Growing a small to midsize business can be a never-ending series of surprises. Some good, and some, let’s say, “challenging.” A good surprise is when you land a key account that drives growth that is ahead of plan. That same great surprise can bring a few challenges with it, particularly when you find your business to be under-resourced to meet the new demands.

These types of surprises make a great case for hiring an outside consultant to help with that new growth. When the new workload doesn’t immediately support hiring new executives to fill crucial gaps, a project-based or term-contracted outside resource can be exactly what you need, right now.

Independent Consulting is a huge business in the US, and that’s no surprise. The modern streamlined flexibility model of many businesses creates an ideal situation for temporary help at the C-Suite level of expertise.

What is a Consultant?

An independent consultant is typically an executive level expert in a specific area who works as an independent contractor for businesses on a contract basis. They can help a growing business by providing professional expertise to existing procedures. An independent consultant is not an employee, and is typically retained to help develop and implement specific goals.

Why Hire a Business Consultant?

A small business in need of immediate and specific help can really benefit from hiring a consultant instead of a full-time employee. The reduced financial commitment is the most obvious advantage, in that an independent consultant can be brought on for a limited amount of time, does not typically require benefits, and in many cases works remotely.

But the cost savings are by far not the only advantages to hiring an outside consultant. You are also able to find a professional with a specific set of skills need for a particular project or growth area. (Your Deal Source happens to excel in helping businesses find the right consultant for their needs, by the way.)

What Types of Business Consultants Do Businesses Typically Hire?

In theory, any individual with an advanced area of expertise could be hired to consult a company on that specialty. But there are a few types of business consultants that are more traditionally hired by small to mid-sized companies experiencing growing pains. At Your Deal Source, we focus on finding and vetting the following C-Suite trusted advisors for our talent pool:

• Marketing Consultants and Fractional CMOs specializing in Advertising, Branding, PR, Communications, Research Strategy, Video Production, and Digital Marketing
• Sales Consultants and Fractional CSOs proficient in Sales process development, Sales Training, Sales Recruiting and Compensation Strategies
• Finance Consultants and Fractional CFOs with expertise in the areas of Business Lending and Valuations, Cash Flow Management, Capital Structuring, Turnaround Management, Financial and Retirement Planning, to name a few.
• Operations Consultants specializing in Management systems, Process improvements, change management, IT strategy and Risk Management
• HR Consultants specializing in Benefits, Recruiting, PEO services, Outplacement, Talent Management, and Leadership Coaching.

So when you’re business’s growth takes you by surprise, an independent consultant may just be exactly what you need to manage the new challenges ahead. And if you to find the right candidate here at Your Deal Source, well we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.