The advisory retainer is the least formal of the arrangements we offer, and in some ways the most useful. It is designed for organisations that have already done the hard diagnostic work and want a steady outside perspective available without commissioning a new engagement every time something comes up. Here is how it works in practice.
What the Hours Are Actually Used For ¶
The most common uses are: a thirty to forty-five minute call before a board meeting to talk through a specific agenda item; a read-through of a proposal, a board paper, or a job description with written comments returned within twenty-four hours; a short written response to a specific question; and occasional longer conversations when something significant is happening. The mix varies by client and by month. Some months are busy. Some months nothing much comes up and the hours are not fully used. That is fine.
What It Is Not ¶
The retainer is not a project. There is no deliverable, no formal scope, and no end-of-engagement report. It is also not a coaching relationship, a therapy session, or a sounding board for decisions that have already been made. We are most useful when the question is genuinely open and the client wants a frank outside view. We are less useful when the client wants reassurance that a decision they have already made is the right one.
How the Hours Are Structured ¶
We agree a fixed number of hours per month at the start of each quarter, typically between three and six. Hours do not roll over. At the end of each month, we send a short log of how the time was used. The arrangement runs on a rolling quarterly basis with one month's notice on either side. There is no minimum commitment beyond the first quarter.
When a Retainer Is More Useful Than a Formal Engagement ¶
A retainer tends to be more useful than a formal engagement when the organisation is in a period of relative stability and the need is for a periodic outside check rather than a deep diagnostic. It is also useful in the period immediately following a formal engagement, when the organisation is implementing findings and wants a way to test its thinking as it goes. Several of our current retainer clients came to us first through a formal engagement.
How to Start ¶
The best way to start is a conversation about what you are likely to use the retainer for. If the answer is vague, a retainer is probably not the right format yet. If you can describe two or three specific situations in the last six months where an outside perspective would have been useful, that is a good sign that the arrangement will earn its place.
The advisory retainer starts from £1,400 per month on a rolling quarterly basis. If you would like to discuss whether it is the right format for your situation, the best first step is a short note to hello@mindwavecorevault.com.