Consultants, Consultants, Consultants Everywhere!

These days you are liable to run into consultants everywhere. In fact, I recently visited an office and the office manager's response to my introduction was "Been there, done that." Upon inquiring to her response, she explained they had used a consultant in the past and were not happy.

I do not want to debate whether or not her prior consulting experience was good or bad, but consultants are like others in the workforce. There are good ones and bad ones. A fundamental skill for a good consultant is their ability to listen and to distinguish the salient points of the discovery process. Often times business owners tell a long story of their perceived issue; it is the consultant's role to assist the business owner in separating the true issue from extraneous supportive arguments.

Finding a good consultant for your business is not necessarily the easiest thing to do. Consultants come with diverse backgrounds and experience. Consultants very often specialize in one business area or another, e.g., human resources or financials.

I have used consultant myself. My preference is to find a local consultant; someone who is available when I need them, not when is is convenient for the consultant. Also, beware of the consultant with motives other than you best interest at heart. Look for a true professional consultant without biases. I understand that large corporations have started to offer consulting services. These services are often "free," but we all know there is no "free" lunch. There is always a string attached.

Consider hiring a fee for service consultant. In most cases you will be pleased you did and your bottom line will show it.