Confident Public Speaking Coach

1003 Justin Ln, Austin, TX 78757, United States

+1 512-521-1600

fear of public speaking

If you've got a business, sooner or later you're going to hear from a business management consultant. There's an old saying that those who can, do and those who can't, teach. Here's another one: A consultant is an unemployed worker. Those are pretty harsh words, without a doubt, and not fair to the many consultants who really do a good job for your business. But there are five questions you've got to ask yourself before you hire a business management consulting firm.

Question #1: What do the numbers say about how your business is really doing?

Take a look at your financial statements and the stats of your business. Is your business growing at a steady pace? Is profit increasing or decreasing?

This is an important first step before you start any new project. At my businesses, I've had mixed results from hiring a consultant.

One of the first consultants I hired focused on marketing. I knew nothing about marketing and just blindly did whatever she recommended. She didn't encourage tracking results and in fact, said it was a waste of time. Against every instinct I had, I did what she said. You can imagine the results. I let go of looking at the business and tracking what worked and what didn't work, instead focusing on growing the business at all costs.

I knew better, especially since I'm a CPA. But I was getting more customers and clients and so figured it would all work out. I did get more customers, but I didn't pay attention to how much it was costing me to get those new customers. Plus, as I took my eye off fulfillment costs and instead trusted an employee to make sure things stayed the same, the costs skyrocketed. The manager hired friends and inflated payroll and benefits. I was so busy working with the business consultant that I didn't see what was going on, until I noticed the dwindling bank account.

Thankfully, I went back to pulling stats and saw how much this business management consultant was really costing me.

So, before you start, make sure you know your numbers. That's so you can compare the real results to the advice you're going to get.

Question #2: Where do you need help?

There are many different types of consultants. Make sure you're hiring the right person. For example, you may need help fulfilling on promises and keeping costs down. You might need time management help. You might need marketing help. Or you might need legal or tax advice. Ask the right person the right question. That all starts with knowing what you need first.

Question #3: What are the consultant's credentials?

I'm amazed by how many shysters there are on the Internet these days. These are people who claim to have made millions or own millions in assets. But there is no talk about how much they kept of that millions they made. (And by the way, did they actually make that much? How can you confirm it?) Or for the people claiming to own multi-millions of assets, how much is the net worth really?

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