How might a small business consultant grow your business? | Lisnic

If you are a small business and planning on growing, perhaps it’s time to hire someone that is an expert at doing just that. Think of your business as a child, it takes a village to raise! This guide will show you exactly how you can hire a small business consultant or coach to help you out.

Small businesses can grow over time, you just have to be patient. Hiring the right coach that understands your industry is key.

Not all consultants and coaches are going to offer the same level of experience and coaching methods. As you’ll see once you keep reading, we’ll be talking about the role of a business consultant and the kind of questions you want to ask them.

So, let’s get down to it and talk about everything you need to know about hiring a business consultant.

What is the role of a business consultant?

To put it plain and simple, a business consultant is someone that is familiar with business- they know the industry inside and out. Some will take on clients that belong to a specific field, whilst others classify themselves as general business consultants. So how do you know who to go with?

Here are a few ideas you should consider:

• Find a consultant that has a specialty in your industry. For example, if your small business is in eCommerce, find a consultant that has worked exclusively with eCommerce companies. The more specialized they are, the better they’ll understand your struggles with growing a business. Plus, they’ll come up with a solution tailored to your needs and growth goals.

• Is there a problem in your business that seems like a sticking point? Are you dealing with lead generation issues? Is your marketing message landing flat? This is where you should find a consultant who focuses on solving that specific problem. They don’t have to be industry specific (however, if they have a specialty in your industry, that is preferrable).

• Hiring a generalist business consultant may be the last option on your list. But only hire them if the issue isn’t industry specific. Before hiring them, ask questions about their experience with other businesses. How did they help their previous clients grow?

What questions should you ask your business consultant?

You found a consultant that seems like a good fit. Perfect. What’s next?

Well, this is where you come in. YOU need to ask the right questions.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

• Here is my problem…how will you solve it? This might be the first question you ask. You reiterate the problem you have. Now, you ask the consultant how they can solve it. A smart business consultant will put together a game plan that will happen from start to finish. It might be a detailed timeline starting from Day One to maybe Day 180 or 365 (for example).

• Who have you worked with in the past? This is a big one. You’re familiar with the big names in your specific industry. If they drop certain names, your ears might perk up a bit. But still, it may not be enough to convince you. Thus, you follow up with this question. Before you do you say, ‘OK. So…”

• What kind of results have you generated from them? This is where you want to pay close attention. Real results sell. Period. End of story. You want to see the results for yourself. These businesses they have worked with may be in your industry (and even could be your competitors). Results matter and just enough examples could say ‘where do I sign’?

How do you know your business is growing?

If you follow the advice and steps your consultants lay out, the results should come in. When you take a look at the latest sales numbers or relevant metrics and notice a change, you’ll know for sure that your business is growing. The numbers don’t lie and you’d be crazy not to track them.

So what do you need to keep track of to know that your business is growing?

• Sales/Revenue: The big kahuna of metrics. Sales matter in the end. Not how clever your marketing message is (even though it can draw in customers or clients). If you notice an increase on a daily, weekly, quarterly, etc. basis that’s when you’ll notice growth in your business.

• Conversion rates on ads/marketing: Without marketing, no customers or clients will be banging on your door. Yes, the key to a successful marketing message is to get the right offer in front of the right people. Ad views are nothing, but interested leads converting into paying customers, now that is something.

• Positive reviews are piling: If you are getting positive reviews over and over again, this is a huge sign that things are moving in the right direction. You and your staff are providing excellent service and your customers are happy. This leads to repeat business and you’ll be making more money hand over fist.

Find one on Lisnic

If you want to hire a business consultant, find a Lisnic Expert that is industry specific or specific to a problem that your business is having (for example, finance).

The two of you will work together to fend off the evil villain that is slow business growth. If you want in, what are you waiting for? Contact us today and we’ll set you up with one of our top-rated Experts to take your business to the next level.