Blue Elevator Blog

Business Consulting: A Recent History

For the past four decades business consulting has been associated with three phenomena:

1. A business owner comes to realize his business is broken.  He can’t fix things and he is finally ready to ask for help.
2. A C-level executive (or Board of Directors) decides to hire an outside business consulting firm to validate his opinion.  Or, he needs to hire a scapegoat for some difficult decision the organization needs to make.
3. A business needs to implement a new process or procedure.  Perhaps it is to help integrate the purchase of another company or to divest of a division.

Access to business consulting was once only for the well-to-do.  Engagement would stem from a problem or a challenge.  As a result, the idea of engaging in business consulting had a negative connotation.  You hired a very expensive consultant as a measure of last resort.  And, the cost was incremental.  The idea was to get rid of the consultants as fast as possible and get back to normal.

Business Consulting: The Traditional Approach

Whatever the case, traditional business consulting tends to be very expensive.  And, it tends to produce little in the way of lasting results.  The reason for this is two-fold:

• Stakeholders and organizations DON’T participate in creating and implementing lasting change.  It is a one time fix approach.  The analogy would be trying to lose weight – but paying someone else to diet and exercise for you.
• Some consulting firms sell boiler plate solutions delivered through templates via high dollar, short-term engagements.  You are usually sold the consultant’s “one size fits all” product.  You don’t necessarily get what you need.

In the traditional approach to business consulting, you get a very expensive, non-sustainable solution with very little ROI (return on investment).  One reason the “one size fits all” approach doesn’t optimally work is because every organization is different.  Noted management expert, Peter F. Drucker, is credited with this quote: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”  In other words, the same solution that worked at Company X might not work at Company Y.

Business Consulting: A New Approach

At Blue Elevator™, we are challenging the traditional paradigm with the following market approach:

1. Stakeholders and organizations DO participate in creating and implementing lasting change.
2. We collaborate with owners and their organizations to create custom solutions delivered via low dollar, long-term engagements.  The focus is on continuous improvement, which is exactly what is needed.

Engaging with Blue Elevator™ is affordable for business owners.  The idea is to offer skilled and trusted advisory for any business owner – not just for the well-to-do.  There is a positive connotation.  You engage as a measure of first resort by always working ahead of the curve.

You are the beneficiary of affordable, sustainable solutions with very high ROI (return on investment).

Are you Ready to Engage?

Just because it is lonely at the top, doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.  In fact, in just about every other area of life, the best and brightest work with skilled and trusted advisors.  From NFL quarterbacks, MLB pitchers, professional golfers, top gun pilots, etc., the best want to get better.  Why shouldn’t you?  Are you ready to engage?  But, wait!  Before you answer, read our next: Ready to Engage !