Annual permits, liability insurance, certifications, accounting, booking software, your own pay. You probably know what each one costs. I help you turn the total into the number that matters: how many guests, at what price, it takes to come out ahead.
Now in beta: I’m inviting a small number of guiding and outfitting businesses to work with me at no cost while I refine my process. I want to see more outfitters build businesses that last, and this is where that starts. How the beta works
You know your terrain, your guests, and your guides in ways an outsider never could. But running a business on top of guiding is a lot to shoulder, and the numbers and bigger-picture questions are usually the first thing to get pushed to the off-season, and then past it.
That leaves the numbers with whatever time is left.
Your experience, plus a second set of eyes on the business behind it.
Plate IIA multi-day raft trip on the Lower Salmon River with students.
Every operation is different. Rafting, climbing, backpacking, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, and outdoor education and training each come with their own seasons, permits, guide ratios, and equipment costs.
The work starts with your business, not a template. Most engagements touch four areas:
Which trips, programs, and seasons earn their keep, and which ones quietly cost you once everything is counted.
"The half-day trips were paying for the full-day ones."
You'd walk away with: every trip and season ranked by what it really earns, and why.
Illustrative figures, not client results.
Illustrative: $150 per guest. Guides and gear cost $360 per trip plus $30 per guest. The trip's share of insurance, permits, and your own pay adds $240.
The group size, price, and bookings it takes to cover the trip and its share of everything behind it.
"Counting guides and gear, this trip breaks even at three guests. Add its share of insurance, permits, and your own pay, and it needs five."
You'd walk away with: the minimum group size and price for each trip, and the bookings it takes to cover the season.
Whether each price covers the trip’s full cost with something left for you, and how it compares with what similar trips charge, so you know where you have room.
"Your private trips are priced below what they cost to run."
You'd walk away with: each price checked against its true cost and the local market, with options for where to adjust.
Illustrative figures, not client results.
We choose a short list of measures that matter to you, with targets set from your own numbers. Depending on how we work together, that can include regular check-ins and a simple workbook built around how you already operate, so you can keep it up to date yourself.
"Inquiries are up, but fewer are booking."
You'd walk away with: the numbers to watch and the targets to aim for.
| Measure | Last season | This season | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inquiries that book | 32% | 28% | Follow up faster on new inquiries |
| Average group size | 4.1 | 4.8 | More trips clearing break-even |
| Revenue per departure | $690 | $760 | The pricing change is holding |
Illustrative figures, not client results.
I won't promise a result before I understand your business. Here's what the first few weeks of working together could look like for two common situations:
"We're booked solid, but I can't tell which trips are actually paying the bills."
What you'd have: a trip-by-trip view of your season and a short list of decisions to consider.
"Our costs keep going up, but I'm nervous about raising prices."
What you'd have: an honest read on where your pricing stands, so the decision is yours to make with the numbers in hand.
These are illustrations, not client stories. Every engagement starts with your business and your questions.
Answer a few quick questions about your current processes. You’ll see how five areas of your business line up and which one is worth looking at first.
We'll spend about an hour on your business: your trips, your season, and what’s keeping you up at night. Everything you share stays confidential, and if you’d like an NDA in place first, I’m happy to sign yours. Within a few days, I'll send you a one-page "What I heard" summary. I genuinely enjoy these conversations, and you’ll leave with something useful either way.
It's yours to keep, whether or not we work together.
Book a free conversationI keep my client list small on purpose, so every owner gets direct, personal support.
About an hour on your business, your goals, and what’s weighing on you.
A one-page summary with where I'd look first and a suggested next step.
If it makes sense, pick the level of support that fits. During the beta phase, it's free.
We go through your records, find what matters, and check in on the targets we set together.
Beta & Bearing is in its beta phase. I’m inviting a small number of guiding and outfitting businesses to work with me at no cost while I refine my process. You get real, hands-on consulting focused on your business. I get honest feedback on what helps most.
Send a short note through the contact form. I'll reply within two business days to set up a free conversation. Not sure where to start? Take a look.
The same consulting described on this page, scoped to your business and your questions, at no cost.
Honest feedback along the way, a short conversation at the end about what was most and least useful, and, if you’re comfortable with it, permission to share an anonymized example of what we found.
Small guiding and outfitting businesses that want a better handle on their numbers and are willing to share their records. Everything stays confidential, and I’m happy to sign an NDA.
Beta participants can work through any of these, depending on what fits. Which one fits me?
Standard pricing will be published after the beta, with reduced pricing for smaller businesses and a few scholarships each year.
I’ve spent 16 years in the outdoor industry, across military, private, education, nonprofit, and adaptive recreation programs. I’ve run operations, managed budgets, and built programs from the ground up, so I know what it takes to keep guides paid, gear safe, and trips running.
What I’ve enjoyed most in every one of those roles is teaching: helping a new guide find their footing, or walking a program lead through their first budget. I started Beta & Bearing because I love this industry and want to see the people in it succeed. That means I don’t just hand you a report. I walk you through where every number comes from, so you can keep using them long after we’re done.
Safety, guide ratios, and training aren't where we look for savings. We find the margin elsewhere.
Straight answers to what owners usually want to know before they reach out.
You get consulting at no cost, scoped to your business. In return, I ask for honest feedback along the way, a short wrap-up conversation, and if you’re comfortable with it, permission to share an anonymized example of what we found. Read more about the beta.
Tell me a little about your business, and I'll get back to you within two business days to set up a free conversation. You'll get your "What I heard" summary afterward.
Interested in the beta program? Check the box on the form, and I'll consider your business for free consulting during the beta.
Prefer email? hello@betaandbearing.com
The numbers tell a story. Let's check them out together.
