What is a business consultant?

A business consultant helps identify and solve a range of business challenges; such as developing strategy, project management or new process implementation.

As a subject matter expert, a business consultant gets hands on with the company. They will undertake research across the business to identify root cause problems and then create strategies to solve them. Some consultants will stay and implement whilst others will provide a strategy document for the business to implement themselves.

define – engage – deliver – grow

Firstly, why engage a business consultant?

• Running a business is difficult, you are focused on keeping the business going and don’t have time to look at what is happening inside the company. The initial power of a consultant is to provide an impartial third part view.
• Many businesses are set up by people who are good at what they do, they start a company and before they realise it are managing people. A business consultant has the tools that enable the company to run like a ‘real’ business.
• Business leaders do not know everything; there comes a time when external expertise is required to solve problems the company cannot.

A business consultant has access to the tools and expertise that will create structure growth for your business.

A business consultant is often engaged to solve a problem that the business is aware of but cannot fix themselves. The initial part of the engagement will see the business consultant(s) analysing the company to uncover the actual problem and root cause.

Once the root cause is identified the consultants will create a plan to fix it along with an implementation strategy.

Unlike a business coach, consultants will only engage the company (leadership team and staff) through the research and analysis phase. They are not involved in the implementation phase which can create a disconnect and lack of engagement through the transformation process.

Traditional management consultants have been accused of simply providing a implementation document and not taking responsibility for delivering outcomes. In our view, sustainable improvements require the buy-in of the everyone and cannot just be imposed from upstairs.

As hybrid coaches/consultants, we have the expertise and tools to empower clients to make changes whilst upskilling the whole business. A pure business consultant will tell you what to do, the power of the hybrid approach is the empowerment through the process.

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