Is It Time For You To Hire a Business Consultant?

Establishing and running your own business is no child’s play. It takes time, effort, and energy to keep the business growing and scaling up the success graph. And yet, there are times when you, as a small business owner, come up against a hurdle that seems hard to cross. There are also times when your business is doing well, but there’s that feeling that it should be doing better. You can’t place your finger on what’s lacking or what the next step should be. Who do you look to for advice and help in such a situation?

Answer: A business consultant. 

The Role of Business Consultants

A business consultant is a professional with the necessary expertise and skillset about a particular branch of a business. For instance, there are specialized accountancy consultants to help with accounting and financial services, HR consultants who could assist you with employee-related problems, or even expert strategists who could aid you in chalking out a good strategy for expanding your company. The biggest advantage of hiring a consultant is that they can give you an unbiased, thoroughly studied evaluation of your business. This third-party point of view can prove to be important in decision-making. 

While not every problem requires a business consultant, some things must be addressed immediately and tactfully to save your business from becoming stagnant or preventing you from making expensive trial-and-error.  

Business Situations That Need Expert Advice 

When you decide to take your business to the next level, several things come into play. Expanding or growing your business base requires improvements and additions to almost all aspects of your business, be it financial documentation, legal requirements, inventory keeping, and even hiring of staff. 

A business consultant with specialized knowledge can guide you through these processes after careful research and evaluation of your business activities and ambitions. Here are some scenarios where you might need the expertise of a business consultant:

1. Expansion Of Your Business – Planning to go interstate or international with your business? Ask a consultant first. When it comes to expansion, a business consultant can guide you on the different legal or taxation laws in other provinces or countries you might be unfamiliar with. A consultant specializing in market research and business strategy can also provide a detailed study of the potential market you wish to capture and suggest ways to optimize your chances of successfully entering an unknown territory.
2. Re-Aligning Your Business Goals – In pursuing success and speedy ascension, entrepreneurs sometimes lose sight of their original vision and mission. Sometimes, the market conditions force business owners to tweak their plans, making them lose control of their goals. A competent consultant can help re-evaluate and re-align your business procedures with your goals. They will closely study the business to get to the root of the problem and suggest practical solutions customized to suit your business needs.
3. Upskilling Your Business Goals – Small business owners often find their businesses stagnating. It is especially true of businesses that do well locally but can’t seem to break the mould and replicate the success on a larger scale. Despite their best efforts, they might not understand what needs to be done to push their business out of that loop of stagnation. Business consultants can advise and guide you on how to take your business to the next level. For such a leap, things such as upskilling or innovation need to be adapted and encouraged – something these experts can help with. Even when it comes to things like reducing costs and reorganizing your business operations for greater efficiency, the advice of a consultant can go a long way.
4. Coping with The Transition – Often, changes in management or staff can lead to changes in office organization or business targets. Such transition phases can impact the company’s overall working and growth prospects. Calling a specialist to outline the correct procedures to ensure a smooth transition can help avoid any unpleasant bumps in your business journey.
5. Merging With or Acquiring Another Business – Mergers and acquisitions require much research, complex decision-making and number crunching. It’s like a marriage: are the two entities coming together well-suited for each other? Do they have synergies? Is business valuation economically beneficial for both parties? All these questions need honest answers that only an impartial consultant can provide.
6. Human Resource Problems – Many small businesses or startups don’t have a full-fledged HR department. Thus, employee-related tasks such as hiring, training, salary models, and employee compensation become a big responsibility for you as an entrepreneur. Moreover, the hiring and firing process can be challenging for someone unfamiliar with HR’s methods. In such situations, a business consultant can relieve the burden by setting parameters to help you in any HR process.
7. Technological Assistance – In today’s day and age, no business can do without technology. However, not every small business is equipped with the latest technology. A consultant can not only suggest what technology is best suited to your needs but also help with training on how to use it. This is especially crucial for tax or accounting software, billing software, and any automated systems (such as for timely salary dispersal) that can reduce the burden on your employees.

Are Business Consultants Worth the Expense?

It’s true that expertise has a cost. But this cost is well-invested if it translates into growth for your business. The extensive resources that such specialized business consultants have at their disposal, combined with their own in-depth knowledge, can help you take your business to new heights and help you avoid costly mistakes. Their advice and guidance will have a sustained effect on your business potential and growth. 

Contact DDL & Co. in St. Catharines for Your Business Consulting Needs

Changes in your business model or strategy or expansion to an unfamiliar territory, talk to a skilled business consultant who can help you through it all. At DDL & Co., our accountants and business consultants can provide consulting services in several areas of your business. To learn more about how DDL & Co. can provide you with the best business consulting, contact us online or call us at 905-680-8669.