Eight Ninety Consulting loves to work with artists and small non profits. I find that some of them have never hired a consultant before for the services I provide. Perhaps it will be useful for me to sketch out the basic process. The kind of consulting I do is based on trust, and it can only help potential clients feel more comfortable if they know what to expect.
Initial Conversations
We start with the two things that will anchor the work we do together:
Your mission
The question or challenge you want to address
It takes a little bit of conversation for me to understand both of those, and that's important from the start because it will determine which techniques I will recommend and how much research is needed in the process.
I will also ask about:
What motivates you to work on this challenge
What outcome(s) you hope to achieve if we work together
This might include preferences about a timeline or expectations about a final product. Typically we talk about who would be Eight Ninety's main contact person, but also whether anyone else wants to review or approve phases of the work (for a more complicated project).
Proposal
Eight Ninety Consulting will put together a proposal outlining the nature and scope of the proposed project. I often include two or three options or "packages" for the project. Eight Ninety works on a project basis (not hourly) and the cost of each package will be clearly stated in the proposal.
Once you are ready to choose a package of services, the proposal document serves as the contract as well. You can indicate which option you are selecting (if applicable) and sign the proposal to become our contract. It is important our expectations of the project align so the proposal/contract will include any critical information about our collaboration.
Typically the contract lays out a phased timeline of activities and several moments when payments will be due. Projects tend to happen in phases, so we can include review or approval at several points in the process. For most projects, an initial payment will be expected for Eight Ninety to begin working. The payment timeline may also include payments at the end of each phase, rather than just one final payment. I like including these stopping points so we can review together and make sure the work is meeting your expectations.
Starting the Engagement
The services provided by Eight Ninety include phases where the focus is on research, phases where the focus is on analysis, and phases where the focus is on decision making.
Most projects start with research, and usually I depend on the organization or artist to provide documents or other information to get us started. For any of the work that needs participation or input from people in your organization, I will also recommend that we put meetings on the calendar as early as possible, both as a courtesy to your busy colleagues and to ensure the agreed-upon timeline.
The services I provide often include organizational change, and the most typical initial reaction to change is resistance. There will be moments when participants need some time to talk things through or time to work towards accepting change. Respecting that and giving people a little space will be planned into each project, and already built into the timeline.
Completing the Engagement
Unless you as client change the scope or the timeline, the project will finish as expected. Final reports or other deliverables will be shared and members of your organization may wish to discuss them. Most clients have a few clarifying questions.
The services provided by Eight Ninety Consulting usually involve looking at things in new ways, breaking down some previous assumptions, and perhaps making some changes to how your organization will do certain tasks in the future. I am an advocate for making positive change, so at least one future check-in is always included in the contract. I encourage every organization or artist to take advantage of that follow-up to support longer term changes or habits.
Sometimes at the end of a project, a client has a new question or challenge they wish to address. I am always happy to provide another proposal laying out additional work for us to collaborate on.
My goal is for clients to be completely satisfied with the services I have provided. In fact, I want you to be so happy with my work that you think of hiring me again in the future or recommend me to your colleagues in other organizations. With your permission I will follow up after some time has passed to ask for feedback about your experience with Eight Ninety Consulting.
© 2023 Eight Ninety Consulting, LLC
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