Consulting Services
for the Outdoor-Snow-Action Sports Industries
Matching Skills to the Unique Needs of the Industry
The Industry taught me a long time ago to
"sell what you know".
What I know are the Outdoor, Snow, and Action Sports Industries. Each one is different but they are similar in that they all have hardworking folks whose passions are their jobs and their jobs are their passions.
I know what it is like to be a shop kid on the floor.
I know what is like to be a buyer for a larger, national chain or a smaller regional chain.
I know what it means to be a Director of Sales at an Industry Leading Manufacturer, managing growth and navigating change.
And I know what it means to be behind the scenes in Operations wishing there was an "Easy Button" like in the Staples commercials.
This is what I know.
Couple 18+ years of experience in the industry with a background in Coaching and what do you have? One word might be a "consultant" but consultant has such a bad reputation...too many times our industry has brought "experts" from the outside in to help them with their businesses. But they are left with bitter taste in their mouths because these experts don't "get it".
I "get it". I get what it means to be overwhelmed, overworked, under staffed, struggling with overseas delays, no snow, angry customers, and no end in sight. So why does that make a difference? Because I have been in your shoes. I am able to see what you see and the hours of explanation to consultants trying to explain why the industry is the way it is are not necessary.
One of the problems with any form of professional service is when the consultants have a steep learning curve to understand and apply their consulting knowledge to a particular industry. Because consulting work and companies vary so greatly, consulting firms do a number of "One-Off" projects. In this scenario, the engagement tends to be often consumed with getting the consultant up to speed on the issues and peculiarity of an industry. Not the case working with my FromWithin Consulting.
What I know are the Outdoor, Snow, and Action Sports Industries. Each one is different but they are similar in that they all have hardworking folks whose passions are their jobs and their jobs are their passions.
I know what it is like to be a shop kid on the floor.
I know what is like to be a buyer for a larger, national chain or a smaller regional chain.
I know what it means to be a Director of Sales at an Industry Leading Manufacturer, managing growth and navigating change.
And I know what it means to be behind the scenes in Operations wishing there was an "Easy Button" like in the Staples commercials.
This is what I know.
Couple 18+ years of experience in the industry with a background in Coaching and what do you have? One word might be a "consultant" but consultant has such a bad reputation...too many times our industry has brought "experts" from the outside in to help them with their businesses. But they are left with bitter taste in their mouths because these experts don't "get it".
I "get it". I get what it means to be overwhelmed, overworked, under staffed, struggling with overseas delays, no snow, angry customers, and no end in sight. So why does that make a difference? Because I have been in your shoes. I am able to see what you see and the hours of explanation to consultants trying to explain why the industry is the way it is are not necessary.
One of the problems with any form of professional service is when the consultants have a steep learning curve to understand and apply their consulting knowledge to a particular industry. Because consulting work and companies vary so greatly, consulting firms do a number of "One-Off" projects. In this scenario, the engagement tends to be often consumed with getting the consultant up to speed on the issues and peculiarity of an industry. Not the case working with my FromWithin Consulting.
What Impact Could The Right Consultant Make In My Company?
Outdoor - Snow - Action Sports
Companies and Retailers have unique and often complex business issues.
Some of the heavier issues these companies deal with are:
I have lived and breathed these operating issues every day. I have an insider’s view of the issues. And am not scared to take them on with your success in mind.
FromWithin Consulting has designed a portfolio of service offerings that are intended to go to the root of the issues. The fact is that most outdoor manufacturing companies or retailers simply don’t have the budget for a monster consulting project. Likewise, most consulting firms don’t have the structure and overhead design to be able to deliver small projects and on-going consultations. As a boutique firm, FromWithin Consulting is happy to perform small projects and even brief consultations.
Manufacturers and retail owners share a common attribute, they want, desire and demonstrated track record of trying to solve their own problems. I often see the acronym “DIY” in our industry, meaning do-it-yourself. Yet many owners just don’t have sufficient capacity or more importantly, objectivity in diagnosing their own business issues let alone coming up with a game plan to fix them. The mark of any good consultant is to quickly but thoroughly diagnose the issues a company is facing and then assist the company in creating a long-term solution that can and will be implemented.
I have adapted most general service lines of consulting and specifically tapered them to fit your company and our industry. In my experience, we find that companies in these industries most often require consulting services in the areas of: Business, Strategic and Succession Planning; Buy/Sell & Valuations; Marketing & Sales Including E-Commerce; Risk Management; Business Expansion & Acquisitions; Financial Management; Business Start-Ups; Customer Service & Operations; and Personnel Planning and Development.
- Seasonality and all the operating pains that go with it including staffing, cash flow, on and off season capacity of owners to market
- Increasing and ever changing competition
- Lightning bolt changes in e-marketing, web based advertising and other aspects of the new age of finding customers and the sheer difficulty of staying abreast and keeping pace with the changes
- Complexity in dealing with purchasing the right amount, of the right products for delivery, at the right time. In both the manufacturing and retail sides of the business.
- Pricing competitively but profit oriented in saturated competitive markets
- Succession planning and/or exit strategy
- Attraction, retention and development of good people
I have lived and breathed these operating issues every day. I have an insider’s view of the issues. And am not scared to take them on with your success in mind.
FromWithin Consulting has designed a portfolio of service offerings that are intended to go to the root of the issues. The fact is that most outdoor manufacturing companies or retailers simply don’t have the budget for a monster consulting project. Likewise, most consulting firms don’t have the structure and overhead design to be able to deliver small projects and on-going consultations. As a boutique firm, FromWithin Consulting is happy to perform small projects and even brief consultations.
Manufacturers and retail owners share a common attribute, they want, desire and demonstrated track record of trying to solve their own problems. I often see the acronym “DIY” in our industry, meaning do-it-yourself. Yet many owners just don’t have sufficient capacity or more importantly, objectivity in diagnosing their own business issues let alone coming up with a game plan to fix them. The mark of any good consultant is to quickly but thoroughly diagnose the issues a company is facing and then assist the company in creating a long-term solution that can and will be implemented.
I have adapted most general service lines of consulting and specifically tapered them to fit your company and our industry. In my experience, we find that companies in these industries most often require consulting services in the areas of: Business, Strategic and Succession Planning; Buy/Sell & Valuations; Marketing & Sales Including E-Commerce; Risk Management; Business Expansion & Acquisitions; Financial Management; Business Start-Ups; Customer Service & Operations; and Personnel Planning and Development.
Amy Magyar // FromWithin Consulting // Amy@TakeAimFromWithin.com // 802.777.2696
