While we could speak for other consultants, we’ll let them do that for themselves.  What we can write about are things to consider when engaging a business and marketing consulting firm such as Brand Irons.  Here are 10 reasons to engage:

1. To make more money.  Yes, there is a cost to engaging a consultant, but you hire them to open doors, bring in more cash flow, and to create opportunities you may be too close to be able to see.
2. To hold you accountable.  Too often, business owners get tangled up in the day-to-day activities of their business and wind up working in it more than on it.  Consultants help keep the grand vision in focus.
3. To reduce risks and identify needs.  An independent, third party observer looks at your business objectively, which makes it easier for them to see the potential problems and address solutions to keep things running smoothly.
4. To research options and alternatives.  Your business may be on the cutting edge, and a consultant can study market trends, emerging markets, and your competition to keep you at the forefront of your industry.
5. To develop successful strategies.  There are times when the path through the forest is a straight line and others when it involves cutting down some trees to achieve your objectives.  Experts know what works for marketing your business.
6. To keep you focused.  You should always maintain a customer orientation, which is a perspective your consultant keeps as the emphasis of every move you make because it’s important to add new customers and keep most of the old ones.
7. To identify resources.  A strong, professional consultant has a myriad of resources at his or her fingertips, all ready to step in on a moment’s notice to modify a website, provide employee training, or assist with legal or other issues that arise.
8. To be your coach.  Consultants usually have a limited engagement with a client, which means they should teach you what you need to know, coach you along, prod you if necessary and, at some point, let you move forward on your own.
9. To solve problems.  The independent nature of a consultant and some common sense go a long way to helping businesses solve problems with solutions that may be obvious or hidden but easily thought through … and resolved.
10. To be engaged.  When you engage a consultant, for whatever purpose or length of time, they should be immersed in your business … as a consumer … as a confidant … as a friend … and as a professional who cares about results.

Think about these general guidelines with the understanding that it generally takes time for a consultant to become familiar enough with your business and where you want to take it to develop a relationship focused on the results you’re looking for, even if you’re unsure of what those might be.  The more open and honest you are with whomever you engage, and the more honest they are with you, the more success you will realize.

Consider, too, whether the person or firm you’re looking at has the experience and knowledge to help you solve the problems you think you have.  You must also be open to the realization that what you think is the problem may not be; it may be something entirely different than you anticipated.  The consultant should be able to clarify the scenario for you in terms you understand.

What you engage is less a formula or system than the mental acuity to grasp your situation, look at it objectively, and provide viable solutions.  To check out Brand Irons with a simple conversation, call (920) 366-6334 or go back to brandirons.com.