Business Consulting Services for Vermont Companies

Winter hits Stowe, and the restaurants fill up. Summer brings tourists to Burlington's waterfront. Fall paints the mountains with leaf peepers. Each Vermont business moves to its own beat. Managing these shifts takes planning, good numbers, and local experience.

A busy ski lodge means different things to the coffee shop next door than it does to the rental shop down the street. The maple farm plans differently than the summer camp. But money always needs watching, staff need training, and plans need adjusting.

We've sat with business owners through it all. The crowded seasons, the quiet months, the surprise snowstorms, and the early thaws. Some lessons you learn the hard way—we did. Now, we help others handle their tough spots. Every solution starts with a conversation between neighbors.

Business Consulting Services That Start With Experience

I'm Ed Read. Since 1994, I've owned and managed businesses in Vermont. Running companies teaches you things you can't learn from a book—like how to manage your cash when the ski season ends early, or how to keep good staff coming back each season. My business consulting services come from handling those exact situations, plus guiding companies through two recessions and yes, even a pandemic. Not because I had perfect answers, but because I knew where to look for solutions.

To help our local businesses succeed, I draw on experience from multiple different areas: 20+ years of running service and retail companies, teaching business classes at the Community College of Vermont, and past participation in various local government positions. When business owners need help with QuickBooks, staff training, or growth planning, they get practical advice based on what works in Vermont's business climate. My experience crosses over from private companies to non-profits to government work—each area adding useful perspective for entrepreneurs.

I'm still active on local community boards and get outside whenever I can. Vermont is home, and helping our businesses succeed makes our communities stronger.

Practical Experience.
Clear Solutions.

At Northbound Consulting, we give honest guidance and practical solutions that work. What makes us different is simple.

We've worked in private business, non-profits, and government. This mix of experience helps us understand how each sector operates and where they connect.

We work with Vermont businesses of all sizes that need help with financial management, growth strategy, or project execution. Our practical approach serves both new ventures and established companies looking to expand.

Having made plenty of business mistakes ourselves (and learned from each one), we help you skip the common pitfalls while building on what you do well. Sometimes knowing what not to do is just as valuable as knowing what to do.

The best measure of our work comes from the businesses we've helped. Here are some thoughts from Vermont entrepreneurs and business owners who've worked with us.