Our Consulting Service Philosophy

Whenever small businesses hire a consultant, they are taking a risk that they will spend money and not achieve the desired outcome.  This is a real risk factor as far too many consulting firms over promise and under deliver.  The fact is, not all outfits and outdoor recreation companies are good candidates for hiring consulting services.  Swan Mountain Consulting Group believes in a core group of guiding principles that drive our client selection process, create the nature and approach of our services, and dictate our commitment to delivery of a finished definable product that has added value.

Our Guiding Principles

  • If we can’t define the project and agree on the deliverable, then don’t take on the assignment
  • We must and will know the client’s definition of project success and will be truthful with ourselves that we can deliver
  • We will not deliver services as a “hammer looking for a nail”
  • If we can’t agree on a budget and a value for our services then it is best not to proceed
  • God gave us two ears and one mouth, and we should use both in that ratio.  Good consultants listen deeply and ask clarifying questions
  • We are paid to be truth tellers and therefore must be open and candid at all times no matter how bad the news is.  If a client doesn’t want to hear this from us, then we are not in the right relationship.
  • For the vast majority of outfitters, adventure travel, outdoor recreation and eco-tourism companies, owners and personnel would rather be coached on creating a solution then handed a packaged deliverable at a high cost
  • Providing advice is only meaningful if the suggestions are truly actionable and realistic given financial and time constraints of the owners and key personnel of the company
  • Generating glossy and voluminous reports rarely results in value added for the client, and only eats up precious budget resources for the project
  • We will train our consultants with the skills needed to serve a client, and will not expect our clients to pay for it
  • Planning and good business management is a process not an event.  We must view everything we do as work-in-progress.  Continuous improvement implies the process is just that – continuous
  • We provide consulting services because we truly enjoy the intellectual interaction and to keep our skills honed, not because we have to, nor do we have a burning need to build a huge firm and take every project.  The end result is we will be selective about the types of projects we take and the nature of clients we deal with to keep this fun.