There are many ways for you to work with consultants as your small business evolves. Most important, perhaps, is that these resources can give you the valuable time needed to focus on what you do best: being an expert at whatever it is that led you to launch your own business in the first place.
At Larry Kramer & Associates we are often asked why it is important for small business owners to have an outside business consultant to work with them. We know from experience working with small business owners that success rates rise, strategic plans are not only crafted but implemented, and their return on investment is realized.
Are you still doing the taxes for your business? If so, does it make sense for you to spend your valuable time on such a complex task that also may be outside your area of expertise? Trust the team at Larry Kramer & Associates to assist with your business taxes. What about other financial issues that small businesses typically grapple with, like controlling costs and efficiency? A small business consultant can help you to develop strategies for making improvements on both fronts.
Even if you would prefer to tackle all business matters personally, engaging an outside expert when especially complex or sensitive issues arise can be an extra measure to ensure problems receive proper attention and are thoroughly resolved. It also can be useful to have a third-party’s perspective on matters that require objectivity, or an “extra set of eyes” to verify that no mistakes have been made in a critical process.
Here’s an important question to consider: If you would need to ramp up your small business suddenly and significantly, could you deliver? If you don’t have ample support to meet an increase in demand for your products or services, you could be at risk of disappointing your customers — and potentially damaging your business’s reputation. However, you also want to avoid hiring more staff until you are certain that workloads will be sustained. Bringing in a small business consultant is one staffing management approach for navigating the ebb and flow of supply and demand, as well as for meeting other unexpected changes that present both opportunity and risk for your company.
You want your business to succeed and thrive for the long term, of course. But do you know where your future growth will come from? Engaging an interim management consultant for your small business not only can help you determine the answer, but also get you pointed in the right direction.