What To Look For When Choosing A Business Consultant
Entrepreneurs and small businesses owners tend to be risk takers and pioneers and don't always ask for help when they need it, but it can be a good idea to get an outside perspective. But how do you choose the right person for your business? Look for these qualities:
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Good character & ethics
The first thing you should look for is someone with good character and ethics, a true professional who puts the best interests of the client first. A great small business consultant will be able to tell the client the harsh truths that they need to hear to fix problems and come highly recommended from other businesses. Caring about the client and their success is the hallmark of a great consultant.
Experienced
Next, the business consultant that you choose should be experienced handling the issues you want to address in your company, including opportunites for growth, challenges to overcome, and changes that need to be made so you and your business can reach the next level. The experience a consultant has with your industry is important, but more critically, a business consultant needs to have experience helping their clients address the type and kind of issues your business faces.
History of creative problem solving
The business consultant you hire should be a creative problem solver, bringing analytical skills, unique perspectives, and creative ideas to reach conclusions about how to overcome challenges and meet new opportunities that really work for your business and industry.
Great communication skills
The ability to effectively communicate is another extremely important skill for small business consultants, and being able to communicate in person and in writing is critical, as well as an outstanding ability to listen to clients and their needs. This ability to listen allows a great business consultant to fully understand your business' challenges and determine what steps your business will need to take to achieve your goals.
Trustworthy and honest
A superior business consultant will also be trustworthy. This is someone that you will need to reveal business details to in order to get the help you need, so interpersonal skills and a strong code of conduct will also be important. If you don't feel like you can open up to a business consultant, your experience with them isn't going to get you the results you need. Make sure to choose a consultant with whom you can build a strong, professional business relationship.
The right business consultant can bring tremendous value to your company and choosing the wrong one can be extremely detrimental. Choosing the right person or firm for your needs is an important task that can take time. Don't just choose someone out of the phone book; interview a few consultants, ask for reviews and completed project samples, and really feel them out to see if they will be a good fit with your company. Following this short checklist will make the process of finding the right consultant for your business easier.
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?
Once your business is up and running, there will be times when you need to run something by an experienced legal professional, such as sales contracts, lease agreements, hiring employees, and more. With the small business legal plan, you will be able to submit legal business documents up to 15 pages each for your attorney to review, download and use document templates created by our lawyers and then have them reviewed by your attorney for feedback, and your attorney can write letters and make phone calls on your behalf.
As your business grows, your Small Business legal subscription plan will continue to support your small business. You get one hour of legal research on each matter included at no additional fee. This does not include Designated Consultations on certain areas of the law or out of state matters; these issues are covered by three Designated Consultations included with your plan each year, up to 30 minutes each. And, with our Small Business Plus and Small Business Pro plans, you're even covered for legal support during IRS audits or representation in a trial if your business is sued.
The Small Business Legal Subscription plan will more than pay for itself the first time you use it. And, since our plans start at just $49 per month, having access to a qualified, experienced, dedicated small business lawyer is a priceless benefit to your business that is within budget.