Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long has F&A been in business?
A: F&A was formed in 2011
Q: How much does it cost to hire a consultant with F&A?
A: Our rates vary based on the project and the length of the project
Q: Can a consultant or specialist provide services to our company even though we're not in the United States?
A: Yes; our consultant can either visit your work site or work virtually; if you desire that we visit your work site then you will have to cover our travel and lodging costs (in addition to our project rate).
We have the right to refuse travel to countries in conflict areas, or during times of pandemic, epidemic, natural catastrophe, etc.
Q: Do your consultants and specialists work on-site at my company or off-site at yours?
A: Great question. Thank you for asking. Our team members can either work on your site or off-site; it really depends on the type of project that we're working on. We can discuss these options in greater detail during our initial consultation.
Q: Do you offer virtual business support services?
A: No. As of December 2020, we no longer offer virtual or on-site business support services
Q: Does F&A charge hourly or flat-rate?
A: We charge based on the type and length of project; some services can be billed hourly or at a flat-rate
Q: Does F&A work on retainer?
A: Yes, some projects allow for us to work on retainer.
Q: What forms of payment does F&A accept?
A: We accept checks, cashier's checks, and all major credit cards. We also accept payments through Square and PayPal.
Q: Can we pay our invoice online?
A: Yes you can. We provide our clients with an online payment portal.
Q: How many team members does F&A have?
A: Currently we have four members on our team. We are excited about expanding our team.
Q: Where do I go on the F&A website to have a representative from your company contact me?
A: Please complete our Contact Form
Q: Does F&A offer services in areas not listed on your website?
A: It depends; please contact us to find out about other services that we may offer. Complete our Contact Form
Q: I'm interested in your company's services, how can we get started?
A: Great news! Please visit the Initial Consultation page.
Q: I would like to work for F&A as a consultant, professional development specialist, or intern, what are my next steps?
A: We're happy to hear this! Please go to "Join Us" under the "More" drop-down menu and see what positions that we currently have to offer. Then, if we have a position available that you're interested in you will be directed as to next steps.
Q: Do any of your team members speak, write, or read languages other than English?
A: Currently, none of our team members are fluent in other languages; one of our team members is proficient in Spanish.
Q: What if I want training or coaching, but my employer isn't interested in hiring F&A to train or coach the rest of the employees, can I still hire you for myself?
A: That is a great question. Yes, we can provide you with individual training or coaching services. It is not a requirement that your employer contract with us. Please visit the Initial Consultation page.
Q: How can I receive a consultation?
A: You can complete the steps found on our Initial Consultation page, and then upon review, one of our team members will contact you to confirm the information that you provided in your Consultation Intake Form, and ask any clarifying questions before scheduling a time to speak with one of our consultants.
Q: Is the initial consultation free or do I have to pay?
A: It is free.
Q: Why is the initial consultation free?
A: We need to get to know you and see if our company and the services that we provide are a good fit for you, and to ensure that you're a good fit for us. If our personalities and/or values clash then we can go our separate ways without delay.
It's like meeting for tea, coffee, or a meal for a first date, and we both choose to "go Dutch". But we're only going Dutch on the first date, after that, the server will be handing you the bill 🙂.
Q: What is the purpose of the initial consultation?
A: Hiring a consultant, mentor, coach, or trainer is a big decision. Or it should be. As we mentioned in our response above, our initial consultation gives you and our team a chance to get to know each other, and decide whether or not it will be a good fit to work together.
Some people aren't 100 percent sure as to what consultants, mentors, coaches, and trainers do, why, and how. That means that there is a high probability that you don't even know if you need consulting, mentoring, coaching, or training. Through the Intake Form, inquiry from our intake team, and the initial consultation, you and our team should be on the same "page" by the time our consultation ends.
Q: How long is the initial consultation?
A: 30 minutes; if you choose to extend this time you will need to pay our consultant's hourly rate.
Q: What will we discuss in the initial consultation?
A: We will discuss your current issues/problems, what you want help with, what current or previous interventions you have utilized to solve this problem, and if our team thinks that we can assist you.
We will also try to rule out any conflicts of interest, as we have an ethical obligation to not contract with a person or client where a conflict of interest may be present.
We will discuss the products and services that we offer that could be solutions for you. We may even recommend other companies and service providers to you that we believe would be a better fit, or because they offer services that we don't provide.
We will also discuss your budget and options for hiring our team.
Before our meeting you will receive an email with an agenda so that you will see our discussion points.
Q: Is the consultation confidential?
A: Yes. We are not a law firm, but we do adhere to rules of professional ethics, and we keep information shared in our initial consultations confidential, just as we would if you were a client.
Q: Is the consultation in person or over the phone?
A: Our first consultation is usually by phone although there may be times when we opt for a video call using a service like Zoom. Phone appointments are faster and easier to schedule than video and in-person consultations.
Q: How do I know if my company needs consulting or professional development services?
A: If you feel like you're "in over your head" then you need help.
If you have exhausted your online searches and now you're stuck wondering what to do next, then you need help. The fact that you came to our site and you're reading this, you probably need some professional help.
Only through an initial consultation will you reach the conclusion if that help is through consulting, professional development services, or another intervention.
Q: Do I need to do anything to prepare for the initial consultation?
A: Yes. We will email you a list of things to do and information to gather before our call. But for purposes of this FAQ, we want you to prepare to explain to us as clearly and succinctly as you can your circumstances, and have any business documents or records that you have to share with us.
We will give you the opportunity to share any work product, documents, and records in advance of our meeting, so that the consultant has it and is prepared to review it with you; saving you time having to email it during our time.
Remember, we only have 30 minutes, so we're trying to ensure there is little lag time during our call.
Q: Will I be expected to hire your firm during the initial consultation?
A: No. You will have the choice to request a proposal from us, if applicable, and within a few days (after our meeting) you will receive a proposal from us. You also have the choice to decline our products and services.
If you request a proposal from us during (or even after) our initial consultation, based on that proposal and the rate(s) that we outline in said proposal, you will be able to accept or reject the proposal.
If you accept the proposal then you're agreeing to contract with us, and you will execute whatever payment due to us at the agreed upon time.
If you reject the proposal, and it's because you don't think we make for a good fit, then we go our separate ways. If you reject the proposal but with conditions, requesting a revised proposal, then we walk through that process again, until we either join forces and work together, or go our separate ways. There are some restrictions with the proposal revision process. We provide the terms and conditions to you during our consultation, to save us both time and energy.
Q: How many people can join me in the initial consultation?
A: We recommend that no more than one other person joins you on the call. If you require more than one other person, we ask that their phones be muted until and unless they are called upon to ask or answer questions. Taking into consideration the time constraints, you might want to limit the number of attendees and simply report back to the other members after our meeting.
Please also note, if your guests are not your business partners, co-workers, or your employees, confidentiality will have some perceived limits, not as it relates to our firm, but be mindful that what you share must be held in confidence by those other persons.
Foreman & Associates cannot and will not be held liable for information shared by other meeting attendees. If they share with others what was discussed in our meeting, that is an issue that you will have to address directly with them. We will of course have you sign a statement of understanding addressing this matter before our meeting begins.
Q: What if I/we can't afford your products and services?
A: You have two options:
- Seek out products and services from other companies who are more affordable, and/or
- Learn and apply what we share in our free business podcast, through our blog(s), and social media posts. And when applicable, through any webinars, trainings, and/or courses that we may offer for free.
Q: What if I/we just want to "pick your brain" for information, but not actually hire you?
A: We don't engage repeatedly with people who aren't our clients, so after our initial call, all follow-up information-based calls are billed at our hourly rate. If you want free information from us then we recommend that you learn and apply what we share in our free business podcast, through our blog(s), and social media posts. And when applicable, through any webinars, trainings, and/or courses that we may offer for free.