We're Wizzes at Biz

School Of Hard Knocks

"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." -- Douglas Adams

"All too many consultants, when asked, 'What is 2 and 2?' respond, 'What do you have in mind?'"-- Norman Ralph Augustine

When your organization is faced with problems that won't go away, a consultant may be your answer. In the long run, you can save time and money by finding the right assistance to help you overcome a current obstacle or avoid costly mistakes in the future.

As good consultants, we can look at your situation objectively, and we should be able to identify the solution to your problem more quickly and efficiently than you or your staff. If we can't why would you hire us?

The key, of course, is knowing what types of problems we can help you with. Here are a few guidelines:

  • When you need an objective point of view. When you are very close to a situation, there is often a tendency to favor a predetermined - rather than creative - solution
  • When the problem or situation is short-term, such as public relations around a special event
  • When the problem requires special expertise, such as knowing how to buy a computer system, manage accounting, developing an online click-through ad strategy, or custom product/event photography.
  • When you don't want to add permanent staff.
  • When you're facing a crisis and need help right away.

If your situation fits into any or all of these categories, our services are probably a worthwhile investment, and the first time we get together we'll mutually decide if that's the case. Whether we can help you or not, of course, that meeting won't cost you a thing.

So what makes us think we can help you?

Kate ran her own consulting firm from 1986 to 1992 working with businesses from startup to $20 million in revenue. Services included:

  • Business Consulting:
    Assistance in financial survival and growth strategies. Clients included high and low technology manufacturers, distributors, and service organizations.

  • Business Financing:
    Worked with business owners to develop successful business plans and funding requests, and assisted them in raising capital from a broad range of private, institutional and government debt and equity sources.

  • Corporate Consulting:
    Clients included Eastman Kodak, Radnor Venture Partners, Corestates Bank, Unisys, Liberty Bank and others with an interest in understanding, assisting and educating emerging and established businesses. Work with government economic development agencies led to the creation of two innovative business assistance and financing programs for new and emerging businesses.

Tom joined Booz, Allen & Hamilton as Consulting Scientist after serving for 8 years in the Navy. In that capacity he worked on projects related to military computer systems, but perhaps the most interesting engagement was as a member of the Bell System defense litigation team looking at innovations they'd produced as part of the economic argument for keeping the company intact. Justice Green ultimately broke up Bell and soon the phrase "can you hear me now" became part of popular culture.

Enticed by the opportuity to work as a research scientist, Tom joined the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) in 1978 where he conceived and developed the first U.S. computer-based home information system. He left OCLC to start The Harnish Group where he learned the indelible lesson that an expensive glass and chrome desk does not a consulting firm make—customers do. Returning to OCLC 18 months later, he lead a team that developed the first microcomputer-based OCLC terminal, and was founding director of the OCLC Microsystems Division.

Following a stint as director of an intrapeneurial group at Reynolds & Reynolds in Dayton, Ohio—an automotive computer company that has nothing to do with cigarettes—Tom was hired as president of a start-up medical electronics publishing company where he learned a lesson in corporate politics.

He went on to plan, fund, and develop Flightline Electronic Publishing, a company pioneering the use of CD-ROM technology to publish large databases of aviation information. The rest of the story can be read here.