A Feasibility Study for Establishing a Sustainability Consulting Firm

This study examines the feasibility of Mathieu Sustainability Consulting (MSC) entering the sustainability consulting industry and targeting the Canadian junior mineral exploration sector. The target market is attractive due to: (1) expanding domestic and foreign exploration investment; (2) increasing regulatory and societal pressures to integrate sustainability into exploration activities; and (3) the tendency of exploration companies to limit their size and retain specialized services on an as-needed basis. The sustainability consulting industry is attractive to enter as a non-employing sole proprietorship because: (1) there are few barriers to entry; (2) firms of varying sizes are able to coexist by adopting niche strategies; and (3) average industry profitability is projected to continue growing in the near-term. As an experienced sustainability practitioner in the international mining arena, the founder of MSC possesses unique and path dependent capabilities. These potential sources of competitive advantage will enable the founder to create and capture more value relative to rivals that do not possess these resources, resulting in increased willingness to pay for MSC’s sustainability consulting services within the target market. Business risks are predominantly related to MSC’s dependence on the cyclical and volatile junior mineral exploration sector.