The misconception business owners have when dealing with consultants is the fact that they believe since said consultant does not work in their industry they cannot help them fix the problems that exist. This may have been true ten, twenty, thirty, fifty years ago, however, in today's world, where everything/everyone is connected, information is easily accessible, the industry and competition can be researched and analyzed effectively and quickly; not having worked in an industry is irrelevant. Furthermore, business is business and competition is competition, as long as thorough research has been conducted a consultant, or a competent consultant for that matter, should be able to identify the primary issues a company is having within two or three weeks, and design and implement a strategy a few weeks thereafter. To be honest, in my experience the major issues that the majority of SMBs/Start-ups that I meet with and consult for are very similar with minor variances according to the industry. For the most part the issues stem from fundamental business practices and processes: Lack of organization, lack of clearly defined goals (leadership), lack of data tracking, and lack of communication.
As you can see, these common issues have absolutely nothing to do with a particular industry or business. The problem with a SMB or start-up that is experiencing growth, which is a great thing, is their resources get drained and everyone is consumed in the day-to-day and forget about or failed to implement the fundamental foundation of any successful business; and by the time a consultant is needed, problems have compounded to a point where a company can become essentially paralyzed. That said, a professional, well-trained business consultant could easily rectify these issues rather quickly. As long as the company leaders are in agreement, upfront and honest with the issues, and are willing to commit to a well-defined plan/strategy, things can turn around and the proper processes can be in place. Just don't use the excuse of you do not know the industry, as that is of no use to anyone.
In my experience companies that are able to implement basic business processes prior to launch or within the initial launch phase are the most successful and are able to accelerate growth rather quickly. I know the fun/glamorous part of running a SMB or start-up is working on something you are passionate about and with a team of people who share that passion; however, that high will only last so long before the company hits a road block (e.g. runs out of money). As much as we all love to be in the trenches and creating something new and of value, without capital investments the product/service will not make it to market, or if it does the lifespan will be limited.
My advice to anyone in this position is to take the time to design and implement fundamental business processes prior to launch -- even before hiring. At least have an outline of what processes are ideal for your company, and then hire someone to design and implement them. Don't make the mistake of having the mindset of we'll fix it later, as it may be too late or you won't have the capital to allocate towards professional consultation. There are many ways a consultant can benefit your SMB or start-up no matter what phase your company is in, all you have to do is find the right one and trust that they have the background and skill-set to get the job done!
As always, I'd love to hear your comments and thoughts on this topic.
If you are in need of any business and/or marketing consultation, feel free to shoot me a brief introduction note at: modernbizstraetgy@gmail.com.
Cheers,
ModernManTellsAll
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