Looking for experiences with consultants

[Modernist]

Hi guys,

I've been gone for a while, but I'm back! Setbacks aside, we've now secured a location (finally, after a couple of aborted attempts) in lovely Portland, Oregon. Things are moving along.

I wanted to ask about your experiences with startup consultants. Who have you worked with? How did it go? There are a couple of threads that are a year old, so I'm posting a new one.

As a side question, I've spoken to two different guys, and both wanted a percentage of the business. Neither me not my partner are interested in giving this up, we're looking for a straight fee. Is this a common requirement? I was surprised at both.

Thanks for your help, as always.

[Blackheart]

Call Sherman Owen. He's on this board. Simple, quick, and will get your process off to a jump start.

[mcsology]

You can also give Ryan Hembree of Skip Rock Distillers a shout. He's based in the Seattle area and has been doing a good bit of consulting lately. Pretty sure he's fee based.

[TimeandTask]

Check Whiskey Systems Online for the New Business Development, Distillery Start Up Software module. It's an aggregate of all my experiences helping start-up distilleries across the country. I also include hours of consulting time with the package.

[MG Thermal Consulting]

I do know another guy, does both brewing and distilling consulting, especially if you're in the NE US, he's out of downstate NY and has just finished up with a distillery up on the Hudson. Real close to NJ, NY and PA outfits looking for help. He works straight hourly cost.

Of course, W.R. performs the function you speak of and I deal with their clients often.