As CEO of a small or medium-sized business, the pressures you face can be intense. You’re the final decision-maker in matters of leadership, marketing, sales, management, productivity, and more. Trying to juggle things is hard enough as it is, but you also often find yourself having to deal with challenges for which you don’t have the necessary time, experience, or resources. In fact, not having time to “do it all” is one of the top stresses of small business owners, according to Forbes Magazine.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a trusted partner at your side who can lend experience and expertise to help you navigate some of these challenges? That’s what a good consultant has to offer—a wealth of knowledge and expertise to alleviate the pressure and achieve goals so you can sleep well at night.
What is a consultant?
Nearly everybody today considers themselves a consultant, but, in reality, most of them function as subcontractors who provide specific services. True consultants, however, are hired to work in a peer-to-peer relationship with a CEO (or C-Suite executive) to improve the client’s condition by providing the expertise, experience, skills, content, and advice relevant to solving a problem, big or small. Consulting contracts can be provided on a long-term or short-term basis.
Consulting services are especially helpful for small businesses and nonprofits. These organizations often lack the resources to hire full-time employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to solve specific problems or achieve certain goals. Similarly, they may not have the experience or expertise necessary to grow to the next level or rejuvenate during stagnation or decline.
Why should you hire a consultant?
How do you know it’s time to hire a consultant? Here are ten benefits an experienced and reputable consultant can provide for your small business or nonprofit.
Consultants are subject matter experts. The best consultants are experienced guides who have developed expertise to which you will have access for the duration of the contract. They are experts in their field and, thus, able to provide valuable insights, recommendations, and services that will improve your condition while simultaneously providing internal training for your team.
Consultants are a low investment with a high reward. One of the primary benefits of hiring a consultant is that there is no S&B package and no long-term commitment. Further, a good consultant solves problems and improves processes, increasing efficiency and revenue.
Consultants bring a helpful outside perspective. An experienced consultant has worked with diverse organizations, successfully solved problems relevant to your industry, and achieved outcomes in various circumstances. Further, because he hasn’t been immersed in your organization, he has the objectivity to provide impartial advice and new insights. This objectivity is especially helpful when facing daunting challenges and unsure of the path forward.
Consultants distill complex problems into simple frameworks. Significant challenges often feel overwhelming because you lack clarity about priorities and processes. A good consultant has developed the ability to distill complex knowledge into simple frameworks that improve clarity, efficiency, and profitability. What’s more, a well-developed framework can be easily understood and implemented by the team.
Consultants build custom solutions. As a CEO, you’re probably aware of the wealth of problem-solving information available through the Internet, books, conferences, and peer networks. Yet many CEOs need tailor-made solutions for their small business or nonprofit. A good consultant does precisely that; they listen attentively, evaluate the situation carefully, and create customized solutions.
Consultants provide a competitive advantage. As a CEO, you face a dizzying array of people and tasks competing for your attention. The “tyranny of the urgent” can make it difficult to focus on bigger, more critical tasks, such as long-term planning and organizational alignment. A good consultant can help you clarify and prioritize your goals, align the organization accordingly, and reap the benefits more quickly and easily.
Consultants can oversee specific projects for the short term. When you’re overloaded already, critical new projects and initiatives can be daunting. A good consultant can help you with planning, team oversight, and execution. Because of their experience and expertise, they can help you avoid oversights, navigate around pitfalls, and achieve a successful outcome. And all of this without your day-to-day responsibilities being disrupted.
Consultants introduce a new skill set. Often, a growing business or nonprofit faces challenges for which its team isn’t experienced or skilled and lacks the resources to hire an executive or create a department to meet the challenges. A good consultant introduces that your team can learn or that you can provide the template for an eventual long-term hire.
Consultants can function as temporary C Suite executives. As a CEO, the problem you need to solve demands the experience or authority of an executive. Yet, your executive team is overloaded or doesn’t have the requisite experience or expertise. In this instance, CEOs often hire a consultant and authorize them to operate under the CEO’s auspices. This relatively low-cost investment (no S&B or long-term commitment) could yield prodigious results.
Consultants can support during transitions. Small businesses and nonprofits often face times of transition. This could be an outgoing executive and a search for his replacement, an expansion of operations, the emergence of unique challenges, or the implementation of new systems of procedures. A good consultant can add significant value by serving as an expert “bridge” between the old and the new.
No leader should have to “go it alone.”
At the Ashford Agency, the first thing we do is listen. You tell us where it hurts. Together, we take a deep dive, figure out the solution, and get to work. You receive expert consulting tailored to your specific goals and needs so you can move your organization forward and have peace of mind.
Are you interested in a free phone consultation? Contact us here.