Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Conduit Consulting
How do I get started?
Contact us via telephone at +1 (310) 260-9765 or email: info@conduitconsulting.com to set an initial consultation appointment.
Do you have any geographic limitations that would prevent you from supporting otherwise potential client(s)?
It depends on the purpose of the engagement. Most strategy work, analysis, forecasting and planning can be efficiently accomplished from Conduit Consulting’s office, while it is typically more efficient and preferable to gather information at client-site. Due diligence and negotiations in conjunction with most Corporate Transactions and many Business Transactions generally require being on-site.
Generally, it is not a problem. However a country’s work restrictions may prohibit us from providing services at client location for extended period of time.
How long does it take Conduit Consulting to complete a project?
The duration of most Conduit Consulting client engagements range from 2 hours to 4 months. It depends on the project scope, client availability and decisiveness, desired project intensity and other factors.
What is the Conduit Consulting philosophy about working with clients?
Our philosophy is to add-value to our clients by enhancing your ability to create wealth and achieve other strategic goals in both the near- and long-term. We understand that your company is unique; it operates a different context than even its nearest competitors -- different resources, different capabilities, different competitive position, different suppliers and terms, and different customer relationships.
We provide advice as well as collaborate with clients to achieve their goals. First we focus on clients’ desires and needs, then customize our approach to develop and implement nuanced solutions based on YOUR situation. We help our clients cross the chasm and reach their destination as quickly as you are willing and able to proceed without wearing out workers or causing failure due to distractions from day-to-day activities. Our focus is on our client’s success!
Does Conduit Consulting accept ALL whom request services as clients?
Unlike many firms, NO. Our focus is on our client’s success! As such we promise the following:
- We will make our best effort to do what is in the best interest of our client.
- We will not commit to providing services should we believe that our capabilities do not match the prospective client’s needs.
- We will not commit to providing services should we believe that the client is uncoachable and unwilling to leverage proven methods, tools and our advice developed and continuously improved via decades of managing and advising on client projects and continued professional education.
“Insanity is doing the same thing in the same way & expecting a different outcome” -- Chinese Proverb
- We will not provide unnecessary services simply because it is what the prospective client requested to buy.
We reserve the right to refuse service to any party for any and no reason.
Beginning in 2008, many of your competitors stopped working with start-ups and small businesses. Have you abandoned them as well?
No. As always, we continue to explain upfront the difficulties in raising capital to launch and grow a business or to fund buyout and advise clients of what must be accomplished in each aspect of their business to be successful.
How does Conduit Consulting’s approach differ from those used by large Consulting firms?
Our focus is on our client’s success! We view each client’s goals, current capabilities and needs as unique. As such, we customize our approach and assemble our team based on what is appropriate for the client. To do so effectively, requires experts focused on efficiently solving clients’ problems and creating value.
Large firm strategies, policies and incentives often drive actions that are in conflict with client companies’ best interest. For example, staffing unqualified or unnecessary resources, using travel as a profit center, and prolonging project duration. Recognizing this situation and being committed to add-valuing to clients directly led to Jillian Alexander founding Conduit Consulting.
For more information about this topic, go to Why Conduit Consulting? and FAQs about Jillian Alexander.
How do Conduit Consulting’s Start-Up and Entrepreneurship services differ from those offered by the various SBDCs operating throughout the United States?
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Conduit Consulting |
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QUALIFIED & EXPERIENCED Venture Investment professional provides key services
Reviews business concept
Advises on business model architecture/organization design
Guides business model development
Drafts business plan
Advises on and supports raising capital, ensuring securities laws compliance
Creates financial model and capitalization table
Perform enterprise valuation |
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Provides INDEPENDENT ADVICE customized and suitable for clients’ BEST INTEREST
Advises client of resources and actions needed to achieve goals as well as challenges to viability
(In-)validates client assumptions regarding resource needs and degree of effort, timeline,
as well as expense, revenue and growth forecast
Recommends alternative strategies, business models, methods, policies, procedures,
workforce characteristics and site location to mitigate risks, increase likelihood of
success and enhance enterprise value
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Professionals have REPEATEDLY SUCCESSFULLY:
Led strategic planning for companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 corporations
Performed Market Assessments which illuminated insights and have proven to be accurate
Conceived and planned business model architecture/organization design
Drafted business plans, financial models and financier pitches used to successfully secure capital
Managed start-up business model development and corporate restructuring/reorganization
Sourced, qualified and selected vendors, partners and employees
Forged strategic alliances
Orchestrated legal documentation (i.e., legal entity registration, joint venture agreements, IPOs)
Negotiated and mediated agreements (i.e., commercial contracts, buy-sell deals)
Devised company & brand strategies and marketing collateral, positioning to profitably attract and
retain customers
Launched new companies, products and services that realized exit via sale, merger or IPO
Recruited qualified workforce fitting corporate culture
Led merger, acquisition, divestiture and joint venture deals
Completed cross-border business transactions
(i.e., customer sales, distribution, raw materials & components, M&A and joint venture deals) |
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You offer many services. Which business advisory services does Conduit Consulting NOT provide?
We are not Information Technology (IT) Consultants, Investment Bankers, Lawyers, Certified Public Accountants or Human Resource Recruiters. There are many other services that we do not provide.
You have our promise that we will not commit to provide services which we are unqualified to successfully perform.
What is the difference between Corporate Development and Business Development?
"Corporate Development" is a multi-faceted approach focusing on maximizing company-wide profitability and increasing the business’ intrinsic enterprise value and shareholder value. It traditionally encompasses Strategic Planning, Service and Product Development, Organization Design, Business Model Development, Corporate Portfolio Management, Corporate Governance Policy Development, Corporate Transactions, Business Transactions, as well as Reorganization and Transformation Management activities.
Since the mid-1990s, "Business Development" has been a euphemism for "Sales." Especially, when relationship building is a substantial Sales activity.
For more about this topic, go to Services - Corporate Development.
How does Conduit Consulting charge for its services?
It depends. Rates for our services are value-based. Due to the nature of most engagements, fees are typically billed at the appropriate rate for the time involved in providing such services. We avoid fixed-fee arrangements on most projects as it would not be in our clients best interest -- we would be forced to charge clients an amount equal to our worst-case scenario estimate.
Does Conduit Consulting charge for initial consultations?
Yes. Considering that during the initial consultation meeting we provide advice on methods to overcome challenges and grow your business, insights and more, we do charge a small fee for the initial consultation. Payment of these charges must be made at the conclusion of the initial consultation meeting.
Please contact us at +1 310-260-9765 for more details and to schedule an appointment.
What forms of payment does Conduit Consulting accept?
Consulting projects: We accept payment in the form of cash, checks and wire transfers.
Workshops and Seminars: We accept payment via PayPal from MasterCard and Visa credit/debit cards
as well as directly in the form of cash, checks and wire transfers.
Does Conduit Consulting offer financing?
We accept payment in the form of cash, checks and wire transfers. No financing is available.
Why shouldn’t I use a Do-It-Yourself approach?
There are several reasons why a Do-It-Yourself approach is not only inefficient, but also can be MORE detrimental than doing nothing. For example, your organization make take too long and spend too much developing a new product, hampering the product from being priced cost competitively. In fact, the company may never recoup its R&D investment. Similarly, inexperienced people often derail or reduce the perceived value of a merger, acquistion, joint venture and strategic alliance. Plus, a poorly managed transaction or business transformation initiative can cause substantial distraction and tremendous disruption to their organization’s day-to-day activities. These situations occur in most organizations as few companies employ an individual, let alone a team, on a full-time basis who has consistently swiftly and cost-efficiently planned and managed a variety of successful business start-up, growth and transformation initiatives.
Clients engage us to help achieve their goals. Our professionals have extensive, repeated experience successfully mapping the road ahead and guiding our clients toward reaching their goals. In addition to industry knowledge and business process/function expertise, our professionals have consulting skills. Our unique combination of capabilities enables us to determine (and, when necessary, design and develop) approaches and tools that are calibrated for a client-specific fit. Conduit Consulting’s professionals, approaches and tools enhance our clients capabilities; accelerate clients new products & services development and launch; and increase our clients likelihood for success as well as expedite their opportunity to increase brand awareness, improve customer satisfaction, expand marketshare, increase revenue, improve productivity, reduce employee turnover, increase profit and enhance enterprise value.
The amount and nature of advice and support needed varies from one company to the next. We limit our services to those the client actually needs. We will tell you if you do not need our services.
For more about this topic, go to Why Conduit Consulting?
Why aren’t client names and case studies published on this website?
We refrain from publishing client case studies for two reasons.
First and foremost, due to the strategic nature of Conduit Consulting's services, much of our work is highly confidential.
Second, each client situation is unique and most client engagements are complex; attempting to follow an approach published in
a case study without expert guidance skilled at customizing approaches to fit each context frequently leads to detrimental results
(i.e., demoralized and demotivated employees, delayed time-to-market, substantial operating disruption, wasted resources, unfruitful business investment and reduced enterprise value).
We caution you about case studies. Most are intended as marketing tools. Many facts, circumstances and steps are omitted. Your company’s similar problems exist in a different context -- different resources, different capabilities, different competitive environment, different suppliers and terms, and different customer relationships. To successfully apply an approach presented in a case study, you need to know how to adjust for these differences, select the appropriate elements, plus develop and implement a nuanced solution.
Don’t you deserve a team who makes its best efforts and delivers desireable results?
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