Consultancy
KWS Sound Business Advice and Help where you really need it!
You are an independent self made business professional with a string of business successes to your credit and then someone calls you and suggests you might need a consultant!
Immediately your eyes glaze over and the defences go up as you think “oh yeah just what I need another expert”.
Well you are not alone. We think exactly the same because like you we own businesses and have held front line executive positions in businesses though boom and recessionary times.
Like you we have held our own in difficult situations, we have built up our businesses. “So why do I need a consultant to come in and tell me how to do it”. In truth most of the time you don’t.
Is there ever a need to call on a consultant? Regrettably yes but it should be done with care and forethought. We believe a consultant should be used to fill an expertise gap or to carry out a specific task. They are not substitutes for management.
Consultants come in sorts of guises from the wacky to the serious specialist who if used wisely can add real value to your business.
For example it may be high level help to make an acquisition, raise finance or simply a periodic sounding board for ideas and constructive critique.
It can be very lonely as the Managing Director when critical decisions affecting the whole company are required.
Alternatively the requirement may be task specific for example: set up an accounting system, deal with an unexpected HR problem or fix an IT problem.
Before you hire a consultant think about the outcome you are looking for and then ask the prospective consultant how they would go about delivering that outcome and most importantly how long will the job take and how much will it cost.
Avoid vague offers of a business review. You most likely know what the problems are what you need is a strategy or an action to fix the problems.
This is where a good consultant comes into their own, they will work with you on problem solving, they will bring objectivity and knowhow gained from years of practical experience and most importantly they will know when its time to leave and let you get on with the job.
We at KWS are that type of business advisor. If you share our views on this subject and need some expert help why not give us a call and see if we can convince of the benefits of working with us.
