Process
Four steps, and you can stop after any of them.
No retainer, no minimum term, no automatic renewal. Here's exactly what working together looks like, start to finish.
- 01
A free 15-minute call
You describe what is going on. I ask enough questions to understand whether the problem is the one you think it is — often it is adjacent to it.
By the end of the call you get a straight answer on whether I can help, roughly what it would involve, and roughly what it would cost. Sometimes the answer is that you do not need a consultant, and I will tell you that.
No preparation needed. No slide deck at the other end.
- 02
A written estimate
If it makes sense to continue, you get a short written scope: what I will do, what I will not, what I need from you, and an hour range with the assumptions behind it.
The range is honest rather than optimistic. If discovery could reasonably uncover something that changes the number, that is named up front as a specific risk instead of appearing later as a change order.
Nothing starts until you approve it in writing.
- 03
The work, with weekly updates
Every week you get a short written update: what moved, what is blocked and on whom, what is next, and hours logged against the estimate to date.
If the work is trending over the estimate, you hear it at the point I can see it coming — not on the invoice. You can stop the engagement at any time and settle for hours worked.
You always know the running total.
- 04
Documented handoff
Every engagement ends with artifacts: inventories, runbooks, network and system documentation, written policies, whatever the work produced. Plain formats you own outright.
We walk through it together so your team can actually use it. Nothing about the way I work is designed to make me hard to replace — the documentation is deliberately good enough that you could hand it to someone else tomorrow.
The goal is that you need me less, not more.
Ground rules
How I work, in four commitments.
These are not aspirations. They are the reason the advice is worth what you pay for it.
- I tell you when to spend less
- No reseller agreements, no vendor commissions, no referral fees. There is no version of this where recommending the expensive option pays me more.
- I work with your existing provider
- I am not trying to displace your MSP. Most engagements involve holding vendors — sometimes including them — to a scope and a schedule.
- I say no to work I am wrong for
- Day-to-day helpdesk, on-call coverage, custom software development. I will point you at someone better rather than stretch.
- Your data stays yours
- Access is scoped to what the work requires and revoked at the end. Credentials go through your password manager, never email. Happy to sign your NDA.
Common questions
What do you need from us to get started?
For the consult, nothing. For an estimate, usually a short conversation with whoever knows the current setup best, and read access to whatever systems are in scope. I will list exactly what I need in the scope document.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes, routinely, and before any detailed discussion if you prefer. Send yours over — I rarely have comments on a standard mutual NDA.
When are you available?
Evenings and weekends, Mountain time, with email answered within one business day. That tends to suit the work rather than constrain it — migrations and cutovers should happen outside business hours anyway, and most owners find it easier to talk once their own day has finished. If what you need is daytime incident response or someone on call, that is a managed service provider rather than me.
Can we stop partway through?
Yes. There is no minimum term and no cancellation clause. You settle for hours worked and you keep every artifact produced up to that point.
What happens after the project ends?
Nothing automatic — no rolling retainer starts. Plenty of clients come back for the next project, and some never need to. Both outcomes are fine.
Have a project you need to get right?
Book a free 15-minute call. No pitch, no jargon — just a straight read on whether I can help and what it would take.
Or email ryan@rmitcs.com