work
How an engagement works, from the first call to the last page.
What happens at each stage, how fees are set, and what we ask of you.
Stages
1. A first conversation
Forty-five minutes, on us. You describe the decision; we tell you honestly whether we’re the right people, and if not, who might be.
2. A written diagnosis
Two to three weeks. We read the numbers, talk to the people you choose, and give you a short memo: what we see, the options, and what we’d do. Fixed fee, agreed in writing first.
3. The work itself
If you want us to carry on, we work alongside you on a monthly basis until the decision is made and done. You can stop at the end of any month.
4. A handover note
When we finish, you get a record of what was decided and why, so the reasoning outlasts us.
Most engagements run between three and nine months. A sale usually takes longer, a pricing review usually takes less.
Fees
How fees are set
We agree every fee in writing before the work it covers begins. There are three parts, and you can stop after any of them.
| Stage | How it’s charged |
|---|---|
| First conversation | No charge |
| Written diagnosis | A fixed fee, set according to the size of the business and the question |
| Ongoing work | A monthly retainer, cancellable at the end of any month |
| Success fees | None. We are paid the same whatever you decide. |
What we ask of you
Access to the numbers, an hour or two of your time each week, and honesty about what you want — including the parts that aren’t about money.
Questions
What size of business do you work with?
Usually owner-managed companies with between about $5 million and $60 million in revenue and somewhere between twenty and three hundred people. Smaller is fine if the decision is big.
How are fees structured?
The first conversation is free. The diagnosis is a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start. Ongoing work is a monthly retainer. We don’t take success fees on sales, so we have no reason to push you towards one.
Who actually does the work?
One of the two partners leads every engagement and does the work. We don’t hand clients to junior staff.
Is it confidential?
Yes. We sign a confidentiality agreement before you share anything sensitive, and we never name clients without permission.
Do you work outside New England?
Sometimes. Most of our time is spent in people’s offices, so we take on a small number of engagements further afield each year.
Start with a conversation
Forty-five minutes, no charge, and no obligation to go further.