Business Consultants, Inc.

What Business Consultants, Inc. does

Business Consultants, Inc. (BCon) is a Tokyo-headquartered organizational and talent development firm founded in 1964, operating as a privately-held corporation with 52 employees and wholly-owned subsidiaries across six Asia-Pacific markets (Japan, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Indonesia). The company builds and licenses a portfolio of proprietary methodologies including Life Orientations (LIFO®), The Human Element (THE®), Innovative Thinking System (ITS™), Accountability Circles Training (ACT), and Bushido Leadership, complemented by diagnostic assessment tools such as the Organization Efficiency Survey and Innovation Drivers Survey. Its underlying technology centers on scientifically validated psychometric instruments combined with multimodal experiential learning frameworks, with each major methodology protected by registered trademarks and served via dedicated branded subdomains.

BCon monetizes through a structured three-tier licensing ecosystem — Licensed Practitioners (individual trainers), Corporate Internal Licensees (organizations delivering internally), and Corporate Licensees (professional service firms offering branded programs globally) — with mandatory certification gating all tiers. Revenue streams include one-time certification workshop fees (offered in-person, virtual blended, and online), recurring annual licensing fees, survey and assessment administration services, sale of printed training materials, and direct corporate consulting engagements. Customer base spans healthcare, energy, consumer goods, government, and technology enterprises (Memorial Sloan Kettering, P&G, Shell Oil, UK Civil Service, among others), distributed globally through the licensed practitioner network and regional offices.

Go-to-market combines event-driven demand generation via public workshops and certification programs with a channel-partner model where certified practitioners deliver BCon methodologies to their own clients. The company maintains active social media presence across LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X, supported by a resource library and searchable practitioner directories. No funding rounds, M&A activity, or disclosed financial metrics are present in the source data, and the company shows no evidence of proprietary AI/ML capabilities — its differentiators are 60+ years of accumulated IP, registered trademarks, and a gated certification/licensing ecosystem.

Name

Business Consultants, Inc.

Legal name

Business Consultants, Inc.

Website

https://bconglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Business Consultants, Inc. (BCon), founded in 1964 in Tokyo, is an organizational and talent development firm that develops, certifies, and licenses proprietary methodologies (LIFO®, THE®, ITS™, ACT, Bushido Leadership) and assessment tools to enterprises, certified practitioners, and professional service firms across Asia-Pacific and globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organizational Development Consulting

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Learning, Training & Corporate Education Consulting (BPAHAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate & Leadership Development (BPACANAA), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC), Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

Keywords

• Organizational development consulting
• Talent development services
• Behavioral assessment tools
• Leadership development training
• Psychometric assessment instruments

Headquarters

HQ city

Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Certification Workshop Fees: Fees charged for attending certification workshops that are required for all practitioner license types. Workshops are offered in-person, virtual blended, and online formats.
2. Licensing Fees: Ongoing licensing fees for Licensed Practitioners, Corporate Internal Licensees, and Corporate Licensees to use proprietary methodologies and brand assets.
3. Training Materials and Products: Sale of printed training materials, workbooks, and assessment instruments. Custom printing available with separate agreements.
4. Survey and Assessment Services: Fees for survey administration, statistical analysis of responses, and generation of individual/organizational reports.
5. Event and Workshop Fees: Fees for public workshops, webinars, seminars, and practitioner events covering various methodologies.
6. Corporate Consulting Services: In-house consultation and workshop services delivered by certified practitioners for organizational transformation projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Business Consultants, Inc. (BCon) develops and licenses proprietary organizational development and talent development methodologies, including Life Orientations (LIFO)®, The Human Element (THE)®, Innovative Thinking System (ITS)™, Accountability Circles Training (ACT), and Bushido Leadership. The company generates revenue through certification workshops, ongoing licensing fees paid by Licensed Practitioners and Corporate Licensees, corporate consulting engagements, sale of assessment instruments and printed training materials, and survey-based diagnostic services, delivered through a combination of regional offices, a global practitioner network, and digital/online channels.

Product overview

Business Consultants, Inc. (BCon) is an innovation producer offering a portfolio of organizational development and talent development solutions. The core product suite consists of four main proprietary methodologies: Life Orientations (LIFO)® for personality and behavioral assessment, The Human Element (THE)® for organizational transformation, Innovative Thinking System (ITS)™ for innovation capability development, and Bushido Leadership for ethical leadership training. Additionally, Accountability Circles Training (ACT) provides accountability development. BCon also offers assessment tools including the Organization Efficiency Survey and Innovation Drivers Survey. The company operates through a licensing model with three practitioner/licensee tiers: Licensed Practitioners (individual trainers), Corporate Internal Licensees (organizations for internal use), and Corporate Licensees (professional service firms). Programs are delivered through public workshops, in-house consultations, certification programs, and online/virtual blended formats. BCon has been operating since 1964.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Life Orientations (LIFO): A proprietary assessment and development methodology focusing on understanding individual behavioral styles and improving interpersonal effectiveness.
• The Human Element (THE)
• Innovative Thinking System (ITS)
• Accountability Circles Training (ACT)
• Bushido Leadership

Products and services

• Life Orientations (LIFO)® A personality and behavioral assessment tool that helps individuals and organizations understand personal strengths, weaknesses, and interpersonal styles to improve workplace effectiveness and team dynamics.
• The Human Element (THE)® An organizational development program focused on maximizing individual, team, and organizational potential through increasing self-awareness, improving interpersonal communication, and building trust-based collaborative cultures.
• Innovative Thinking System (ITS)™ A methodology and training program designed to help organizations cultivate innovation capabilities, improve idea generation, and implement creative problem-solving through structured frameworks based on diffusion of innovation theory.
• Bushido Leadership A leadership development program incorporating Japanese Bushido principles to build ethical, principled leadership practices within organizations.
• Accountability Circles Training (ACT) A training program focused on building personal accountability and ownership within teams and organizations through structured circle-based learning and peer support methodologies.
• Organization Efficiency Survey A diagnostic survey instrument designed to measure and analyze organizational efficiency, identifying areas for improvement in workplace processes and performance.
• Innovation Drivers Survey A diagnostic tool that assesses the key factors driving innovation within an organization, helping identify strengths and gaps in innovation culture and capabilities.
• ITS for Student (ITSS) A specialized version of the Innovative Thinking System designed for student populations, adapted to help students develop creative thinking and innovation skills.
• Licensed Human Element Practitioner (LHEP™) Program A practitioner certification program for The Human Element methodology that qualifies individuals to deliver THE workshops, coaching, and consultation services.
• Licensed Practitioner Program Annual licensing offering for individual trainers who wish to use BCon Programs to deliver in-house workshops, coaching and consultation services for their own clients.
• Corporate Internal Licensee Program Annual licensing offering for organizations that wish to use BCon Programs to deliver workshops, coaching and consultation services internally only within their own organization.
• Corporate Licensee Program Annual licensing offering for professional service firms who offer training, consulting and coaching services and wish to use BCon Programs to enhance their offerings and deliver branded programs globally.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Human Element program helps organizations transform cultures where employees feel safe, are open, question, take risks, and are more collaborative and accountable.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Business Consultants South East Asia Co., Ltd.coreOthersSubsidiary company operating in Thailand, located at The Millennia Tower, Bangkok. Part of the BCon global network serving Southeast Asian markets.
• Business Consultants (Shanghai), Inc.coreOthersSubsidiary company operating in Shanghai, China. Part of the BCon regional network for China operations.
• Business Consultants Vietnam Co., Ltd.coreOthersSubsidiary company with offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Part of the BCon regional network serving the Vietnamese market.
• Business Consultants (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.coreOthersSubsidiary company located at Marina Bay Financial Centre, Singapore. Regional hub for Singapore and broader Southeast Asian operations.
• PT Business Consultants IndonesiacoreOthersSubsidiary company operating in Jakarta, Indonesia. Part of the BCon network serving the Indonesian market.
• Licensed Practitioners (Global Network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal network of certified individual trainers who deliver BCon methodologies (LIFO, THE, ITS, ACT, Bushido Leadership) to their own clients through workshops, coaching, and consulting services.
• Corporate Internal LicenseesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganizations that license BCon methodologies for internal delivery of training and development programs within their own workforce.
• Corporate Licensees (Professional Service Firms)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfessional service firms that license BCon programs to offer branded services to clients globally, partnering with BCon to deliver its methodologies worldwide.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wilson Learning: Sales, leadership, and organizational development training company with global licensee/practitioner network distributing proprietary methodologies. Highly comparable to BCon in business model (licensed practitioners, recurring certification, behavioral frameworks) and in APAC presence.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Nonprofit leadership research and education provider offering executive development, assessments, and customized programs. Comparable because it operates in the leadership/OD training market with proprietary assessment instruments and serves enterprise clients globally.
• Insights Group (Insights Discovery): Provider of the Insights Discovery psychometric assessment with a global network of licensed practitioners delivering workshops and coaching. Closely mirrors BCon's LIFO methodology in offering, distribution (practitioner licensing), and target buyer (HR/L&D and OD practitioners).
• Development Dimensions International (DDI): Global leadership development firm offering behavioral assessments, leadership programs, and certification to HR/OD professionals. Direct overlap with BCon's LIFO/THE/LHEP programs in psychometric-based leadership and organizational development delivered through certified practitioners.
• BTS Group AB: Strategy execution and leadership development consulting firm offering simulations, assessments, and customized learning interventions. Comparable in OD/leadership methodology licensing and enterprise consulting, with stronger digital/simulation delivery.
• The Ken Blanchard Companies: Leadership and management training firm built on proprietary methodologies (e.g., Situational Leadership) delivered through a global network of certified trainers and licensees. Directly comparable in IP-driven OD training, certification gating, and licensing revenue model.
• Hogan Assessments: Personality assessment provider whose instruments (Hogan Personality Inventory, HDS, MVPI) are widely licensed to coaches, consultants, and organizations — directly analogous to LIFO. Comparable in psychometric IP, licensing-driven revenue model, and practitioner/consultant distribution.
• Talent Plus, Inc. Research-based talent assessment and selection firm licensing its interviewing and assessment process to certified professionals. Directly comparable to BCon's behavioral assessment licensing model (LIFO) and practitioner-led delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering talent development, leadership programs, and assessments (including acquired IP such as Hay Group, Korn Ferry Assessment of Leadership Potential). Comparable in enterprise OD/leadership advisory work, but operates at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• FranklinCovey: Global leadership and organizational performance company (e.g., 7 Habits) selling enterprise training, coaching, and assessments. Comparable because it operates a certified-practitioner/channel-license model around proprietary methodologies serving enterprise buyers, similar to BCon's three-tier licensing ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lorientations
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwVYjnSvxb3OCvK6nAXb-gw
• Facebookfacebook.com/BConGlobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/business-consultants-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifeorientations

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Business Consultants, Inc.