It’s commonly accepted that consultants can provide a growing company a capability that helps
that organization achieve the next level of growth. Often, the consultant provides help with an
acute problem, such as the design and implementation of a new process, or developing a market
strategy and a product launch. Ideally, the consultant provides access to a variety of expertise
to solve an immediate problem or enable a company to take the next step in its growth.
What differentiates Imprimis from a typical consulting company is that we only provide our services
for domains and markets in which we have expertise. While some companies may provide expertise in
a general domain, such as accounting, we find our advice to be much more useful when it tempered
by the realities of the environment. It is essential to understand the environment in order to
provide sound counsel to decision makers on the variety of issues associated with a growing small
company. Without this contextual understanding, one should just choose a management textbook or
visit the self-help aisle in the local bookstore.
For example, it is commonplace to see that management consultants encourage the small business to have a vision
and strategy, the accounting consultants warn of impending “gloom and doom” unless you upgrade your accounting
system, and human resources consultants consider policy and procedures to be vital. None of these recommendations
are without merit, and all mid-size successful companies have addressed these concerns. However, there is a
question of timing. All of these efforts take resources and distract from the immediate requirement of getting
customers and providing products and services. Only a consulting firm who understands the intersection of customers,
marketing, product development, and operations can provide sound advice on these essential decisions.