- Project planning, scoping and realistic estimates
- Vendor, platform and licensing decisions without a sales agenda
- Assessments of an environment's current state, risks and priorities
- Hands-on troubleshooting when something broke and nobody knows why
- A technical voice in the room with vendors, auditors and leadership
- Retained hours for ongoing questions, reviews and escalations
When general consulting is the right fit
Not every problem arrives labelled “data migration” or “Citrix”. Often it’s a decision that needs making, a project that needs a plan, or an environment that has grown past the point where anyone on staff can see all of it. That’s what this engagement is for: you bring the question, and I bring more than fifteen years of having seen how these things usually go.
What it usually looks like
Planning and scoping. Turning “we need to replace the file server” or “we’re thinking about the cloud” into a plan with phases, costs, risks and a realistic timeline — before anyone signs a contract.
Decisions. Comparing vendors, platforms and licensing options on their merits. I don’t resell anything, so the recommendation is the one that fits, including “keep what you have”.
Assessments. A structured look at an environment as it is today: what’s there, what’s fragile, what’s undocumented, and what to fix first. You get a written report ranked by risk and effort, not a list of everything that could be better.
Troubleshooting. When something has been broken or slow for weeks and the usual fixes haven’t worked, a fresh pair of experienced eyes often finds it quickly.
A technical voice. Sitting in on vendor calls, reviewing a statement of work, or explaining a technical risk to leadership in plain terms.
How it’s structured
General consulting is usually either a short fixed-scope piece — an assessment or a plan with a written deliverable — or a block of retained hours you draw on as questions come up. If the work turns out to be one of the specific services (a migration, a conversion, a virtual desktop build), the consulting becomes the plan for it.
Common questions
What does general IT consulting cost?
Assessments and plans are usually quoted at a fixed price once the scope is clear. Ongoing advice is a monthly block of hours. The first conversation, where we work out which fits, costs nothing.
Do you replace our IT staff or MSP?
No — I work alongside them. General consulting is for the questions and projects that sit above day-to-day support: planning, decisions, and problems that need someone with time to dig in.
Can you help if we don't know exactly what we need?
That's the most common starting point. A short conversation about what's going wrong or what you're trying to achieve is usually enough to turn it into something concrete.
Do you work on site?
Yes, across the Kansas City metro. Everywhere else the work is remote, with travel when a project genuinely calls for it.