The question we asked them in this interview series was – What is the biggest benefit of hiring a consultant and what do you think are the biggest misconceptions about consulting?
Will Schneider
Title: President
Company: WarehousingAndFulfillment.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-schneider-24a1774
I’ve found that the biggest benefit of hiring a consultant is getting a unique perspective from an expert in his/her industry. Oftentimes, we get locked into our own viewpoints, ways of doing things, and business cycles – a good consultant will help look at your needs and offer a unique perspective. This may not be the job that you hired them for necessarily, but a byproduct of their feedback in helping from an outsider’s perspective. For example, we’ve changed internal processes for the better because of feedback from consultants, helping to streamline tasks and produce greater results.
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Luca Ottinetti
Title: Managing Director
Company: Great Prairie Group LLC
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luca-ottinetti/
Consulting has become a resource that executives rely on for measuring, improving, managing and maximizing the value of the firm from broad initiatives to small interventions. The conditions in which leaders utilize consulting today have changed over time. With many consulting services having been brought in house, there is better and more broadly distributed understanding of consulting services today than ever before.
Executives benefit largely from two types of consulting assistance: large transformational projects that require external leverage and experience, and point solutions to narrow problems that require significant specialization and expertise by function, industry, geography, and size of company.
The biggest misconception in hiring a consultant is to view the service as a form of outsourcing the development of a solution and its implementation. Executives need to maintain engagement. Project participation is essential as are alertness, pragmatism, and thoughtful, hardworking leadership.
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Tracy Acker
Title: CEO and recruiting manager
Company: GetPaydayLoan
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-acker-4b979a235/
Depending on their real job, background, industry, and the client’s reasons for hiring them, business consultants can perform a very wide range of tasks.
Consultants are frequently hired by businesses to temporarily fill in for absent employees or help with a particular issue. In this case, the customer most likely selected a particular consultant or consulting business with in-depth expertise in this field. This could be done to solve a production or marketing problem or to solve a supply chain efficiency issue. But almost always, the client has a particular issue with the company that needs to be fixed.
In this role, consultants often examine the issue, document the solutions, and then supervise the implementation of the recommendations. The consultants typically create procedures and train additional staff members or members of the team on how to manage the issue in the future as part of the solution.
The financial aspect of a company, such as venture capital, private equity, or mergers and acquisitions, is where other consultants are more interested. In this instance, the consultant is employed to offer invaluable expertise and direction as the business manages one of those circumstances.
Before a consultant is employed, the client must first describe the problem and desired solution, regardless of the industry or skill set a consultant has.
Always look into a firm’s or individual consultant’s track record before engaging them. Make sure they have a track record of successful projects and career experience in the targeted field. Request client references at all times. Also, always be sure to specify what the deliverable will be. Determining what you genuinely want the consultant to do will depend greatly on this.
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Christian Kjaer
Title: CEO and Co-Founder
Company: ElleVet Sciences
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-kjaer-1282846/
Hiring a consultant can give you much needed objectivity. They’re able to address challenges without being emotionally involved. Sometimes business owners are too close to the problem. They need to take a step back and analyze the situation objectively. This is where a business consultant comes in. They’re able to easily identify problems and implement solutions without worrying about certain dynamics.
One of the biggest misconceptions about consultants is that they don’t know anything that a business owner doesn’t already know. For the most part, this isn’t true. I would encourage anyone looking to hire a consultant to do their research ahead of time. Find someone with a proven track record of getting quality results. Make sure their expertise is beneficial to your company’s individual needs.
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Jessica Magniccari
Title: President
Company: Jessica M. Designs
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-magniccari/
Some of the biggest benefits of hiring a consultant are:
• Working with a consultant who is an expert in a narrow niche offers their client years of experience and knowledge that would be impossible to learn on their own time.
• Consultants can offer a fresh perspective and validate or disprove ideas that have been brewing.
• Companies often have trouble with concrete plans and definitive action. A consultant can give clear-cut guidance, saving them countless hours of hesitant action or indecision.
One of the biggest misconceptions when hiring a consultant is:
• A consultant is not an expert in all areas. For instance, as a presentation design specialist, I am an expert at graphic design which includes the use of layout, color and imagery and using PowerPoint to bring these elements to life. However, I am not an expert in writing presentations or coaching on speaking.
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Karissa Clark
Title: General Manager
Company: LoansJury
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karissa-clark-ab28ba241/
A significant benefit of hiring a consultant is they give a fresh eye on your business growth challenges. A consultant comes in handy whenever you think business is progressing well, employees are busy with more orders, but there is no significant growth indication in your financials. They thoroughly examine what’s happening within your business and identify issues unbiasedly. That way, they develop solutions and give a new perspective on other avenues for your business’ potential growth.
However, one misconception about hiring a consultant is that you must be a large and well-established business. This is not true at all. Actually, small businesses are at a better advantage because they are in the early development stages and more open to alterations and adaptations. Unlike large companies looking for a quick fix, startups look for long-term fixes, making them the ideal client for a consultant.
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Anatolii Ulitovskyi
Title: Founder
Company: UNmiss
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anatolii-ulitovskyi/
The most significant benefit of hiring a consultant is getting new ideas and views from a different angle. Consultants are not limited to one specific experience. They spend more time learning breaking news, case studies, and online research to find a more straightforward and quicker way of achieving high results.
The biggest misconception about consulting is that companies think consultants do not understand their customers. On the contrary, customers are loyal to specific brands because these brands are better than competitors. If you need loyalty, then buy a dog. Customers will leave a brand without regret if they get better products from competitors.
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Ray Camillo
Title: CEO & Founder
Company: Blue Orbit Hospitality Consulting
Linkedin: https://Www.LinkedIn.com/in/Ray-Camillo
Many business operators consider consulting to be a bad word. It connotes scam artists and folks who gin up endless streams of expenses with little or no return on investment.
If a business is looking for a fresh set of eyes, it’s a good idea to bring in sets that have seen and solved a variety of situations that their experience, no matter how vast, cannot possibly match within their four walls or even through owning several businesses.
Experience matters, as just about anyone can call themselves a consultant…so skepticism is often quite warranted. Look for a team that is dedicated to consulting and not simply moonlighting by Googling different team members on the “about us” pages to see what comes up.
Hiring a consultant is like renting a brain. You get the benefit of hiring a highly experienced and knowledgeable team without having to marry them as permanent full-time employees. It’s like bringing in a VP of Operations for the short term. For certain, the consultant will cost significantly more per hour than your VP but they’re temporary and concentrated on a particular issue, saving significant money over the long term. When they do great work, they can become your go-to resource for strategic thinking without having to hire for it. Many small companies cannot afford to bring in a Director or VP level mind but they can afford targeted consulting resolve an immediate issue if they correctly compare the outsourcing effort to the alternative.
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Phil Strazzulla
Title: Founder
Company: SelectSoftware Reviews
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philstrazzulla/
The biggest benefit of hiring a consultant is that you’d be getting an expert in the field to work for you without any hassles and resources it takes to onboard, train, and equip a permanent employee. This means the consultant can start immediately and start working on finding and advising fixes. They also have a wide network of connections in the field they can pull up for help/partnership whenever needed.
The biggest misconception is that consultants are generic and are not experts in specific competencies. Another common misconception is that consultants come up with plans and strategies that can be found online.
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Carrie Williams Howe
Title: Training & Development Consultant
Company: Carrie Williams Howe Consulting
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriewilliamshowe/
What is the biggest benefit of hiring a consultant?
– From a fiscal perspective, a consultant is hired when the work required is not central enough (or permanent enough) to the organization to require an actual employee. It is a shorter-term commitment for a project that has a beginning and end, so you are not committing to paying a salary for the long-term.
– From a content perspective, consultants offer an external perspective for solving internal challenges. They bring a new voice, a new talent, a new skill that is not already available “in house.” As such, a consultant is a great resource for strategic projects, organizational improvements, or professional development for your team. A consultant can also be a valuable resources in facilitating organization or team-wide conversations when an impartial mediator is required.
Myths about hiring a consultant?
– Many companies think that hiring a consultant will be less expensive than hiring an employee, or that they will pay the consultant the same thing they would pay an employee. This can be true, but you should not underestimate the cost for consultants’ services. Consultants have to cover their own office expenses, benefits, technology, insurance, etc. As such, their hourly rate is going to be more than your typical employee. The real financial benefit is the short-term commitment. There is a beginning and end to the project so you aren’t hiring an employee for an indefinite amount of time and you don’t have to set them up in all of your employee systems.
– Another myth or misunderstanding is thinking that a consultant will do something entirely FOR your business. In reality, when a consultant is working outside of the boundaries of your company, they absolutely NEED an internal partner with whom they will accomplish the project. That internal partner brings company perspective, buy-in, and valuable company-specific information. Without that essential link, the work of the consultant can miss the mark or end up producing a product that isn’t relevant to your business.
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Caitlyn Parish
Title: Founder and Chief Digital Officer
Company: Cicinia
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlyn-parish-69957a244/
The biggest benefit of hiring a consultant is that they have a deep understanding of your business. They know what you do, who your customers are, and how to make sure that you are delivering the most value possible to them. Consultants also know how to deliver their message in a way that resonates with the audience.
On the one hand, I think the biggest misconception about consulting is that it’s expensive. I would say that the costs associated with hiring a consultant are not as high as people think they are. It all depends on the size of your business and what kind of services you want from them. If you want someone who can help you figure out how to improve your marketing strategies or grow your user base then this will be more expensive than if you just need someone who can give advice on how to improve productivity within your company overall.
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Shane Allen
Title: Consultant
Company: Consult the Future
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-allen-news
The best reason businesses should hire a consultant is what I call the “100 Mile Genius” effect. Too often businesses can get caught spinning tires on the same ideas because they’ve got the same people ideating those ideas. Someone from the outside can help add a lot of perspective and drive to the conversation. Even an idea that didn’t work in the past could work now with a fresh set of eyes looking at a different form of execution.
Consultants aren’t as expensive as you think. Most will work within your budget. Don’t have enough for a $1,500/month retainer? That’s fine! Many consultants will work to see what value they can add for any reasonable budget. And if they can’t, they might know someone who can.
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Jonathan Maharaj
Title: Founder
Company: AuroraFinancials.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmaharaj/
The biggest benefit of hiring a consultant such as a Virtual CFO is that they have the credibility and expertise to solve complex problems faster than you can hire a team do solve it.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that a consultant is expensive. I disagree because not solving the root causes of key issues facing a business is much worse as this will cost more money in the long-term than bringing on an expert as soon as you can.
Without having good quality advice, issues can multiply quickly in a business. Entrepreneurs want to have more time and freedom to focus on what they love doing such as growing a business. However, growth is challenging without good strategic support and strong systems and processes in place.
During a recession for example, many businesses will struggle to operate and eventually fail. Instead of being one of these businesses, one way to turnaround poor performance is to get help quickly.
Consultants like a Virtual CFO provide flexible services usually on a contractual or part-time basis, which is more affordable than having a full-time in-house consultant. They can also work remotely and are agile and innovative.
Apart from helping to solve key issues in a business, a consultant offers strategic advice which can significantly increase the value of a business going forward.
A consultant can also help turnaround a poorly performing business, and help a business recover from serious issues such as fraud and litigation. They can also provide advice on how to digitally transform a business and adapt to new technologies.
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Jean Will
Title: Co-Founder & COO
Company: Cicinia
Consultants do not get emotionally invested in your company in any way. Consultants offer a helpful distance from the challenges that your business face. They do not have the same emotional involvement in running the business as you do. As a result, they can better recognize and solve problems, regardless of whether the problem is accomplishing a business deal or designing a new strategy to overhaul your business. This is true in situations when the neutrality of a consultant might be particularly vital, such as in family-run enterprises, where the relationships may be intense, and it may be challenging to confront fundamental issues.
There are a lot of myths going around that caution people not to hire consultants, but here is one misconception that I want to bust…
Many people are under the impression that consultants always provide their customers with the same piece of advice. Rehash the same material they’ve heard before and offer the same aesthetically appealing presentation they’ve used for other customers. This is quite far from the truth. Although consultants indeed employ the insights they have obtained from their previous engagements, in my experience, professional consultants are inclined to give tailored solutions that suit the method in which your company operates and provide alterations on areas where you’re lagging.
Hiring a consultant may be an excellent way to save a substantial amount of time while contributing significantly to your company’s expansion and relieving some of the burdens that are directly on your shoulders. This is true regardless of the size of your company. They may assist you in conceiving effective processes to limit losses or offer you unique insights into a new viewpoint or perspective that you may not be aware of.
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Ronald Williams
Title: Founder
Company: BestPeopleFinder
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-williams-627239233/
A consultant is essential to deal with and develop the people and processes in the company using various techniques that can contribute a lot to the company’s growth. However, the biggest benefit of having a consultant is to achieve an elevated organizational culture by adopting various techniques such as SWOT analysis to know and eliminate the toxicity in different areas of the company for planned growth. This is because the organizational culture is a barrier to the growth of many companies, and investing in improvements brings countless other benefits such as cost-saving, people development, customization of processes, etc.
The biggest misconception about the business consultant, I believe, is that people think he has some magic wand and can rectify anything within no time. Know that he is not a superman and needs time to find out the right growth solutions for the company’s success.
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Michael Shen
Title: CEO
Company: Skill Success
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeltshen/
Hi, I’m submitting this response on behalf of our CEO, Michael Shen.
I’m Michael Shen, CEO of Skill Success, an e-learning platform that has served more than 600,000 students since 2016.
Hiring a Consultant is frequently misunderstood as being “expensive,”. It will only be true if you make a bad hiring decision. Other people’s misconception of Consultants also includes the idea that they only prioritize talking over actions. With all the ups and downs in the business, Consultants assist us in providing a 360-degree futuristic vision with attainable steps.
I did work with a business consultant, and I think that it was the best decision I ever made because it ultimately saved me Time and Money. Consultants are acknowledged as key individuals in the business community and are considered to be experts in their profession.
Another adage, “More brains, More reason,” refers to the quantum effect of sensors used in a specific study, which makes it possible to provide results that are much more valuable and much more valuable.
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Caitlyn Parish
Title: Founder and CEO
Company: Cicinia
Linkedin: N/A
From my experience, the most significant benefit of hiring a consultant is you have someone to give you tips and advice that has extensive knowledge and experience. Hiring one may be costly, but the additional “brain” and hand that they can provide you will undoubtedly result in an increased ROI, which can help increase your company’s profitability and make you a more credible entrepreneur.
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Aviad Faruzon
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Company: Faruzo
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faruzaviad/
The biggest benefit of hiring a consultant is savings in terms of both cost and time. When you choose to hire a consultant, you are only paying for the services only when required.
It can help save on expenses such as onboarding costs of hiring a salaried individual. Consultants have practical knowledge that can be used relevant to one’s industry. This means that you wouldn’t need to spend time training individuals.
The biggest misconception about consultants is that they usually aren’t here for the long haul. Individuals believe that a consultant may abandon your company when things don’t seem too bright. When hiring a strong consulting company, you wouldn’t need to worry about this issue. A retainer is a wise option to ensure that consultants don’t abandon you when things get tough.
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Scott Rubzin
Title: Founder
Company: Tiffany Property Investments LLC
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-rubzin-1a544671
When you hire a consultant, you gain access to a treasure trove of knowledge that you can leverage in your business practices. Most business consultants have worked with a number of different organizations and often in unique industries. This gives you outside knowledge of the market, such as strategies your competitors are using. With this knowledge, you can improve your processes and practices to get ahead of the market.
One great misconception that persists about hiring a consultant is that your business needs to be large or well-established. But the opposite couldn’t be more accurate. Small businesses and startups are ideal clients for consultants. This is because these businesses are still in the growing stage and are much more flexible in changing their practices according to a consultant’s advice. A large business or organization is much more rigid in its culture and practices.
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Caitlyn Parish
Title: CEO/Founder
Company: Cicinia
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlyn-parish-69957a244/
As I advance in my business career, one of the things that I almost find a necessity is having someone you can tap on to draw expert advice from. That being said, I am sold out on the thought that hiring a business consultant would really take a business owner like me to an advantageous point, and here’s why:
1. Perspective
Consultants who are suitable for your business needs offer a perspective that is often not seen by those who are actually part of the organization. They come from a different vantage point and are well able to provide a picture of what has been going on and a map of how to positively navigate through the situation.
2. Problem-solving
Considering that consultants have a broad knowledge of the many facets of business forces, it is understood that they also hold good problem-solving skills. They can offer clients resolutions and recommendations that can help the company increase efficiency and productivity.
3. Project Execution
With their expertise, they make project execution happen smoothly. This is not to say that no issues will be encountered when you hire a consultant, but due to their capabilities, they are able to carry out the plan effectively.
There have been a lot of misapprehensions about getting a business consultant, but as for me, hiring one is always worth the penny!
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Mila Garcia
Title: Co-founder
Company: iPaydayLoans
Linkedin: N/A
Many business owners make the mistake of assuming that hiring an outside consultant is only necessary if their business is failing, but even a successful business can benefit from an outside consultant. After all, while a failing business will recruit a consultant to fix a given problem , a successful business can actually use this as an opportunity to have an external party objectively assess the business’s performance. And given that consultants will usually have an extensive amount of experience having worked with a multitude of different companies, this enables them to provide a versatile , well-informed, multi-disciplinary, and multi-industry view that can identify what leaders may not even realize is holding their business back and in the process, offer new creative solutions that can lead to even better scalability, productivity, and output.
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Sonya Schwartz
Title: Founder
Company: Her Norm
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonya-schwartz-84797a16b/
From my perspective as an employer, hiring a consultant is like hiring a strategist for the company which means that it is beneficial. Consultants are likely to work with various companies from their previous jobs which made them acquire broader knowledge and expertise about the industry’s system. Also, hiring one can give you an advantage because consultants can work both with the technical and psychological needs of your company.
On the other hand, the biggest misconception about consulting is that it’s expensive which is entirely wrong. Hiring consultants is a wise decision that can help you save your money and be productive at the same time. This is because a single consultant can work different areas in your companies from planning, manufacturing and even funding.
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April Maccario
Title: Founder
Company: AskApril
Linkedin: https://askapril.com/
CEOs like me ensure we get top-of-the-line service. That’s why in terms of marketing, technology, operational, and strategy consultations, we seek the help of consultants.
What is the biggest benefit of hiring a consultant?
Performance improvement is something we can benefit from by hiring a consultant. Consultants give us valuable information and assistance in managing our team, operation, system, and goal execution.
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about consulting?
Getting a 100% success rate and a business must hire a consultant during their crucial situation are the biggest misconceptions about consulting. Honestly, everyone can hire a consultant without their failed moments. Consultants will technically improve you continuously without any problems with your organization. However, we don’t need to expect perfection with their assistance and advice since it won’t work without everyone’s cooperation. That’s why working with consultants requires teamwork from everyone involved in the process.
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