RMA Isn’t for Everyone - Businesses That Might Want to Look Elsewhere
This might sound strange coming from a consulting firm, but we’re not trying to win every job that comes our way. And we’re definitely not trying to be all things to all people.
We’ve been doing this long enough to know that the best results happen when the relationship is a good fit. That's just as true with your doctor, friends, accountant, significant other, or even... your consultant! When we aren't aligned, things just don't work, for either side.
So instead of pretending we can help everyone, we’d rather be honest about when we’re not the right partner. If that ends up being the case, we’ll tell you kindly and point you in a better direction. And if we are a fit? Great! Let’s get to work!
And if you're not sure where you land, let’s talk it through.
Table of Contents
The Top Reasons RMA Might Not Be Right for You
We don’t walk away from potential projects lightly. After all, people like you pay people like us, which in turns means we get to get paid every week. So why would we ever say no to someone?
Most of the time, if someone reaches out to us, it’s because they need help. And we love that. Helping businesses solve problems, get compliant with environmental regulation, and helping you feel confident that you're covered is what we’re here for.
But every now and then, we come across a situation where we know it’s just not going to be a good fit. And rather than force it, we’ve found it’s better to be honest about that upfront. Here are some of the signs that a project might not be right for us:
Companies Who Just Want the Lowest Bid
If cost is the only thing you’re thinking about, we’re probably not going to be the right fit. In fact, we get a lot of emails from people, usually boring black and white text based emails that give us a property address, and just want a quote. That's it. For some, that's fine. For others, they might be asking for the wrong thing, or might not be thinking about timeframes, or associated items. That's not to say people who do that are just shopping on price, but if you're reaching out and you JUST ask for a quote, chances are that's a big factor in your purchasing process.
It's probably the number one reason we turn people away, because we’ve seen how it plays out. A company chooses the cheapest option, gets a fix that doesn’t hold up over long term, and then ends up getting in trouble or spending more to fix it later. In instances like this, the cheapest option might not be the most bulletproof option out there - and that's what we aim for, not basement bargain pricing. We don't claim to be the cheapest option out there, we're not - and we don't want to be. We're also not the most expensive!
We're transparent about our pricing, because it reflects the time, care, and attention we put into doing things the right way. Let's be open about us and our company. We're a family run, smaller firm, and we all specialize in what we do. We don't have armies of interns, or outsource busy work to remote staff. When you hire us, you get experts. If price is the only factor that matters to you or you're looking to check a box as cheap as possible, that's totally fine - but you might be better off with a template-based provider or the local guy down the street.
Clients Who Are Unresponsive or Disorganized
We want our clients to succeed. But that only happens when we can work together smoothly. And sometimes, we can tell that it's going to be an uphill battle just from our first conversation.
If getting information is going to be like pulling teeth, or if emails and phone calls are regularly going to go unanswered, things tend to stall. Imagine if you tried to do your taxes by just hiring an accountant and then never giving them any information - they wouldn't be able to do your taxes! We understand that people are busy, but without your input, we can’t do our part. The clients we work best with are the ones who show up and help keep the wheels turning.
And look, we get that the only reason you'd hire us in the first place is to help you get organized. But you've got to meet us in the middle. We’re happy to guide the process, but we need our clients to show up, too. We can't do our job in a vacuum. And if we think we'll be navigating your issues without your help, we'll probably just tell you "No thanks".
Companies That Are Looking for Something We Don’t Offer (or Aren’t Experts In)
We know a lot... but we don’t know everything. And we’re not going to pretend we do. If you’re asking for a service that’s outside our wheelhouse, we’re going to be honest about that upfront.
Whether it’s complex engineering, air dispersion modeling, in-depth remediation, wetlands work, or something highly specialized, if it’s not something we’re knowledgeable in or confident doing at a high level, we’d rather refer you to someone who is. We’re not here to win every contract, we’re here to do great work where it makes sense.
You can dig through some of our most common services here on our website - check out our pages on environmental compliance, beyond compliance initiatives, environmental due diligence, and environmental training. If we can help, we’ll tell you. If we can’t, we’ll still try to point you in the right direction. That’s the kind of firm we are, and the kind of partner we’d want to work with ourselves.
Clients Who Want a Rush Job When We Just Don’t Have the Time
We totally get it, sometimes you’re under pressure. Maybe an inspector showed up unannounced, a permit deadline snuck up on you, or your client is demanding compliance documentation ASAP. We’ve helped clients in urgent situations before, and we’ll always do our best to accommodate real needs.
But if you’re looking for something next-day or need us to drop everything to handle your project on a moment’s notice, sometimes that's doable, but other times we might not be the right firm. This goes doubly for if you expect a "drop everything and help me" level of service for a "reasonable pace" level of service price! If we're pulling an all-nighter or clocking in on the weekends, then expect to pay for that urgency.
We don’t operate with a bench of junior staff waiting around. We’re a lean, senior-level team that is sometimes booked out, and we value quality over speed. If we can’t give your project the attention it needs, we won't "yes" you to death. We’re happy to talk about your timeline, and if it’s reasonable, we’ll make it work.
Clients Who Just Want to “Check the Box Off” (and Don't Plan to Follow Through)
If your only goal is to pass an inspection with the bare minimum and get a document on file, we may not be the best option. Yes, we do this day in, day out, for operations across the country, and for some, that's fine.
We’ve had people ask us to “just write something up” that they don’t plan to implement, or say "Isn't the wrong permit better than no permit at all?". That’s not how we work (or how it works with the government either). The programs we create are meant to be lived out. They protect your people, your business, and your bottom line. We’re not here to create paperwork that looks nice on a shelf.
Our reputation is built on real compliance. We don’t do smoke and mirrors. We want to get you squared away with whatever permit, plan, or approval you need so you can run your business successfully without worrying about this stuff. But, that often means you need to help yourself in the long run through common, often easy, compliance items.
If you don't overly care, or don't plan to follow through and implement what we create, we can still get you the plan, permit, approval, or whatever you need, but fair warning, that might set you on the right path long term.
Companies with No Buy-In from Leadership
If the folks at the top don’t support the compliance process, it’s going to be a struggle.
We’ve worked with clients where mid-level managers cared deeply about doing things right because their neck was on the line, but the executives and higher-ups either pushed back at every turn or just didn't care. Where's the ROI on that permit? You need to get trained on this document every year?! These kind of objections make all our lives harder.
Without top-down support, even the best efforts fall flat. We work best with companies where decision-makers are on board and willing to make changes that matter. If you want your company to stay in compliance, run a smooth operation, and stay out of trouble with these "pesky regulations", then you have to have some type of buy-in. Just like lack of follow-through, we can get you these plans, permits, or approvals you need, but if management blows this off, keeping you in compliance long-term can be tricky.
Clients That Frankly Just Don’t Need Us
Believe it or not, some people come to us looking for help, and after a quick conversation, we realize they don’t actually need it.
In some cases, the issue is simple, the requirements are minimal, or the problem is something you really can handle on your own or with your internal team. And that’s great! We’re not here to sell you services you don’t need!
If we think you’re better off doing it yourself, we’ll tell you. Want to write your own SPCC Plan? Here's the EPA's free SPCC template - go use it! We’ll give you a quick overview of what to do, point you to the right resources, and send you on your way. No sales pitch, no pressure. And as much as we'd like to say it's all out of the goodness of our hearts (which it partially is), it’s not just about being helpful, it’s about being efficient. We’ve got bigger fish to fry, and hiring us would be a waste of our time, and your money.
Clients Who Deny Obvious Problems and Don't Want to Change
Sometimes, the issues are clear. The tanks are leaking. The hazardous waste is stored incorrectly. The facility is a mess and your stormwater samples are horrible. Your communication with government agencies has landed you in hot water - we've seen it all! The client still insists, “we’re fine.” or "we'll get around to it." or "they have to give me that permit!" And if that's the vibe we get when we first meet you, we'll probably take a pass.
We're not here to shame anyone. Most of our clients come to us because something isn’t working. Or something is too time-consuming or hard to figure out - kind of like why we use an accountant!
If someone isn’t willing to acknowledge the elephant in the room and take some action, it’s impossible for us to do our job, and for you to move forward successfully. It's not about perfection, it's about progress. If you're not willing to recognize that something is wrong, that progress can't happen. Denial and lack of action just slows everything down and wastes everyone’s time.
Clients Without the Ability to Act
Maybe you're willing to recognize the problem, and you've got management's blessing to take care of it with the help of a consultant. But you're just stretched too thin to do your side of the work.
Again, we know that the reason businesses hire us in the first place is to take that work off their plate. And that's exactly what we do. But unless you're willing to pay for us to run every aspect of your environmental program (most aren't), you're still going to need to pull some weight. For instance, you can't rely on us to be on-call to drive out and collect a stormwater sample from your site when it rains.
We can help you build a system, but we can’t run it for you. If there’s no one in your business to handle the recordkeeping, conduct inspections, implement recommendations, or communicate internally, our work won’t stick. We’ll support you as much as we can, but someone on your team still needs to own the program.
Companies That Can't Move Without Legal Approval
We’re happy to collaborate with attorneys, and we often do. Legal teams can be a valuable part of ensuring compliance efforts align with broader business strategies. But when legal review becomes the gatekeeper for every word we write, things tend to grind to a halt.
We’ve seen projects where our work gets stuck in endless cycles of redlines and rewrites, not because anything is wrong, but because the focus has shifted away from solving environmental problems and toward limiting liability at all costs. When compliance takes a backseat to a legal chess match, the practical side of things often gets lost.
RMA is a technical firm. Our goal is to build programs that work in the real world: ones that pass inspections, reduce your risk, and protect your operations. If your compliance documents need to read like legal contracts or can’t move forward without weeks of legal back-and-forth, things can slow down, get complicated, and we might not be the best fit.
So Who Is RMA a Good Fit For?
Good question!
We want to work with businesses that have a need for our core services, are agreeable to our timelines, and understand that our pricing reflects high-quality work from an experienced firm.
That's it.
You know, I had to hire a roofer recently thanks to some very persistent racoons. I got a couple of quotes. The cheapest quote was written on a piece of paper, as in written by hand. The math didn't add up. The most expensive one was for someone who clearly only did commercial work and gave me a quote that was almost offensive. I ended up debating between two larger firms, that landed in the middle of the pack price wise, but their sales process and working with them to figure out my project was so easy and seamless, I was happy to spend a little more to really feel like my room would be done right.
The sweet spot was there in the middle, and that's where we think we fall. We're not the local yocal, we're not the glass and chrome skyscraper consultant who hasn't put on work boots in 25 years. We’re a great fit for companies that genuinely care about getting environmental compliance right, and are willing to put in the effort to do just that.
That doesn’t mean you need to have it all figured out. If you already had a perfect program or a full-time environmental team, you wouldn't need us. Most of our clients come to us because something’s broken, overdue, or unclear - and they want help fixing it. And we're here and happy to help with that.
We’ll meet you where you are, whether that’s catching up on basic requirements or rethinking your whole compliance strategy. But if you’re ready to build something better than the bare minimum - something that protects your business, actually gets used, and holds up when regulators come knocking - then you're the kind of client we love working with.
If that sounds like you, we think we'd be a great team. Click here to schedule a time to discuss leveling up your environmental program.
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