Consulting agency opening. What you need to open a consulting services center: documents, OKVED, permissions

Any person sooner or later faces the need to obtain the necessary information, advice or assistance, no matter in what area. What matters is that it happens. This means that those people appear in his life who can provide this service, advice, advice, provide their knowledge, or help in obtaining this knowledge. This consulting activity is called consulting. This business idea is valuable in that it requires the most minimal costs for its implementation. In this article I will tell you how to open consulting company, And what you need to do. The main point in this direction is a clear idea and definition of the product, branch of knowledge, or understanding of the process of activity in which you will consult.

There are three ways to open a consulting company:

• Conclude an agreement with professional consultants, qualified specialists, trainers, coaches that you will represent their services. Thus, you will be an intermediary (or, if you like, a kind of "provider") between someone who needs information and someone who can give it. If you go down this path, take one important piece of advice: always learn from your experts in everything to become a real pro.
• Use personal experience and own knowledge, where you are truly strong. In this case, decide on one direction, so as not to be scattered in many directions, select personnel with specialized education so that a single team of specialists arises.
• Become an Independent Representative which — any large company, study the necessary information, and promote the product or service of this company. You will gain the necessary experience and position yourself as a person engaged in consulting activities.

Whatever path you choose, one piece of advice is appropriate: always build a client base, attend exhibitions, conferences, expositions, etc. where you can find potential clients.

What do you need to start a consulting business?

The initial investment in this business is not much more than zero. In order to open a consulting company you will need:

• Room. Most often, clients prefer to meet with consultants on their premises, so an office is necessary. There may be several options here: buy, rent, or use public places for meetings: cafes, coworking centers, etc.
• Furniture and equipment. Choose the style of your office: cozy, so that the client feels calm and relaxed, or strict formality, so that it is clear that professionals work here who do not accept anything personal in their work.
• Office equipment: computer, fax machine, printer, etc.
• Advertising. Create a business card site with a description of your services, ask friends and acquaintances to tell their interlocutors about you, make business cards, advertise in the media.

At first, you can open your own consulting company without formalizing your activities - in private. By the way, the most "venerable" consultants work in this way, but they are masters of the highest level. In addition, the peculiarities of the legislation of our country are unlikely to allow you to work in this mode for a long time. How to open your IP or LLC I wrote in my previous publications. Read, weigh, and decide! Good luck in your endeavors!

* Calculations use average data for Russia

The economic activity of any enterprise should be based on an understanding of business processes, a strategy developed by managers, which includes the definition of the ultimate goals of the enterprise and methods for achieving them. But it is no secret that today entrepreneurs are people who are far from the economy, who poorly understand the features of the functioning and life of this or that business, who have only an idea, but do not know how to put it into practice.

Small business very often has great prospects for its development, it keeps a large part of the market and the existence of the entire economic system, which involves government services, all types of enterprises and end consumers. Understand all the connections and features of the interaction of all elements of this complex system can only be people who have undergone special training, who perfectly understand what the economy is and what it is based on, as well as having considerable experience working with business entities of various types and directions. Sometimes the help of such specialists is critically needed not only for start-up businessmen, but also for large enterprises that already have their own market share and understand relatively well the specifics of activities in the chosen field. Often, crisis resolution is impossible without the intervention of third-party specialists who can impartially assess all elements of the enterprise, identify its weaknesses and strengths, and give recommendations to management on optimizing and improving their business processes.

In Russia, in general, the word business and economics are very misunderstood. Despite the developing institute for training economic specialists, today entrepreneurs are engaged in people without education, who have gained a lot of experience, but do not understand the theoretical subtleties at all. Many organizations are still surviving on the methods that were developed at the end of the last century, but many more such organizations are failing because they cannot adapt to new market demands. The policy of the organization, to help it get out of a difficult situation or simply increase its effectiveness, is called upon by business consultants, who are those specialists who have been trained and gained experience. It is hardly worth expecting that someday amateurs will completely stop trying to build their own business, it is better to learn how to make money from it by offering their help to aspiring entrepreneurs. In many cases, this will support a unique idea that gives impetus to the overall development, brings something new to the life of society and supports small and medium-sized businesses that are so necessary for the effective development of the economy. This is a feature of capitalism and post-industrial society, when business and free competition, creative development and raising the standard of living of mankind occupy one of the most important parts of modern society.

Services for advising entrepreneurs on existing and possible business processes are commonly called consulting today. This word is just fashionable, in its essence it is consulting, only accompanied by help in solving absolutely all business-related issues. Consulting is not just recommendations, it is a whole range of services aimed at real improvement of the position of the consulted company. Consulting can fundamentally change the economic activity of an enterprise, and ultimately can affect the situation on the market as a whole. It is clear that only professionals who do not invent anything, but act in accordance with economic laws and personal experience. In this regard, opening your own consulting agency is the prerogative of people who understand the economy in general and the specifics of entrepreneurship in particular.

However, a talented economist can start his activity in advising enterprises as an additional expert who, on an equal footing with top managers of the company, analyzes difficult questions, analyzes the activities of the enterprise, finds non-standard solutions, develops and optimizes all areas of activity, act as a freelance professional who is asked for advice in a difficult situation. You should not even try to engage in consulting if you do not have knowledge and experience, or at least talent, a desire to develop and quickly learn everything new. If a layman takes up consulting, this will sooner or later become known to clients, the reputation will be hopelessly damaged, and it will be difficult and not interesting for the entrepreneur himself to engage in this type of activity.

Ready-made ideas for your business

Consulting can be general and specific, business development consulting refers to the general economic development. Special cases of consulting are consulting only on separately ecology, finance, training, marketing, IT, HR, etc. Consulting differs from outsourcing in that it does not take on the duties of an entrepreneur, but seeks ways out of the situation with him. Consulting does not require the client to understand the issue, but aims to teach their own knowledge and qualified support, the consultant works together with the employees of the enterprise, often acting as an observer or even a leader. The agency offering consulting services, in this case, should conduct general consultations on the business as a whole and on its individual elements, that is, be able to resolve all issues sometimes in these cases of consulting. This is what can be called business consulting. Hence the need to maintain a large staff of employees who understand any field of activity: from accounting to operational management.

A company engaged in consulting services can carry out its activities in accordance with the law Russian Federation without obtaining a special educational license. It is enough to simply register as a business entity, in which case it is more preferable to register as a legal entity. In order to be able to use the simplified taxation system, it is better to choose the form of a limited liability company. However, it should be borne in mind that consulting activities fall under the definition (OKPD 2) 70.22 Consulting services in the field of enterprise management, and in accordance with this, the OKVED code is selected. However, it is possible to provide business consulting services by working alone, and not by organizing a large enterprise, and then you can register simply as individual entrepreneur.

It can be said that for a beginner in this type of business, it is better to start by opening a small company, in which, in fact, only the entrepreneur himself works, because the newly opened enterprise does not have the trust of customers, and the businessman is faced with a very serious task of earning his reputation. To start cooperation with large organizations, you will first have to deal with consulting for individual entrepreneurs and small firms. Of course, in this case, you will not have to rely on large fees, but at this time the entrepreneur earns invaluable experience, learns in practice to understand the features of running different types of business and independently faces all the difficulties that await entrepreneurs in general. A business consulting specialist is a generalist, who will later be worked with by diversified professionals, but the manager must be able to understand absolutely any issue in order to help even his employees in controversial moments.

After you have managed to work with a large number of enterprises and entrepreneurs, study different areas of business and face various kinds of problems, and most importantly, when you already have a reputation in the consulting services market, you can start actively promoting your offers for large and successful companies that turn to consulting, expecting to get the help and experience of specialists who understand more than full-time top managers. At this stage, the organization should already employ a considerable number of people, each of whom is engaged in his own business and advises on a narrow range of issues.

Ready-made ideas for your business

The office of the company in this case should be located in the business districts of the city, which helps to increase confidence in the consulting company. The representative office itself will employ employees who are engaged in more auxiliary activities, these are extras, analysts, financiers, marketers who study the market for products and services, identify the needs of consumers in general and find new non-standard ideas for promoting types of products. A separate category is people who develop new concepts, create new products or improve old ones (we are not talking about production directly, but about design). These are people who are engaged in more scientific activities than direct consulting. This is necessary in order to offer our clients completely new, unparalleled developments, which is also part of consulting.

In order for consulting services to be as effective as possible, a company needs to conduct a comprehensive study internal system corporation and the external one that surrounds this corporation. In other words, you need to be able to identify not only the strengths and weaknesses of the company, but also all the factors surrounding it that affect performance indicators and directly affect business processes. We are talking not only about SWOT analysis, but about obtaining the most complete data on all industries and areas of the company. This is what generalists, who are directly business consultants, do. After they have identified the problems and named the business processes that need to be optimized, specialists of a narrower profile enter the business, who are engaged in more detailed analysis and offer solutions.

Thus, consulting is inextricably linked with marketing. Conducting marketing research is critically necessary to obtain reliable knowledge about the external environment, without which consulting simply cannot be consulting. Moreover, a consulting company constantly conducts marketing research for its client, collects statistics and determines the development opportunities that the external environment gives it. After receiving this information, the financial and other capabilities of the enterprise are determined, the capabilities and resources are compared, and already on the basis of this, methods for achieving the goals set are identified. Consulting is always about long term, work with the customer should ideally be open-ended, so research is carried out not only to achieve the goals stated by the customer, but also to improve the overall performance of the company as a whole.

Followed by strategic planning business processes of the company, painstaking and thorough development of plans, improvement of organizational structures, improvement of management systems, optimization and logistics, work with personnel. At this stage, consulting begins to resemble the work of training companies and assessment centers. The same principles are used here, training employees, evaluating their activities, certification, identifying the level of interest in achieving the company's goals (motivation), determining organizational structure personnel management, and, if necessary, a complete change in the company's image as an employer or a change in personnel policy. In order for this stage of consulting to be as effective as possible, the team should include not only HR specialists, but also psychologists and conflict resolution specialists.

Ready-made ideas for your business

Further fulfillment of the task already depends directly on the goals set, in connection with which various methods of achieving them can be used. Usually, consulting is turned to when there is a lack of new ideas. This includes companies that are expanding the market, trying to increase the range of products or trying to attract new categories of consumers, who cannot compete with competitors who simply experience stagnation in development or even regression. Beginning companies often need someone else's experience and knowledge, a consulting company that has worked on the market for more than one year can give newcomers a lot of valuable information and significantly change their position in the market. In this case, consulting becomes more of a support, an opportunity to get valuable advice from more experienced professionals.

Often consulting acts as a company that can help the customer complete a complex project or complete a task that he has accepted from his client. In this case, it may be necessary to have competent specialists completely different areas knowledge, including engineers, builders, technicians, IT specialists, etc. Here, consulting is already more like a professional team of specialists in the performance of certain works, from which execution is required, and not consulting directly. In companies with a complex management system or simply imperfect, it is often necessary to involve specialists who can become a link between company divisions and solve administrative issues, as well as teach customer managers how to manage effectively. Finally, many large firms need to involve third-party experts who evaluate an already finished project or possible risks, based on their assessment, a decision is made by the customer's management, but the method of expert assessments may not be taken into account in further activities. Here, the consulting company provides experienced experts who come to the project once and no longer participate in it.

The pricing system in the consulting services market is rather complicated. Currently, there are several types of payment, but everything can be roughly divided into three different kind, as well as allocate a combined payment, which includes the amount of funds calculated different ways. The simplest is the lump sum payment, saying plain language, fixed. In this case, the consulting company has its own list of prices for certain types of services and offers its customers only at the price that was originally set, while various unforeseen factors that can significantly simplify or complicate the task of the consultant are usually not taken into account. On the other side, this method it is used where risks are minimal: training, analysis, certification, and so on. The second type of payment is similar to lump-sum, called time-based and is calculated based on the actual time spent on the customer's task. The next type of payment is a percentage of the cost of the completed object or depending on the result obtained. In this case, the consulting company is particularly interested in the effectiveness of its activities.

It can be noted that today the cost of the services of a consulting firm in Russia is much lower than in developed capitalist countries, this is due not least to the fact that consulting by many firms is considered a non-priority item of expenditure. It is rather difficult to name average numbers, because a lot depends on the task, but in the case of a percentage payment, it rarely exceeds 5% of the project cost. Also, many firms today prefer to pay consulting firms by bartering or by transferring shares in their company, and in the latter case, the consulting firm has a particular interest in good order fulfillment because higher economic efficiency increases the value of their shares.

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Having your own consulting agency is an opportunity. Many have heard of such a business, but not everyone understands its essence. But this is quite a promising and profitable business. Consulting services what it is - let's try to figure it out in this article.

Business features

Any, even the most promoted and productive company, periodically has to turn to professionals for help, that is, to real highly qualified specialists. Experienced employees of consulting companies provide clients with consulting services on a paid basis that help the client optimize his business.

First of all, they analyze the problem, after which they draw certain conclusions. Based on the data obtained, professionals draw up an action plan that will help to cope with difficult situation. The services of a consulting company are quite in demand in our time, so such a business can be safely called profitable and promising.

Benefits of consulting as a business

• Small initial investment. To get the first profit from this type of activity, it is enough to have a phone and a computer with Internet access.
• You can work in this business without special education. To get started, it is enough to learn how to make commercial offers and conduct marketing analysis;
• you will be able to grow professionally. Not every employment provides such an opportunity;

The consulting business will allow you to create an image successful person. Even if you ever change your direction of activity, you will still remain a professional in the eyes of customers.

Flaws:

Dealing with problem clients.

Main directions and types of consulting

A consulting company can provide different services. Among them, the most promising and demanded areas should be highlighted:

Credit consulting

It is difficult to find a company that has never been in business for all the time it has been in business. Even economically stable firms sometimes need such financial injections. To expand a business, you must have the means to do so. It is unprofitable to withdraw them from circulation, so many companies turn to competent consultants in the field of lending;

Management consulting

Any business cannot develop and make a profit without competent management. The provision of consulting services in this direction allows us to solve many problems;

Small Business Consulting

Small companies that have limited financial resources often turn to competent specialists for help. Keeping experienced consultants on staff is too expensive, so consulting services for a business that is at the stage of development, as a rule, are provided by third-party specialists. Thanks to their work, the profit of the enterprise begins to grow, so the work of professionals quickly pays off;

In general, the sphere of consulting services includes many different areas.

registration

Before opening consulting firm, you need to collect authorized capital size 100 minimum wage. This is a prerequisite, without which you will not be able to start working. In addition, you will need a bank account.

After that, you should register a company in the Single Center and appoint a general director. It is also important to choose a unique name for the newly created business. You can check his identity in a special register.

You will receive confirmation of registration within 10 days. After that, you can rent a legal address. It will cost 6-6.5 thousand rubles per year.

To register a company, you need to collect the following documents

• Memorandum of association;
• company charter;
• Applicant's signature (certified by a notary);
• Receipt of payment of the state duty (2.1-2.5 thousand rubles);
• Statement.

If you seek the help of specialists, the organization of a consulting firm will not take you much time.

Location and office

You don't need a large office space to organize consulting services. Renting an expensive office is a waste of money.

The room should be equipped with a separate room in which company employees will work with clients. In addition, you will need a place to store information and documents. Another room should be equipped as an office for the head. The presence of such premises will testify to the seriousness and solidity of your company.

It is advisable to rent an office in the city center in some modern business center, where many large firms are concentrated.

Equipment

To work in the field of consulting, you do not have to buy special equipment. It is enough to purchase furniture, computers and office equipment.

Since you will be working with clients in the office, this important point should not be overlooked. If you don't have the money to buy stylish furniture, you can rent it. It will cost you much less. But the purchase of computers will have to allocate their own funds.

Staff

The choice of employees for the agency must be taken seriously and responsibly. There are many ways to promote this business, but the most effective of them is competent qualified personnel who have experience in this area.

You can select employees using advertisements in the media. But for this you will have to spend a lot of time. Many aspiring entrepreneurs turn to special agencies for help. They take small commissions for their work, but at the same time they show a fairly high-quality result.

At the stage of formation, you should not promise employees a high salary. This can cause you to go bankrupt a few months after you open your business. Over time, if things go well, the salary can be added.

Business promotion and level of competition

In the consulting business, there is high level competition. These days, offerings come to market much faster than consumers might need them. Therefore, in order for your business to develop, you need not only to develop a competent business plan for a consulting company, but also to create a website on the Internet. It needs to be posted on it. full information about your company, as well as a list of services.

Do not forget to constantly promote the resource so that it is in the TOP 10 search queries. You can also use advantageous location office and advertising in the media.

Business Profitability

For a business to be successful, you need to develop a large customer base.

There are several ways to do this:

• Contracts with start-up companies;
• High competence;
• Providing additional services that are not offered by competitors;
• Development of a certain market segment;
• If you hire qualified employees and correctly build an advertising campaign, the initial investment will pay off in 3-4 months. The profitability of such a business is quite high.

consulting business consulting business

Financial investments

Before you open a consulting company, you need to correctly calculate all the costs:

• Authorized capital and registration - 15 thousand rubles;
• Website development and promotion - 30 thousand rubles or more;
• Logo, business cards, printing - from 10 thousand rubles;
• Office furniture and computers - from 3 thousand dollars;

• Renting premises and utility bills - from 20 thousand rubles or more, depending on the location;
• Telephone and Internet - 5 thousand rubles.

You will have to spend 6-7 thousand dollars to open a small company. Also, do not forget about the salaries of employees, it is not included in this amount.

Have you ever marveled at the consultants who stormed into company life, garnering everyone's attention by spending days tackling problems you'd been solving for months, and flying away with large checks?

At least someday you could imagine yourself in this charming profession? This book will help you decide whether you can become a consultant, as well as whether the profession of a consultant offers you what suits your desires.

What is consulting

Consulting is one of the fastest growing businesses in the last decade. In its report The Global Consulting Marketplace: Key Data Forecasts and Trends (1997), Kennedy Information, a leading resource in the field of management consulting, predicts that after 2000 the global average growth rate of management consulting services will be about 16.1% per year. Whether companies need help resizing, introducing new computer systems, building a management team, or entering the Chinese market, they will turn to a consultant for advice. The organization that needs consulting support is usually referred to as the "client". This term can refer both to the organization as a whole and to the person who made the request.

Consulting is a process in which an individual or firm helps a client achieve a desired outcome. Assistance may take the form of information, advice or practical assistance in work. A consultant is a specialist in some professional field of activity who performs work that contributes to the achievement of the client's desired results.

A consultant is not a narrow specialist who has deep knowledge in a particular area. Unlike a doctor or an accountant, a highly qualified consultant proceeds in his activity from very many circumstances. The identification of these circumstances is required to determine the form of service provision or area of ​​expertise, which include, for example, management, engineering or exhibition activities. Although consulting is by definition not a profession, however, this concept is often identified with the “consulting profession”. For convenience, I will also refer to consulting as a profession in this book.

The actual work of a consultant can be carried out in different cases in different areas of activity. Each consultant must be an expert in some field - management, organizational development, training or any other, understand computers, securities, writing, marketing, or any other of thousands of professions.

Once you've determined your area of ​​work, you'll want to define how you work. For example, if you choose to focus on learning activities, you may develop and offer your own content or that of another person you represent. You may develop content, or you may submit content developed by others. You can even get certified as a trainer for courses developed by someone else, especially if you build relationships with large training firms.

Finally, if you are a generalist, such as a management consultant, you will need to determine if you can do the job in a particular industry.

Four ways to start a business

Allowing risks and ambiguity. Constant flexibility in relationships. Balancing both between different processes and between the interests of people. Managing multiple responsibilities. Ready for frequent and long trips. High communication abilities. Constant learning. The need to confirm the significance and value of their services again and again. Does all of the above apply to you? If your answer is yes, then consulting could be the perfect career for you.

If you have decided that consulting is for you, then what are the possibilities? Think about your end goals. Do you want to partner with any of the Big Six? Do you aspire to start your own firm, or do you expect to always work as a consultant as a sole trader? Do you want to teach at a small university in addition to counseling, or do you want to do counseling in addition to this activity? There are at least four main ways to enter this business:

1. As an employee. In this case, there are numerous employment opportunities in this area. You can get hired by a large national consulting firm. According to Kennedy Information (1997), university graduates with an MBA degree can expect salaries in excess of $90,000 a year by being hired by firms such as budding consultants. Working for such a company will provide you with benefits, but it will also require the tension that befits its big name. You can also get a job in a small firm. Although your earnings will be only half of what you would earn working for one of the Big Six companies, you will be under less pressure, have more varied work, and be more involved in all aspects of the firm's consulting activities.
2. as a subcontractor. Before you get hired by a firm, you can work with it on a contract basis. Many business and consulting firms view contractors as a back-up for work that can't be done by in-house staff in a rapidly expanding firm or launching new projects. As a subcontractor, you will have a less secure position, but more flexibility, gain and enrich work experience, and develop your understanding of the specifics of the market.
3. Part-time employment. If you are not ready to fully immerse yourself in this business, then you can consult as much as your other full-time job allows you to. Some people use their free time and weekends to realize small projects, unless, of course, this creates obstacles to the performance of the main work. Counseling is a very natural field of activity for university and college teachers.
4. Individual entrepreneurship. You can start your own consulting business. This book considers this possibility.

What is consulting today?

Consulting is one of the fastest growing professional fields in the economy. Why? And why now?

Turbulent times have multiplied the need for organizations for consulting services to help them navigate through changing technologies, globalizing markets, and mergers and acquisitions. The cost and time of implementation of consulting projects are increasing. Large-scale projects worth more than $50 million, lasting more than 5 years, are no longer unusual. As Charles Stein (1994) noted in an article in the Boston Globe, “counselors were once like dinner guests: they came for a brief visit, gave advice, and went home. Now they are like guests who come for dinner, then move into a spare bedroom and stay for a year or two.”

Trends

Two global business trends have had a huge impact on consulting. The first is the trend towards outsourcing1 more and more services. Corporations will continue to use an increasing number of temporary employees, bringing them to work as the need arises, as opposed to keeping a high-paid permanent staff. Consultants ensure that this temporary "human energy" is provided to carry out complex projects.

The second trend is that the rapid changes taking place in the world make it almost impossible for the company's management team to maintain the proper level of knowledge about the industry, consumers of its products, and competitors. The question often arises of what to do in cases where all these circumstances develop in an unfavorable way. Consultants offer knowledge, information, data and methods to solve these problems. They fill the void. When the problem is solved, the consultant and the firm part ways.

This is the demand side. What about on the supply side? Organizations that cut permanent staff to keep payroll and welfare costs low provide a steady supply of people in the market who need jobs and think they can do consulting. In fact, many of the people who are laid off today in a permanent job could be useful to the same companies as temporary workers.

Why, then, is there such a redistribution in some organizations? The use of consultants is often a better investment for a company that pays for the experience and knowledge it needs, as it is needed, whereas previously it had to train and take care of the skills development of people whose knowledge it might not have. need ever again. Consultants are also usually able to complete projects faster and better.

Perspectives for clients

Clients need consultants for many different reasons, some of which are listed below.

• The need for expertise. The knowledge and skills required to drive growth or any major change in a company's operations often cannot be obtained from its employees. Therefore, the organization turns to consultants to carry out such projects or solve problems that arise.
• Lack of time. Even in cases where such opportunities are available within the organization, staff members may simply not have the time to complete special projects or research. The consultant may become part of the organization for a period of time until what is needed is done.
• Lack of experience. The company may lack some qualified specialists. Consultants can fill these niches while training regular employees or hiring new permanent employees.
• Flexibility staff structure. Consultants may be hired for a short period of time to carry out the project. When the job is done, the organization can easily and quickly end the relationship with them.
• An objective opinion from the outside. Consultants usually bring a fresh perspective on the problem at hand. Outside specialists can offer a new, unbiased opinion on how to solve the problem.
• New ideas. Consultants come with their own ideas, obtained as a result of work in other firms and industries. They feed on ideas, knowledge, and examples of successful solutions from many sources. Staff members may be too closely connected to the problem to see a new solution.
• Speed ​​and efficiency. Hiring a consultant who has past experience with the type of projects a company needs can be a faster and more effective way to solve a problem than trying to get employees to work faster.
• Assessment of the situation. The consultant can provide an objective assessment of the situation, identify the problem and provide recommendations for resolving it.
• Independence. In the case of mergers or acquisitions, other changes in the organizational structure, an external consultant may act as an independent intermediary in resolving contradictions and disagreements.
• Showing goodwill. The organization may not have enough time, as well as for a number of other reasons not to fulfill some legal requirements. By hiring a consultant, she shows that she is making an effort to resolve the problem.

Perspectives for consultants

I often speak at conferences on how to become a consultant. The title of the talk I use is "You want to be a consultant." I always ask: "Why do you want to become a consultant?" The answers I get are many and varied. Usually you can hear several answers from the following list.

• My own boss. I want to be my own boss. This has always been my dream. I will never take orders from anyone else again.
• There is no set work schedule. I want to get rid of the daily routine. I'm tired of corporate life. I have worked all my life. I was a good employee. It may have been half my life, but I feel like I can be financially secure and I want more than just a paycheck. I want something that doesn't feel like a chore.
• Great opportunities. I see more opportunities than before. It seems that every company strives for growth. I see consultants in our company every week.
• Do your own "thing". I have skills and abilities that I believe others will pay me for. I have a lot of experience and will define my own course of action before someone else does.
• Technology. Modern technologies will make it easier to quickly create a fully functional office.
• Easy business start. I think this is the kind of business I can start. I already have a computer and can work from my home office. The relatively low cost of starting this activity makes it possible for me to maintain own business. Most other types of business will require about $100,000 to start.
• Liberty. I want to be able to work in pajamas if I want to. It's a good reason, like all the others. In addition, working in your own home is prestigious. Once upon a time, a consultant working from home was seen as less professional. This hasn't been the case for a long time.
• More money. Consultants seem to be making a lot of money and I want this. I work for a company that does not have an ex-employee financial support plan. I have worked with numbers and I believe that I can make enough money during the last ten years of work, doing what I like, saving money for the time when I am no longer working.
• Lack of work. I have no choice, I've been out of work for a long time. I'm starting to think I'm incapable of anything. I don't think I'll move on to building my own real business. I think that I can achieve something good in life only as a consultant.
• Greater good. I want to highlight the difference. I am not indifferent to the fact that I may not get the same money that I earn now. However, sometimes something else means more to me. I want to make the world more harmonious and work with non-profit organizations that appreciate what I have to offer.
• Safety. Corporate America is not always safe. I want financial security and I think the best way to ensure it is to take matters into my own hands.
• Creation. I want to be able to create. I have always strived for something new, but in my work I have often heard that this cannot be done. I want to find myself in my work.
• Travels. This may be considered a minor reason, but I have always wanted to travel. I know that after a while this desire may pass, but when such a time comes, then I will think about how to proceed in the future.
• Call. I need a serious challenge, but I can't get it where I currently work. There is virtually no room for advancement here, and I am doomed to do all the same work for the next six years with very little professional or career advancement.
• Self-preservation. I work in an industry that has experienced mergers and acquisitions. I have to save myself and find other opportunities in life.
• Place of residence. I want to live where I choose. For contacts with my clients, only the proximity of the airport is needed.

Why did I join the independent consultant category almost twenty years ago? I always say that it happened because I was a bad employee. I didn't like being told what I should do; I enjoyed playing my saxophone; I loved risk; I wanted to work at a time that I myself would choose to work, and not at any other hours; I wanted to realize my creative abilities and I preferred to control my own destiny.

What are your reasons? Do you have any idea why you want to choose the consulting profession?

Myths about consulting

Some myths have developed about activities in this area, the main of which we will consider below along with a description of the situation that exists in reality.

Myth 1. “Consultants make over $1,000 a day; so by advising you will become rich.”. Let's be realistic when considering this statement. Such money may seem like a huge amount for one day of work, but let's see what this amount covers. Imagine that you are a consultant. If you work an eight-hour day, you get $125 an hour. However, as a consultant, you are an entrepreneur and it is more than likely that you work 12 hours a day. In this case, your hourly rate drops to $83.

Of course, it is impossible to work 365 days a year. Let's exclude weekends, holidays and a two-week vacation (remember that this is unpaid vacation). Due to this, we can slightly, by 8%, reduce your hourly rate. This will bring it down to $75 an hour. But this is not the worst.

Working as a consultant, you will not be able to consult for five days every week. You will need one day for preparation, one day for marketing, and one day for administrative work such as tax and payment processing, research, and professional development. So one day you get paid is four days of your time. That's 25% off $76, or $19 an hour.

Murphy's Law says that all of your clients will choose the same two days in September to meet at a location away from you, and you will spend the rest of the month reading something like Training and Development and the Harvard Business Review. . This will not happen once in those years. In addition to this, you can be sure that you will lose the whole of December due to the holidays. At this time, no one needs your services. I've often wondered what happened this month. What is the solution: to engage in several activities or turn your employees into elves? When you add December to the other bad months, you can safely throw away 25% of your work because your customers want to see data that doesn't match what you present to them. So you can subtract another 25% from your hourly rate. Now it has dropped to $14 an hour.

You must pay the taxes due on your own business. There is no one to share this burden with you. Working as a consultant, you will have to pay taxes quarterly, and their amount will fluctuate significantly. You will constantly think not about the score in the football championship, but about how much tax you will have to pay for this quarter. The amount of various taxes you would pay would be approximately, say, 33%. This will bring your rate down to $9 per hour.

You run your own business, so you must make payments from your income for life and health insurance, as well as for Pension Fund. A very moderate estimate of these payments is about $1.5 per hour. In addition to everything, you carry out the costs of doing business: telephone conversations, copying, postage and office expenses. These costs will add up so quickly! They can reach two dollars for every billable hour. What will be left for you now?

The amount in question dropped to $5.5 per hour. Oh, you want to buy a laptop too? For $5.5 an hour?! In that case, working at McDonald's might be the right choice!

In fact, everything is not so bad. Although the realities of consulting in this example are deliberately exaggerated for the worse, you will need to take all this into account when calculating the amount of fees for the consulting services provided. Daily wages of $1,000 or more are considered significant. However, when you factor in expenses and unpaid hours, much of that $1,000 quickly disappears.

External consultants can earn six figures. At the same time, other consultants are having difficulty generating even some income. Some consultants earn less than $50,000 a year doing the same work for which others earn over $300,000. The statistics that determine the average income of consultants give very different figures depending on the source. This only confirms the assumption that consulting, more than any other profession, has an entrepreneurial spirit. Free enterprise is alive and well! He has untapped potential. It all depends on what you are capable of and what you want, and to a greater extent - on how ready you are to give yourself to work.

Myth 2. “Working as an external consultant will save you from having to follow management policies and paperwork that drive you crazy in your current job.” Management policies in the performance of your work as an employee may hinder your productivity and efficiency. Perhaps this policy is a game that you think your boss is playing. As an external consultant, you will go beyond the realm of politics in this organization, but be prepared to be involved in the politics of not one, but ten, seventeen, or maybe thirty-three organizations, depending on the number of clients you work with. As a consultant, you will have many bosses, whereas before there was only one. You will need to be aware of their needs and requirements and will need to take some difficult decisions to ensure that you continue to work with them.

The big difference is that instead of implementing the same leadership policy for an entire week (or longer) you will be able to go home at night knowing that another one is waiting for you, new job during this week or some time later (depending on your project).

No paperwork? Most likely, you will have more paperwork. You will not only have more of it, but besides, starting a business without a secretary, you will not be able to transfer at least part of the administrative and clerical work to someone. Some of your documents will be very significant. As an employee, you could delay submitting your expense report and then ask the accounting department to put it in a pile of other such documents. But if you submit your quarterly tax return later than the due date, the IRS will not put it on the timely filing pile.

You will have to spend quite a lot of time in order to determine how much to charge for services to clients. You will need to bill your customers on time to avoid problems with receiving funds. You will need to decide how invoices will be transferred and payment for your services will be made. You will need to account for all your expenses in order to avoid paying more of your income in taxes than is required. You will be required to keep and keep in order all documents that your lawyer, accountant or banker may need to provide.

Not only will you not be able to avoid being exposed to the policies of the organizations you work with and the paperwork, but they will multiply as your consulting business grows. If you do not pay serious attention to working with your documents, you will fly out of this business sooner than you can gain a foothold in it.

Myth 3. “You will be looked upon as an expert in your field of activity”. You are likely to be regarded as an expert in the field in which you are engaged in your current job. People turn to you for advice, you are respected by colleagues at work and praised by bosses (some of them, anyway). Enjoy it while you can. In the future, you will need to confirm your reputation every time, building relationships with each new client. You will face the never solved once and for all task of maintaining your positive image.

When starting a business, don't stop, move on, opening your own office and getting your name on the Yellow Pages. You will build your business in a new way with each new client. You will always be doing your due diligence in a new way for each new project.

You will build your business in a new way
with every new client.

Myth 4. “Doing your own consulting activity means having more free time”. If you think you have a long afternoon break every day and golf several times a week, then you are in for a big disappointment. Becoming a consultant means becoming a business owner - an entrepreneur. Like most entrepreneurs, you will spend sixty to eighty hours each week in your first year of operation to get your business up and running. You will market your services and contact everyone you know in search of new clients.

You will work for other people and companies, like many other businessmen who have started similar work before, under severe restrictions and under great pressure from external circumstances. You may need to work nights or weekends to accommodate the client's needs. Wondering where you found the time to complete the project you just completed, you are again faced with the need to implement another, already waiting in line, the same time-compressed project.

Myth 5. “Consulting is a respected profession”. I thought that I had chosen a respected profession, but at first I was shocked that I was called a “highway robber”. I was also called the plague, because I often accompanied the client everywhere. I was also called "konmen",1 which is why potential clients, before meeting me, thought that I was a man! Jokes about consultants are widespread.

Some of the negative characteristics are indeed deserved by our profession. There are a lot of charlatans in our business. This profession is lacking legal regulation, any statutory standards or certification of activities. Entering the consulting business is very easy. Go to your computer and print out a business card. You will magically transform into a consultant before the ink dries.

Often people who are temporarily unemployed seek consulting to "hit the jackpot". They have been operating in this area for quite a long time, during which they manage to do a lot of trouble and devalue the role of a consultant. After completing about twenty projects, I realized the need to ensure a decent reputation for the consulting profession in one of two ways: I could identify the mistakes made by previous consultants who lacked knowledge in the field of organization development, or I could find myself in the fight against immorality and overestimation of their own importance by these people.

Myth 6: “The consulting industry is easy to get into. All that is needed is to print the appropriate business card. It really is. This area is easy to penetrate. However, it is very difficult to stay in this business. You want to stay there, don't you?

Initially, you will spend at least 50% of your time marketing services. You will need to implement a business system, set up your computers and printers for the tasks that you face, set up payment transfer systems, customer communications, document management, planning, and perform a dozen other jobs that will be discussed in this book. You will feel exhausted working in the absence of at least the mentioned service systems that ensure the provision of services to your customers.

Myth 7. “The decision to scale up your operations is an easy decision. Everyone wants to expand their business." You think that running a consulting business will get easier and easier as you progress in it. There will be no failures. If you work well, you will have more work than you can handle. And at some point in time you will wonder whether it is necessary to increase the business and how to do it. Should you diversify activities? Or take someone as a partner? Or start a company? Or stay single?

This is not an easy decision. It requires risk and capital. Your loads will increase. You must remember that there are many ways to grow without having to hire additional employees and increase the cost of paying them.

These myths were not discussed to scare you away. They will help you see both sides of the coin. Let's focus on the best in consulting.

Advantages and realities of consulting activity

I will list some of the benefits and realities of consulting in the following paragraphs. Pay special attention to them when deciding to start your own consulting business.

Advantages

Consulting can become one of the most profitable, promising careers. Imagine yourself sitting at a table looking at various options your next steps. Imagine that every morning you wake up and know that you will do what you have chosen for yourself for this day. Imagine that you do not have the need to travel by transport during peak hours. Imagine that you choose the projects you like and work with the people you want. Imagine yourself doing what you do best and enjoying it, choosing the things that best fulfill your potential. Imagine that you get as much money as you need to do what you love. Imagine yourself working for yourself. Imagine that you get satisfaction from completing a part of the project and build confidence in your abilities, and when you successfully complete the project, you receive high praise from the client. Imagine being able to choose the place and time of work, taking days off without asking anyone's permission. Imagine yourself waking up in the morning and not rushing to work, but going to have fun. These are the benefits of consulting.

Realities: lessons from the first year

What might the first year of operation be like? Three novice consultants offer you their opinion on how they see it. Perhaps these first year lessons will remind you of the actions you need to take.

Consultant number 1

My first year really took me by surprise. I had been paying consultants for many years as the company's director of training, and I was confident that I knew everything there was to know. So when the company offered me to resign, I accepted. The consultants I worked with in the past were top notch professionals. They seemed to make their job so easy! Now I'm laughing, remembering how much I didn't know. For example, I never thought about how consultants do everything they have to do. Working on weekends in the first months was a real shock for me! I did not come up with ideas about how to promote my business. I didn't know what I should be selling! It was certainly a blessing that the company paid generous compensation for the resignation. I used these funds to start the business, as well as some of my own savings. Otherwise, my business would have died out before it was even born!

Consultant number 2

I didn't have the problem of lack of funds. In my first six months as a consultant, I made ten pounds! However, I did not think that working from home would cause so many difficulties. So many questions distracted from work: it was necessary to mow the lawn, prepare clothes for the laundry, sweep the trash, wash clothes, mop the floors, clean the garage. The biggest problem was the fridge! I always wanted to look into it. The hardest period of my work was when I did it at home. I made very little investment compared to what I originally thought I would make. It took me more time for armchair reflection and literature study than I thought. In the first week, I was forced to purchase another phone - with a mute key so that it would not ring when I needed silence. I had to find a way to keep track of who I called, what they answered, and when I should call back. Fifty-three pink slips of phone numbers all over the place weren't the right model for organizing office activities. Now I share office space with two other people. We share the cost of operating the copier, as well as the maintenance of the typist and secretary. I need social interaction that provides me with some benefits. I prefer working outside the home. I feel that my professionalism is growing.

Consultant number 3

I should have met with my accountant before starting my own business, but I didn't think about it. Already on April 3, I realized that there were problems when he asked me what quarterly tax I paid. I planned to stretch the period of entry into the business for at least six months. I rented office space for one year, which I rarely used. I thought that in order to be in this business, I need to get to the bottom of things. My focus in work shifted all the time depending on how I imagined it. I thought I would regularly give advice to the CEO,1 but I found myself getting more and more immersed in paperwork. I had bad software, but while I was thinking about installing something better, my files stopped opening at all. I understood that if I continued to do this kind of activity, I would have to change. The more I waited for things to change, the worse things got! I didn't have time to fix everything.

What lessons can you take from all this for yourself as you enter the world of the consulting business?

What are you striving for?

As you have seen, there are many pros and cons to doing consulting. You can also get confused. Only after you have made your main decision will you want to continue with the teachings of this field of activity. First of all, you need to find out for yourself whether consulting is the profession that you would like to do.

One of best ways figuring this out is talking to other consultants. Talking to people working in this business will help determine your interests and assumptions. Most of us are happy to discuss these issues, especially those who work alone. As professionals, we are indebted to those who enter this business and will share our knowledge and views. But what should you ask someone who is a professional in this business? Support material 1.1 provides a list of questions you can use to interview consultants. Also take the time to reflect on the various points noted in this chapter and add your own questions to the list. How will your career path change as a result? What impact will this have on your personal life? Take time to think and make a decision. Do this homework.

Support material 1.2 introduces you to some aspects of becoming an external consultant. Read the statements and mark all the ones you agree with.

And although the number of marked statements on this page is not very important, your willingness to face their manifestations in reality is of great importance. Every time you can't or don't want to tick a statement, you'll see how you fit into the profession.

Some provisions may require clarification.

• Are you willing to work 60-80 hours a week to be successful? You are entering the world of entrepreneurial activity. You may be able to reduce the number of hours you work after your business's formative period has passed, but until then, it will only require that many of you. Most successful entrepreneurs requires less than 8 hours of sleep. Time is always a critical factor for an entrepreneur. In his book Entrepreneurs Are Made, not Born, Lloyd I. Shefsky (1994) teaches readers how to sleep less! You will become more disciplined in how you use your time, learn to multitask and prioritize.
• Do you love risk? As a consultant, you will constantly operate in conditions of uncertainty. The greater the risk, the more thought there will be about finding a more stable job that pays mortgage interest. Even if you're on a long-term project with an organization, the person who hired you might not last that long. The possibility of changes in the management of the company can put the project, and with it your contract, at risk.
• Are you sensitive? Does it offend you when you are called a plague, a highwayman, or a conman? Consultants are not always respected. How will you react at first to a critical attitude towards you or your profession?
• Do you freely communicate with people - representatives of various fields of knowledge and activity, of all levels of management? Depending on the project you are involved in, you may be in contact with crane operators, secretaries, auditors, janitors, teachers, presidents, welders or chefs. You need to feel confident and comfortable talking to them, just as they need to feel comfortable talking to you.

Well, how? Are you ready to continue learning the consultant's craft?

What is business consulting? How can you improve your business with coaching? Where to order the services of a consultant to assess the state of the business?

The popular online magazine "HeaterBober" welcomes its readers! The duty author and part-time editor of the publication Denis Kuderin is in touch.

I'll start with a statement that does not require proof: successful business is a constant increase in profits, the capture of new markets and the eternal movement forward - towards progress and perfection. Not every businessman can achieve this. There are many reasons - competition, economic instability, unreliable partners, unprofessional performers, inflation, entropy, fools and roads.

But there is great way if not to eliminate all these factors, then to minimize the damage caused by them. You just need to seek help from knowledgeable people, or rather, order business consulting from a reputable and competent company. We will talk about what business consulting is, what it is served and eaten with.

So let's get started!

1. What is business consulting and why is it needed

Any operating business is a living organism. And like any organism, it goes through the stages of birth, maturation, formation and maturity. At any of the listed stages, failures and errors are possible - let's call them diseases.

Diseases are short-term and long-term, dangerous and not very dangerous. Other entrepreneurs self-medicate their business or use traditional medicine. Sometimes this temporarily eliminates the symptoms, but does not cure the disease itself. These methods are ineffective.

Another thing is occupational therapy. - this is a qualified doctor who heals the business in accordance with all the rules. First, he conducts laboratory tests and diagnostic tests, then determines the disease, and only then prescribes a course of treatment.

The methods used by specialists are strictly scientific and tested in practice. In addition to treating a business, consultants are engaged in its prevention in order to prevent relapses.

The scientific definition of consulting is as follows:

is advising managers, management staff and other employees of the company on economic, administrative, financial, legal and production activities.

Changes in modern business occur rapidly and non-stop. Technologies are improving, new sales markets are emerging, and customer needs are growing. If the enterprise does not change tactics and strategy in time in accordance with the conditions, this will cause stagnation and regression. In other words, competitors will bypass you, as a racer bypasses an opponent on a turn.

Consulting is an intellectual activity with practical benefits. Professional counseling consists of identifying the problem, analyzing it, developing a “rescue plan” and putting it into practice.

A competent consultant does not leave the client until the problem is solved. Good consultants are expensive, but they almost always pay off. Profits rise, the production process accelerates, work becomes easier and more fun.

Each consulting firm has its own tools and methods of work. For example, such a method of counseling as coaching is popular and in demand.

The peculiarity of this technique is that the coach (trainer) does not give the client ready-made instructions and recommendations. He asks the right questions, puts him in such conditions that the client himself finds a way to solve the problem assigned to him. Thus, the personal and business qualities of the student are developed.

Examples of tasks that business consulting solves:

• development of an effective business plan;
• assistance in investment decisions ();
• complete revision of business processes;
• creation of a marketing plan and implementation of new sales strategies;
• strengthening the management apparatus of the company;
• learning new technologies.

A professional consultant is able to solve a problem in a minimally costly way in a few days, over which the director of the company and his closest assistants have been fighting for months. And this is not because the consultant is too smart, but because he looks at the situation from a different angle and has already encountered a similar problem in his practice.

2. What services does business consulting include - 5 main services

The main task of business consulting is to increase the efficiency of the company. The means to achieve the goal depend on the situation. In one case, it is required to radically change the approach to resources at the enterprise, in the other - to establish interaction with customers, in the third - to modify the management structure.

Consider the main services that professional business consulting includes.

Service 1. Business valuation

This is the main activity of consultants. Specialists analyze and evaluate the work of the company, explore sales markets, determine the reasons for the decline in income, and identify areas that need to be strengthened.

The result of this work is a detailed list of recommendations for improving productivity, modernizing and developing the company. Consultants put the enterprise in perfect order: after their visit, business mechanisms begin to work in a new mode - more efficiently, economically and measuredly.

A separate area of ​​consulting -.

Service 2. Preparing a business improvement plan

Based on the analysis, the consultants develop a step-by-step plan to improve the company's performance and increase profits. The plan takes into account the economic and financial capabilities of the enterprise, human resources.

No self-respecting adviser will be guided only by experience or intuition: all the conclusions of experts are justified and supported by evidence.

Service 3.

Not all firms have full-time marketing specialists - it is not always profitable to maintain such an employee. At the same time, every businessman is aware that the successful promotion of products to the market is the main engine of trade.

Marketing consultants will be able to optimize the advertising budget, find new media channels to promote services and products. Proper positioning of products on the market is half the success. The second half is effective interaction with the target audience.

Service 4. Assistance in personnel management

The well-coordinated work of management structures is the framework on which the entire work of the enterprise rests. Without management, the business will disintegrate into elementary particles, and they will be swallowed up by primordial chaos.

Service 5. Business development consulting

From English "consulting" is translated as "consulting". Advisors give recommendations to everyone who needs it - directors, heads of departments, technologists, lawyers, accountants and watchmen of the company.

The table clearly shows the practical value of consulting services:

3. How to improve your business with consulting - 5 easy steps for aspiring entrepreneurs

First of all, the services of consulting agencies will be useful to those companies that have specific problems - production, management, financial and legal. But even quite profitable business can always be improved and upgraded.

Therefore, large companies cooperate with consultants on a regular basis. For example, once every six months, consultants come to the enterprise, conduct a full-scale audit, identify weaknesses and eliminate shortcomings at an embryonic stage.

Now - detailed instructions for beginner businessmen.

Step 1. Choosing a consulting company

Finding competent consultants is not easy, given the fact that in Russia the consulting industry is just beginning to enter the stage of intensive development.

To continue the medical analogy, you should look for a good adviser in the same way as a good doctor. It is best to ask acquaintances, friends and business colleagues (not competitors). Real reviews are 150 times more valuable and reliable than the delights of anonymous people in Internet sources. Although reviews on the network should not be neglected - sometimes you can find exclusive and compromising information there.

Criteria for choosing a consulting firm:

• work experience (more than 10 years - take note);
• the number of implemented projects;
• the presence of permanent partners from among well-known and large companies;
• the qualifications and credibility of individual employees;
• well-designed and functional website.

And remember that you will have to work with specific specialists, not an abstract organization. So the main thing is to choose sensible people.

Your goal at this stage is to distinguish a certified doctor from a quack. Ask the candidate questions, be annoying. Professional consultants love to talk to clients, amateurs prefer to remain silent, and if they answer, then out of place.

Step 2 We conclude a contract and pay for services

A prerequisite is the conclusion of an agreement with the company.

The document must indicate:

• terms of work;
• a complete list of services and their cost;
• conditions for early termination of the contract;
• responsibilities of both parties.

Both one-time agreements and long-term contracts on a subscription basis are practiced. Method of payment - depending on the agreement.

Step 3 We provide the necessary data for analysis

Consultants will need documents that will help to comprehensively study and analyze all aspects of the company's activities. Trust advisors, and they will respond to you with hard work.

The more information the specialists have at their disposal, the more effective their work will be.

Step 4 We approve the change implementation plan

After developing a change plan, advisors agree it with the customer.

At this stage, it is worth checking whether the company has enough resources to implement the planned changes into practice.

Step 5 We introduce changes and organize a control system

The final stage is the implementation of the project. Management needs to take control of the execution of the task. If necessary, employees need to be trained in new skills and explained to them the meaning and objectives of innovations.

4. Where to order consulting services - an overview of the TOP-3 companies providing services

The market for consulting services is relatively young in Russia. Not all firms of this profile are competent and experienced.

To make it easier for our readers to choose, we have prepared an overview of the top three organizations specializing in business consulting.

1) Business consulting

The group of companies "Business Consulting" provides clients with legal, personnel, audit, accounting services. Employees will help develop a business plan, improve the efficiency of an existing business, help the company with the reorganization of the structure.

The company was founded in 2002. This is one of the leading consulting companies in Russia. The main advantages are a professional approach, attraction of advanced technological resources, optimal terms for the provision of services, affordable prices, and strict confidentiality.

Year of foundation - 2006. Main activities - strategic, managerial, operational, consulting, business training, staff training. Tagline - " We make the world a better place!". Motto - " You have a problem, we have a solution».

The company's specialists are not afraid of complex problems and use innovative methods of their own development. The company has more than 800 closed projects on business optimization and management. As part of business consulting, employees are committed to reducing costs by 50% and increasing sales growth by 80%. The average cost of services is 100,000 rubles. for the project.

The company was founded in 2005. Provides entrepreneurs with business advice, as well as business valuation, machinery and equipment, shares and intangible assets.

If you need a professional, financial and economic analysis of the enterprise, an effective business plan - feel free to contact the specialists of "Assessment Consulting". Employees of the company will conduct a full audit of your company, help automate business processes and reorganize management.

5. How to choose a consulting company for a beginner businessman - 4 useful tips

Hiring the first firm you see for consulting is a disastrous practice.

The choice of consultants requires a thoughtful approach - the future of your company directly depends on the partner's qualifications.

Read, memorize and put expert advice into practice.

Tip 1. Pay attention to the duration of the company

The longer consultants work in their field, the more practice they have. Let beginners choose those who do not feel sorry for their own funds.

10 years in consulting is the minimum you should be guided by.

Tip 2. Analyze company reviews

Previous customers will tell you about the level of service and quality of service much more than impersonal information on the website of the service provider.