FAQs
A business consultant is a professional who provides expert advice and guidance to organizations to help them improve their performance and achieve their goals. Business consultants are typically hired on a short-term basis to work with clients on specific projects or initiatives.
Business consultants can provide various services, including strategic planning, process improvement, organizational restructuring, financial analysis, marketing and sales strategy development, and more. In addition, they work with clients to identify areas for improvement, develop and implement solutions, and measure results.
A business consultant can provide expertise, objectivity, focus, efficiency, problem-solving skills, and scalability planning, which can help with the growth and success of a business. For example, do you have a problem or opportunity you are trying to address? Do you have the internal expertise to perform the duties? Do you know how to start or bring the project to fruition? Do you have the capacity to deliver within the timeframe? If you answer no to any of the questions above, engaging a business consultant to assist your organization may be beneficial.
Most services are based on a flat daily rate of eight hrs. Projects are quoted based on work plan deliverables. Travel time is billed hourly, and expenses are charged at actual costs, with receipts shared during invoicing.
Consultants and coaches differ in their scope of work, approach, timeframe, expertise, and client relationship. Consultants typically provide expert advice and guidance on specific projects or initiatives, focusing on achieving specific outcomes within a set timeframe. They tend to take a more directive approach and offer specific solutions to their clients.
On the other hand, coaches tend to focus on personal and professional development, working with clients to help them identify their goals, develop their skills, and achieve their full potential. They take a more collaborative approach, allowing clients to identify their solutions and strategies. Coaching engagements may be ongoing, focusing on long-term growth and development.
Imagination Consulting offers a full range of services and support. Our team of experienced consultants is well-versed in the Canadian business landscape and offers expertise in organizational analysis, business strategy development, and operational improvements. For the complete list of offerings, please visit our Services Page.
We meet with all potential clients to understand their needs and project deliverables. This allows us to build a project proposal, process, and quote. This initial stage would constitute the free consultation process.
Our consulting team has 68 collective years of business experience and over 32 years of specialized consulting expertise. We work in multiple industries in the corporate and non-profit sectors and offer expertise in numerous fields, such as strategic development, organizational analysis, and corporate governance training.
To learn more about our experience, please visit our Expertise and Team pages.
This will depend on your specific goals and the nature of the engagement. However, some potential outcomes of working with us may include improved efficiency, increased revenue, greater competitive advantage, enhanced expertise, better decision-making, and improved operational alignments.
Depending on the project type, you may receive a quote or a complete Scope of Work. These may include any or all of the following: project scope, timelines, fees and payment structure, non-disclosure agreement, termination and indemnification clauses.
This is entirely dependent on the client’s requirements and needs. Strategic Planning services can be one to five days long, and a research project could be months long. During our initial consultation with the client, we will determine the unique needs of the request and provide a detailed work plan with related costs.
The scope of work is typically determined by the client or organization that has requested the consulting services. We work with the client to fully understand the project deliverables, make any needed adjustments, and agree to the final deliverables. This process will determine the work plan.
Hiring a consultant can help businesses improve performance and make necessary changes to succeed. Business consultants help companies overcome challenges, increase revenue, and grow their business.
Our business consulting solutions are designed to be flexible, targeted, and modular to solve countless challenges. We mix and match our organizational strategy, business process management, instructional design, and training to develop the perfect solution for your goals.
Because our success depends on your success, we stay very cost conscious. In fact, we eliminate travel as much as possible. We have worked hard to build a virtual and remote environment that makes this possible.
Depending on the goals of the project, some travel might be required. We will determine that together as we define the project plan and scope.
Typical travel expenses include mileage, hotel stay, meals, flights, car rental, taxi service, and printing. Mileage is calculated per kilometre, and the rate used is based on government rates. All other expenses are billed at the same costs that were incurred. Imagination always keeps the client in mind when determining appropriate expenditures to ensure they are economical and feasible. Expenses are invoiced at the time of agreed-upon billing periods.
Although we customize just about everything to your business needs and goals, the typical consulting project is started and organized in the following ways:
• Initial consultation meeting(s) to determine your goals and current business challenges.
• We will request access to the literature if a document review is needed.
• We’ll develop a proposal with a SOW (statement/scope of work), pricing, timelines and any options or recommendations.
• Once the project scope is agreed upon, we’ll establish you in our systems for effective project management. This will also include a regular communications plan and milestone reporting.
• We will then commence the agreed-upon work.
• Towards the end of the project, we’ll finalize the report and all project deliverables so the results are sustainable.
Finally, we will meet with you and your team to deliver the findings and walk you through the results.
UNDRIP stands for the “United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” It is a non-binding international instrument that outlines Indigenous peoples’ individual and collective rights and the standards for their treatment and interaction with states and other entities. The United Nations General Assembly adopted UNDRIP in 2007.
UNDRIP recognizes the rights of Indigenous peoples to self-determination, to maintain and strengthen their own cultures, traditions, and institutions, to protect their languages, to maintain and develop their lands, territories, and resources, and to participate fully in all matters that concern them. It also requires states to consult and cooperate with Indigenous peoples in good faith and obtain their informed consent before undertaking any activities affecting their lands or resources.
The UNDRIP Act is a Canadian federal law that was passed in 2021. It aims to ensure that the rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada are respected and protected. Some of the key provisions of the Act include:
• Affirming the application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as a framework for reconciliation.
• Requiring the federal government to work with Indigenous peoples to develop an action plan to achieve the objectives of the UNDRIP.
• The federal government must ensure that its laws are consistent with the UNDRIP.
• The federal government must report annually on its progress in implementing the UNDRIP.
• Recognizing Indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination, including the right to govern their own affairs.
• Affirming Indigenous peoples’ rights to their languages, cultures, and traditional lands and resources.
• Requiring the federal government to obtain the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before taking actions that could impact their rights.
TRC stands for “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” and was established in Canada to address the legacy of residential schools and advance the reconciliation process between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. The TRC was established because of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history.
The TRC’s mandate was to document the history and impacts of the residential school system, educate Canadians about this history and its ongoing effects, and support the reconciliation process by making recommendations for action.
The Calls to Action are a set of 94 recommendations issued by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in its final report in 2015. The Calls to Action aim to address the legacy of residential schools and advance the reconciliation process between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. They include recommendations for education, health, language and culture, justice, and other areas of concern. They have been widely recognized as an important tool for promoting greater understanding, recognition, and respect for Indigenous peoples and their cultures and for supporting the ongoing efforts of Indigenous peoples to assert their rights and achieve greater self-determination in Canada.
While the Calls to Action were directed primarily at governments and other institutions, they also have business implications. By embracing these recommendations, businesses can build more inclusive, equitable, and respectful workplaces and communities. Overall, the Calls to Action provide a framework for companies to take concrete actions to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada. In particular, Call to Action #92 is directed to businesses in Canada.
Business and Reconciliation: Call to Action #92
We call upon the corporate sector in Canada to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and to apply its principles, norms, and standards to corporate policy and core operational activities involving Indigenous peoples and their lands and resources. This would include, but not be limited to, the following:
• Commit to meaningful consultation, building respectful relationships, and obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before proceeding with economic development projects.
• Ensure that Aboriginal peoples have equitable access to jobs, training, and education opportunities in the corporate sector, and that Aboriginal communities gain long-term sustainable benefits from economic development projects.
• Provide education for management and staff on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.
Engagement can help to build trust and positive relationships with stakeholders, leading to a more positive reputation and greater support for the company’s activities. It can also help businesses better understand stakeholder needs and concerns, enabling them to make more informed decisions and develop more effective strategies. It can also help identify and manage risks or generate new ideas.
This requires a commitment to respectful and inclusive engagement, ongoing communication and dialogue, and a willingness to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into the project. By working collaboratively with Indigenous communities, businesses can build positive relationships and create sustainable economic development opportunities that respect Indigenous rights and values. For example, many nations have economic development departments or a nation’s own business that manages all economic development opportunities on behalf of the nation. And these would be the best access points for all economic development-related inquiries.
This depends on where you are working in Canada. Different regions of Canada have distinct regulations, so investigating your industry sector regulations or engaging with an expert in Indigenous consultation is an excellent first step.
The most effective approach to long-term stakeholder and Indigenous engagement is based on building relationships of trust, respect, and mutual understanding. Through effective consultation support and practices, a mutually beneficial approach can be determined at the outset of the relationship. The relationship will then require openness and transparency, cultural sensitivity, and a willingness to maintain the relationship, even after completing a project.
During our initial consultation with the client, we conduct interviews to identify the project’s purpose and goals and understand the issue or need it aims to address. Based on this information, we recommend stakeholder groups and provide specific contacts to engage in the research project.
We work with our clients to ensure that all their needs are met, including budgetary constraints. We respect our client’s capacity limitations and our time and expertise.
