A significant part of our role as consultants, in addition to specific projects, is to serve as a resource to the owners and management of clients. Our experience as owners and managers of companies often separates us from the many advisors that learned from a book – we have sat on management’s side of the desk, have dealt with banks and creditors, have guaranteed loans and commitments, have terminated long term employees and performed many of tasks involved in “being in the trenches”. Our clients understand we tell them what we think, not what they want to hear. They rely on us to discuss issues – in many companies we are the only people with which the owner can discuss sensitive issues, evaluate personnel, determine growth strategies, review acquisition opportunities, etc.