To succeed a setting up and running a small business, entrepreneurs need vision, tenacity, people skills and great organizational ability, but they can't be a subject matter expert in every area of business. So another important leadership quality is knowing when to call upon small-business consultants to inform important strategic decisions. Getting the right consultant, though, is another skill all of its own and it's vital that business owners have a rigorous process to identify the best consultant for a particular project.
The first task for a business is to identify a shortlist of possible consultancy firms to work with. These may be identified from business directories, but the most productive path is to use your business connections to find consultants who have worked successfully with similar companies.
It makes sense to shop around when looking to employ a business consultant rather than hiring the first consultancy firm you hear from. Consultancy doesn't tend to be cheap, and having a tender process will help to ensure that you end up with someone who is impressive and whose services provide value for money. Normally you will provide a client brief stating your goals and any key details. You will invite a small number of consultants to pitch for the contract; their pitch will include the cost of their service and why they believe they are the best company to cater to your needs.
If we think about times when, in our personal capacity, we have hired plumbers, carpenters or other skilled labor, we usually feel a lot more comfortable if they have been recommended by a friend or family member. Similarly, in the business world, you will feel more comfortable if the consultancy firm can provide testimonials from other happy clients. More informal word-of-mouth recommendations from business connections will also help to strengthen your confidence that the consultancy company can be trusted to do a good job.
Money is always an important factor for small businesses, especially during times of recession. Hiring the consultancy firm with the lowest cost quote may not always be the best decision, but there's no doubt that cost does come into the equation when consultancy contracts are being awarded. You need to be confident both that their work will be high quality and that it won't break the bank.
Whether to hire a business consultant is an important decision, if for no reason other than business consulting services are often costly. |
Get helpful tips and advice on when to hire a business consultant and important questions to ask your business consultants. |
