Book a conversation contact@birchrunconsulting.com
Salt Lake City, Utah · Remote nationwide

Strategy that Ships.

We help small business owners use AI and reporting to cut busywork and see what's actually working.

Book a 30-minute conversation How it works

No cost, no pitch. You will leave with two things you can do that week.

Nathan Giullian, founder of Birch Run Consulting
Nathan Giullian Founder, Birch Run Consulting
Works in
  • Power BI
  • Microsoft Fabric
  • ChatGPT
  • Claude
Healthcare · Insurance · Asset management · Medical devices · Professional services
Sound familiar?

Three things owners tell us on the first call.

  1. I'm the bottleneck. Everything routes through me.

  2. We tried AI for a few weeks and it fizzled out.

  3. I couldn't tell you which parts of the business actually make money.

What we do

Five ways we help.

Most engagements start with one person and one process. These are the shapes the work usually takes.

  1. Power BI consulting and training Data modeling, semantic models and report development in Power BI, with training built in so your team is confident and self-sufficient when we leave.
  2. Microsoft Fabric architecture and consulting Fabric workspaces, capacity and semantic models sized to your business, from someone who runs a Fabric user group and writes about the platform as it changes.
  3. AI enablement and team training A working session to find the three tasks AI should handle first in your business, then training so your people actually use ChatGPT and Claude instead of just being licensed for them.
  4. Know Your Numbers dashboards One clear dashboard that answers "how is business?" for a small business owner, without the spreadsheet wrestling. Built in Power BI, on the data you already have.
  5. Fractional data and analytics leadership Senior data judgment a few hours a week for businesses that are not ready for a full-time hire. Some clients keep us around after a project. Most do not need to.
How it works

Short, scoped, and only as long as it is useful.

  1. A conversation

    Thirty minutes, no cost. We figure out whether we are useful to you.

  2. A short engagement

    Usually two to four weeks. We agree on the scope and an estimated number of hours before anything starts.

  3. Only if you want it

    Some clients keep us around. Most do not need to.

Standard rate $200 an hour. Before any work starts we agree on an estimate and a not-to-exceed number, so you always know the ceiling.

Who we've worked with

In their words.

  • I am confident that with the support of Nathan, we successfully implemented this reporting and are seeing great results. I am thrilled to see it all come together.

    Sarah DellySarah DellyHealthcare

  • Nathan brings tremendous value to every stage of the data journey from modeling and validation to reporting and insight. His ability to structure scalable, reliable data and communicate complex data makes him an invaluable asset.

    Melissa RutledgeMelissa RutledgeMedical devices

  • Nathan stepped in during a critical stage, bringing data transformation expertise and know-how that helped the project successfully cross the finish line.

    Yina QiaoYina QiaoAsset management

  • His expertise with Power BI was invaluable. He not only provided top-tier technical guidance but also took the time to teach us the ins and outs of the tool so we could be confident and self-sufficient moving forward.

    Maeve McGreeneryMaeve McGreeneryAsset management
Who you'd be working with

Small by design. Nothing gets handed off.

Nathan Giullian founded Birch Run Consulting after a career spent helping people get real value out of technology they have already paid for, through a mix of tools, training and tenacity.

He runs Birch Run out of Salt Lake City and organizes the Salt Lake Valley Fabric and Microsoft Data Platforms User Group. Most of the work happens over video, and he is happy to meet in person around Salt Lake City.

More about Nathan and the work →
Recent writing

Notes on Power BI, Fabric and AI at work.

All posts →

Questions people ask

Am I too small for this?

Probably not. Most of our work starts with one person and one process. If you run a small business and one part of it eats too much of your time, that is usually the right place to begin.

What does it cost?

Our standard rate is $200 an hour. Before any work starts, we agree on an estimate and a not-to-exceed number, so you always know the ceiling. The first thirty-minute conversation is free.

Do I need to be technical?

No. That is the point. You bring what you know about your business. We handle the tools and explain them in plain language as we go.

You are in Salt Lake City. Does that work if I am not?

Yes. Most of the work happens over video, and we work with businesses nationwide. If you are near Salt Lake City, Nathan is happy to meet in person.

Do I need Microsoft Fabric, or is Power BI enough?

For many businesses, Power BI on its own is still more than enough to deliver the reporting they need, and it can save thousands of dollars a year in licensing compared with running Fabric capacity. Fabric earns its place when you have complex data movement, real-time needs or a lot of sources to bring together. We will give you a straight answer either way.

What does a typical engagement look like?

It starts with a thirty-minute conversation at no cost, where we figure out whether we are useful to you. Then a short engagement, usually two to four weeks, with the scope and an estimated number of hours agreed before anything starts. Some clients keep us around afterwards on a fractional basis. Most do not need to.

Which AI tools do you work with?

Mainly ChatGPT and Claude for day-to-day work like writing, strategy and improving workflows, and Microsoft Fabric and Power BI for reporting and data. The training is built around the tools your team already has access to.

Let's find out if we can help.

Thirty minutes. No cost, no pitch. You will leave with two things you can do that week.

Book a 30-minute conversation

Rather write first? contact@birchrunconsulting.com