These are the questions we hear most often from owners who are close to a decision, usually within weeks of signing something. If yours isn't here, the first 30-minute consultation is free; call, text or email and ask it directly.
Frequently asked questions
What does a feasibility study cost?
Feasibility studies are scoped as projects within the group's published range of $3,500 to $25,000, plus GST/HST for your province (GST and QST in Quebec). Where your idea lands depends on how many locations or formats are in scope and whether a live demand test is included.
How long before I get an answer?
A single-idea study typically runs four to six weeks, and a validation test two to five weeks. If your decision date is tighter, tell us in the first message so we can scope to fit or say honestly that it can't be done well in time.
Can you promise my bank or a grant program will approve the plan?
No. Lenders and program administrators decide on their own criteria, and anyone promising approval is overstating what they control. We make the plan clear, consistent and sourced, which is what a careful reader looks for.
Is there a long-term contract?
There's no lock-in. Projects are paid by milestone, and any notice period for a retainer is written into your proposal before you agree to anything.
We paid a consultant before and got a thick report nobody used. How is this different?
Our report opens with the verdict on page one and the three or four deciding assumptions behind it. If an assumption has no evidence, the report says so. You should be able to make the decision from the first two pages.
Who owns the report, plan and spreadsheet?
You do, in full. You can share them with partners or lenders, edit them, or hand them to another adviser. Any ad or analytics accounts used for a test are set up in your business's name.
What if the study says no?
Then you've saved the money you would have committed. A no-go verdict names the assumption that failed and by how much, so you can judge whether a smaller or different version deserves another look.
Do you give legal, tax or accounting advice?
No. We're business and marketing consultants. We point out where a lawyer or CPA needs to be involved, such as incorporation, leases, contracts and tax treatment, and you engage them directly.
How will you report progress?
At each milestone you get a short written update: what we found, what changed, and what's next. For validation tests we report people reached, actions taken, cost per action and how that compares with the pass mark.
Do you meet clients in person?
Yes. Consultations are available in person or by video call, and by phone, text and email. The research itself relies on public data, competitor review and live buyer tests.
Can you help with the launch if the answer is go?
Yes, if you want it. Through the Sedighi.ca group we can support launch marketing on a retainer. You're under no obligation, and the study stands on its own.
What if I'm outside a big city?
Smaller markets often make feasibility more important, not less, because there are fewer buyers to spread fixed costs across. We work with owners in every province and territory.
Before you start
The most useful thing you can bring to a first conversation is a clear statement of the decision. "Should I open a second location in [Town] by [Month]?" is far easier to work with than "I want to grow."
It also helps to know what you'd lose if you're wrong: the lease length, the equipment cost, the inventory order. That number tells us how much testing is proportionate. A $15,000 decision justifies a few hours of review. A $250,000 decision, on the other hand, justifies a proper feasibility study and probably a live test.
About the work itself
People sometimes ask why we insist on pass marks set in advance. It's because hope is persuasive. Once results start arriving, almost any number can be described as promising. Writing down "we proceed only if we see at least X at a cost below Y" before the test protects you from that.
Others ask why we don't simply produce a market report. Reports describe markets. Owners need decisions. Every piece of work we do is shaped around the decision you're making, and the services overview explains which piece of work answers which kind of question.
About timing
Owners often contact us with a lease offer that expires in ten days. We'll tell you honestly what can and can't be learned in that window. Ten days is enough for a careful desk review of competitors, costs and a rough break-even, and sometimes that alone shows the idea doesn't work at the proposed rent. It isn't enough for a live demand test that produces a reliable signal.
If you're under time pressure, two questions help. Can the commitment be made smaller, such as a shorter initial lease term, a shared space or a pop-up first? And can the decision date be moved by asking the landlord or supplier for more time? Both are often easier than owners expect, and both buy you room to test.
About second opinions
Some owners come to us with a plan already written, by themselves or another adviser, and want to know whether to trust it. That's a sensible, inexpensive use of hourly consulting. We read the plan, rebuild the break-even from its own figures, and list the assumptions that have no evidence behind them. You get a short note rather than a new plan, and you decide whether anything needs deeper work. The financial projections page explains what a sound model should contain if you want to check yours first.
About money
Our rates are the group's published consulting rates, listed in full on the pricing page. Ad spend for any test is separate and runs through accounts in your name. GST/HST is added at your province's rate.
If you want to know how we're paid on any part of the work, or whether we have any connection with a supplier you're considering, ask, and the answer goes into your proposal in writing.
About what we can't do
We can't make a weak idea strong, approve your loan, or replace your lawyer and accountant, and we'd be wary of any adviser who suggested otherwise. What we can do is show you, with evidence, whether the idea holds up and how small a first step can be while still proving it.
If you'd like to try a first pass on your own before calling, and many owners sensibly do, the guides cover a full go/no-go checklist, break-even math and how to design a validation test.