Measuring Success
While measuring a consultant's performance isn't similar to an employee's performance review, measuring success from the work of business consultant isn't difficult to see. As goals are met using the business consultant's strategies, the benefits of the suggested changes become apparent quite easily.
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A business consultant should help you set clear, measurable objectives based on your stated goals from the very beginning. These objectives should be specific, detailed, measurable, achievable, and relevant, and they will be based on the results that you tell the consultant you're trying to reach, such as less turnover, higher profit margins, increased revenue, or better resource management.
Sometimes, the results you require aren't as measurable on the surface. These can be things such as improved employee morale, better safety statistics, increased customer satisfaction, or implementing a better-defined mission statement or company values. These are the kinds of results that may require the business consultant to conduct interviews or surveys to give you results, but these, too, are measurable outcomes.
Measuring progress as your specialized strategy is implemented is key to making sure that your goals are being met. Before you implement any strategy - whether it comes from a business consultant or not - you should identify what are known as KPIs: Key Performance Indicators that will let you know whether something is working as you go along.
If you're not sure what areas your business needs to focus on, your business consultant can provide you with a questionnaire that can provide insight into areas of your business that need attention, giving you an overview of your entire business' ecosystem. At the end of the process, go over the questionnaire again and compare that results. This can be especially helpful in those areas that are harder to measure.
Evaluating a consultant's performance can usually be answered in a few questions:
How did the collaboration go? Smoothly?
How was communication throughout?
Was the consultant responsive?
Were your KPIs reached on time?
Were your short term, mid term, and long term goals met?
What are the impacts of the work?
Did the consultant provide you with access to resources and skills?
What was the ROI?
ROI is measured by analyzing certain statistics before and after the consultant's work. This is commonly a balance sheet from before the consultant's work and from afterward; deduct the cost of hiring the consultant before calculating the ROI. Most professional business consultants will be able to provide this ROI data to their clients.
Is a business consultant right for your company? If your business is struggling with strategy, human resources, financial planning, regulations and compliance, or operations, you may want to seek out the services of a professional small business consultant who will be able to discover and help you solve problems.
CALL OR EMAIL FOR AN APPOINTMENT TODAY!
(208) 755-8335 (M-F, 10 AM - 5 PM, Pacific Time)
debbie@debbieaferguson.com
SMALL BUSINESS LEGAL PLANS
We also provide support beyond the launch of your business. Our Small Business Legal Plans offer unlimited legal advice for common business situations. Our Small Business Legal Plans allow you to call your provider attorney to get legal advice on an unlimited number of legal matters pertaining to your small business. Starting a small business means that you are going to have legal questions. Wouldn't it be great to just be able to pick your phone and call or send a message to an experienced, dedicated attorney and get answers to those questions?
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