Why Hire A Business Consultant & How To Choose The Right One
Here’s Some Guidelines & Tips To Follow
There are many good reasons a business owner should consider hiring a consultant.
Typically, some of the key reasons are when they are struggling with achieving growth, higher profitability, or have outgrown their existing business systems and processes and are looking for someone to provide them with advice and solutions.
It is a cost-effective way to leverage specialized knowledge and bridge a gap of knowledge and skills that may be lacking within the company and/or to bring an unbiased, professional prospective to the business owner.
Terminology Matters
In today’s world, I have found that many business owners tend to use the term coach and consultant interchangeably and believe that they solve problems in exactly the same way.
However, coaching and consulting are related services that differ in significant ways.
The Difference Between Consulting And Coaching
Consulting:
Consulting requires that the consultant be an expert in their industry.
They provide advice, they assess situations, they propose solutions, they solve problems, sometimes very complex ones and they assist with the implementation of the solutions.
This can also include training and some coaching depending on the consultant.
Consultants generally work with businesses on a short term, typically 3 – 6 months basis, with the option to renew the contract as necessary.
However, in many cases the consultant’s role can also be one of a long-term trusted advisor.
I have clients that work with me for up to 6 months and then reach out from time to time for advice and then those whom I have multiple year relationships with as a key advisor for them in their business.
Coaching:
Coaches, however, do not need to have a specific knowledge or expertise in a specific area.
A coach’s objective is to get their client unstuck, and want to progress, elevate, and move forward though action. Coaching is a self-development tool.
Coaches help their clients identify personal challenges so that they can make the changes that they want to make. They often work with their clients on soft skills like communication and time management.
Coaching often lasts until the client achieves their goals. This is usually a long-term commitment with no specific end date.
So now that you the difference between the two, here are some guidelines for when to hire a consultant:
- When you want expert guidance, answers and solutions.
- When you need help with creating and implementing strategies, tools and systems
- When you have a problem or problems that you haven’t been able to solve on your own
- When you need someone who can work with you, individual team members or your entire leadership team.
- When you need someone experienced in business planning and strategy
- When you need an expert who has actually walked in your shoes and understands what you are facing.
So where do I fall into all of this.
Who am I?
Well, I’m a consultant first and foremost and a coach second.
- I’m an expert in my field will real business experience and education to back it up
- I’m a problem solver – I can quickly assess what is going on in a business and provide successful strategies and solutions.
- I’m a teacher and trainer – I help people implement the solutions into their business and provide training and materials to those who need it.
- I’m a coach – I help my clients explore the possibilities, coach them to decisions and provide unwavering support.
Of course, ultimately, the key to success is choosing the right consultant to work with.
Here are my 5 tips on what you should consider when you’re looking to hire a consultant to help you with your business:
- Choose a consultant who has both consulting and coaching skills
- Select someone who has actually been a small business owner and has real life experience to draw on.
- Look for someone who has a wide range of experience who can bring both proven approaches and outside the box thinking
- Make sure you connect. A consulting relationship is a close one. You need to be comfortable revealing the intimate details of your business, so make sure you are compatible.
- And finally, make sure they are going to challenge you and hold you accountable to do the work.
Coaching is about getting unstuck, taking action, living to your potential and managing your time
Consulting is about brainstorming and getting advice so that you can create a solid and profitable business and implement a powerful action plan.
Choosing the right person for the right reasons will lead to a productive and inspiring relationship and ensure you the best possible results.
Hopefully this helped answer Why Hire a Business Consultant.
