A good Business Consultant has experience working in and working with a broad range of businesses. It is the accumulated business history of a Business Consultant which makes the consultant valuable. A good Business Consultant is experienced in a lot of different types of businesses and industries, while also having very specific experience in running companies, in the financing of a company and most importantly in the marketing and sales of a company. Experienced Consultants have experience with companies in all stages of Growth: Existence, Survival, Success, Take-off and Maturity. The business consultant may also have a specialty as a Business Turnaround Consultant, helping struggling companies to turnaround and succeed again. In other words, a good Business Consultant has broad and narrow stroke experience and typically, 20 years or more of accumulated business experience. Having an MBA from a good business school isn’t enough. The Business Consultant must have solid real world experience with many types of companies in order to be an effective consultant.

Exactly What Does a Business Consultant Do?

First and foremost, a Business Consultant gets to know and understand your business. As the business owner, you know more about your business than anyone else. For this reason, a good business consultant will take the time to learn from you, your department heads and key employees what the ins and outs of your business entails. It is only until a complete understanding of your business that a Business Consultant can begin to help you.

Identifies Problems and Opportunities

After a Business Consultant has learned the details of your business, the consultant goes to work identifying problems and opportunities. Those may be certain problems and opportunities you point out to the consultant, but also a good Business Consultant will have a process to identify problems and opportunities which a business owner has not identified. A Business Consultant brings fresh eyes, fresh experience and an open mind to your business enterprise, providing a completely different perspective than that of someone who has been running the company for some time or someone looking to start a new venture.

Business Analysis

After identifying the problems and opportunities of the business a Business Consultant will then analyze this gathered information in order to provide solid solutions and plans for the future. The consultant takes a micro view at the business and provides solutions for the macro outlook, strategizing for the future success of your business. Often times, business ownership is so focused on working “in” the business that short term and long term outlooks and strategies are overlooked and neglected. The Business Consultant re-focuses a company’s strategies in order to solve immediate problems, while taking advantage of future opportunities. In short, a Business Consultant will minimize expenses and maximize profits through a proven process.

Meanwhile, you probably face unprecedented pressures. Markets are changing more quickly. Customers demand more, and forgive less. Employees feel less loyalty. Competitors announce new breakthroughs in rapid time.

In this environment, it becomes enormously difficult to keep track of the few things that really matter: vision, mission, values, performance, relationships, and how to become more effective. If you are not careful, you can lose perspective and become scattered, when you really need to be grounded—focused, calm, resilient, and powerful.

Vision. It is important to have a simple and inspiring vision of where the organization is going. That way, when work pulls you in multiple directions you can keep perspective and prioritize.

Mission. In addition to having a vision, it is also important for you to know why you are doing what you are doing. What’s the higher purpose for all of your hard work? How will the planet be better if you achieve your long-term vision? Why will it matter to you, and to others? By knowing the answer to those questions, you can remain grounded in purpose.

Values. Values play a key role in grounding leaders. When you find yourself under extreme pressure, values help you persevere and thrive—gracefully.

Performance. Ultimately, you are paid to perform. However, few executives can quickly and simply define what “performance” means to them. This section challenges you to choose the key measures that tell you whether you are doing a great job. That way, you can easily communicate what you need to do, and what you need others to do.

Initiatives. Many executives take on projects that bear little relationship to their performance goals or their vision. By carefully choosing a few projects with high impact, you can manage your time and improve results.

Professional relationships. Leaders get results by working with other people. Therefore, having strong professional relationships with the right people determines a large part of your success. This piece of the dashboard asks you to identify the key people you need on your side in order to succeed.

Development. Great leaders continuously evolve, learn, and improve. They build on strengths, adopt more effective behaviors, and learn new skills and knowledge. This section challenges you to choose the few areas where your development will lead directly to improved results.

It is not easy to remain grounded as a leader of a complex and evolving organization. By being clear on your vision, mission, values, performance goals, and areas for development, you will remain calm and focused when others panic.