6 Key Consultants to Invest in for Business Growth Strategising

For SMEs, access to consultants can often mean the difference between maintaining revenue and building sustainable growth. This is simply because consultants can provide expert and objective third-party insights into your business performance and growth planning, helping ensure that your strategies are on-track and aren’t tarnished by bias.

That and nobody is an expert at everything. If there’s a skills gap in your team, a consultant can step in and offer the perspective you feel you’re lacking but still can’t sustainably invest in. For instance, most small businesses can’t justify keeping an accountant in-house, so outsourcing financial planning to a financial advisor makes this branch of growth strategising more accessible for SMEs.

Moreover, consultants who specialise in a specific field can provide on-the-ground support both in day-to-day operations and one-off projects. But what consultants are primed to be most valuable for your business? Keep reading to discover 6 key consultants that can support your business growth planning both in the short and long term.

1. ISO 9001 Consultants

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a body that provides a host of internationally-recognised certificates to businesses that meet certain criteria. Among the most crucial of these certificates is the ISO 9001, which relates to quality management. If you're striving for this certification, we strongly recommend working with an ISO 9001 consultant to help keep your certification planning firmly on track. 

There are many benefits to working with an ISO 9001 consultant. For one thing, they can help you with the administrative side of organising your certification audit. Moreover, they have a comprehensive understanding of the requirements a business needs to fulfil in order to qualify for certification. They can then combine this knowledge with a comprehensive audit of your business to come up with recommendations to improve your quality management processes and ensure your enterprise is in the strongest possible position in the leadup to your certification audit. 

All in all, an ISO consultant can help streamline the process of obtaining ISO 9001 certification for your business, allowing you to qualify for more government tenders, do business internationally and build up your company’s reputation. 

2. Information Technology Consultants

With the ongoing tech evolutions we’re experiencing throughout the digital age, it’s becoming more and more important that businesses adapt to the latest changes to maintain a competitive edge. Unfortunately, not all businesses have a dedicated information technology team, and even those that do might not have the internal expertise to carry out major projects such as integrating new centralised software platforms or building a fully customised app or program for client/customer use. 

This is where IT consultants come in. Outside experts can come in and provide assistance on a specific project or problem. IT consultants can also offer day-to-day support and help you troubleshoot technical problems. 

For smaller businesses, ICT consultants can even function as your IT department. It’s all about finding the right IT consultancy firm for your needs and developing a partnership arrangement that works for both of you.

3. Financial Advisory Consultants

Every day, business owners need to make countless financial decisions, whether that’s purchasing from a certain supplier or adjusting the price of a product or service. While most companies have an internal process for making these decisions, many are not prepared for more complex financial scenarios.

A financial advisory consultant can be tremendously helpful in these cases. These skilled professionals will be aware of the financial and legal aspects of doing business, which is an asset in scenarios like mergers, acquisitions and wholesale restructuring. 

Moreover, a financial advisory consultant can also perform a full audit of your business’ finances and identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement. This helps you cut down on unnecessary costs and gives you the wiggle room to spend money elsewhere.  

4. Supply Chain Consultants

Proper supply chain management is essential for businesses great and small. Whether you’re sourcing from a single supplier or purchasing raw materials from factories all over the world, efficient logistics saves you plenty of money and cuts down on waste. 

If you’re not a logistics expert, working with supply chain consultants can be a massive boost to your company. These experts can devise more efficient ways to transport goods and raw materials internally. Moreover, if you’re a business that accepts online or phone orders, supply chain consultants can also streamline your delivery process, improving your sales margins and boosting overall profitability. 

5. Marketing Consultants

Marketing is an incredibly broad field, and expertise in one area does not necessarily translate to others. This is why so many Australian businesses are turning to marketing agencies and consultants for help.

One area where a marketing consultant can help is forming an overall marketing strategy. For instance, an expert will be able to analyse your product offering and audience and tell you whether inbound or outbound marketing is for you. You can also enlist the help of external specialists to help with a particular area of marketing, such as SEO or social media. Consultants allow you to spread the word about your business without the massive overhead costs involved with hiring a massive internal team. 

6. Business Management Consultants

As a business owner, you likely have a vision for where you want to take your enterprise. However, it can still be helpful to get an outside perspective on big-picture matters such as potential overseas expansion and internal restructuring. 

If you’re looking for expert input, you should strongly consider business coaching. A good business coach will perform a large-scale analysis of your company and then come up with recommendations for improvement. This option appeals to many business owners as it offers holistic recommendations rather than focusing on a specific area or department. A second opinion can do wonders for your growth as a business, so make sure to invest in the right business consultants. 

Build for the Future with the Right Business Consultants

Everyone needs help from time to time, and business owners are no exception. Whether you're looking for someone to help you complete tasks you don't have the expertise or bandwidth for, or for an authoritative resource who can give you big-picture insights that will fuel your business growth and growth planning, it’s clear that hiring consultants can be incredibly valuable in more ways than one.

It's also crucial to know what types of consultants are best for your business. In this piece, we've gone over 6 of the most important consultants you can hire. Work with an outside expert today to grow your company at a faster pace than you ever could've imagined.