Why Business Consulting Is Important for Startups
Congratulations on starting your business! Now…what’s next?
Running a startup is hard, time-consuming, and often lonely work. As the leader of your business, you might be deprived of interactions with other like-minded individuals to bounce ideas around with. When questions arise, it may be hard to know who to turn to for advice. If any of this sounds familiar, it might be time to get a business consultant on your team.
Here are the main reasons why you should consider bringing in a business consultant to help your startup flourish.
Create Stronger Business Strategies
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail—but how do you ensure you’ve come up with the right plan for your startup? Well, the answer is simple, get in touch with a business consultant for small businesses who can tailor strategies specifically to your needs.
For business consultants, creating strong, data-backed business plans to keep your business growing over time is quite literally just part of the job. Business consultants will work with you to provide a combination of strategic advice and solutions based on market research, to build a comprehensive and personalized business plan that matches your goals.
Gain Sales and Marketing Expertise
Word of mouth alone often isn’t enough to take businesses to the next level, which is rough considering many startups lack internal marketing teams. But luckily, part of being a business consultant means helping businesses establish company branding and creating marketing materials.
Not only can business consultants offer traditional marketing support such as flyers, business cards, and branded merch, but this goes further with digital marketing support (think SEO, paid search, and social media campaigns) as well. Your business consultant will consistently measure the effectiveness of all marketing efforts.
Bring in Additional Resources
Once the marketing is established and bringing in results, you might think things are running smoothly and are ready to grow your business, but how do you go about hiring additional employees? Where can you find a good accountant in your area? Who do you know can handle your IT needs?
A skilled business consultant for small businesses will answer all these questions—and more—for you.
Consultants, whether acting independently or as a part of a larger consulting group, have access to a wide network of professionals in various industries, from HR support to public relations management. When you bring an issue to light with your consultant, they will find a solution, which includes putting you in contact with someone who can provide a solution, if they can’t figure out or do it themselves. Your consultant can even help with the vetting process, making sure you’re only having conversations with those who meet your requirements. Convinced you need business consulting yet?
No, Really, Business Consulting Helps…
It’s easy to talk about why business consultants are important, but it’s better to see some real-life consulting success stories from King’s Dream Business Consulting.
During the peak of the pandemic, Seattle business Boon Boona Ethiopian Coffee needed assistance with human resources but at an affordable price. The Human Resource consultants at King's Dream advised the company on development programs, applying COVID restrictions, gratuities, hazard pay, safety considerations, and how to handle terminations and promotions. This allowed Boon Boona to drive the business forward and produce deeper relationships with their employees and managers.
Another local business was on a mission to reduce the carbon "pawprint" and provide curated organic dog consumables and eco-friendly toys—only their products weren’t selling like they’d hoped. After a year of no sales for their subscription dog box, they reached out to our team, at King’s Dream Business Consulting, of consultants for a brand refresh.
The business owner and King’s Dream worked together to build a needs assessment analysis and concluded that a complete brand overhaul was needed. This involved changing the company name (you may have heard of City Pup), redesigning the website, and creating more intentional marketing strategies to increase brand awareness. Not only did this allow City Pup to sell their first subscription boxes, but we were also able to use this opportunity to broker a deal with a local dog rescue to provide adoption kits for new dog owners!
Looking for a Consultant of Your Own?
While finding a business consultant for your startups can sometimes lead to overnight wins for your company, it’s important to not rush the process of finding the right person to work by your side.
When looking for a business consultant, make sure to consider their:
Specialty: Some consultants have specific skill sets and may serve niche markets. Try to work with a consultant who has experience in your specific industry, business size, or target audience.
Credentials: Look for consultants who have strong, successful track records. Do your own research and vet candidates as well as possible ahead of time. Ask for recommendations from those in your network.
Flexibility: As with any business arrangement, establish your requirements before meeting with a consultant. Know where you stand on price, services offered, and hours worked. Then determine the limits of how far you can sway in either direction.
We’re Here Every Step of the Journey
So we’ve already established that business consulting provides startups with expert advice, sales and marketing services, and customized strategies, but it’s also important to note that business consultants are vital in keeping your company running when times are tough and push you towards meeting your business goals.
Worried about when you need a business consultant? Here are 7 unmistakable signs you may need to hire a business consultant. There is never bad time to bring a consultant on board. Having a trusted advisor in your corner—even as you move beyond the startup stage—can ease the growing pains that come from expanding your organization.
At King’s Dream Business Consulting, we help small business owners and non-profits nationwide to expand their capacity, earn more income, and scale their companies to new heights. Ready to start your consultant screening process? Set up a call today!
About King's Dream Business Consulting: Founded in 2019, King's Dream Business Consulting is a small business consulting and management firm established initially in response to Seattle's gentrification and displacement of its minority business communities. To Date, King's Dream has served over 200 small businesses nationwide. King's Dream Business Consulting is a leading provider of business advisory services, offering strategic planning, marketing strategies, financial management, operational efficiency, and human resources consulting. Committed to the success of small businesses, King's Dream Business Consulting provides tailored guidance and support to drive sustainable growth.
Samaria Johnson writes many things, hopefully none of which you consider boring. She loves taking complex information and breaking it down into engaging, understandable content. Samaria’s goal is to only use her words in ways that help make the world a better place.
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