Consultants come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. You have your big ones, small ones, smart ones, and dumb ones. Some come prepackaged through a firm, while others are lone rangers who come in for the occasional side job. The fact remains though, they are as essential to modern day business as the Internet is to Google.
Ages ago, my ex-girlfriend’s dad worked for General Electric (aka GE) and he was telling me horror stories about consultant. How they are brought in to consolidate and people end up losing their jobs. I am sure a lot of you remember the consultants showing up in Office Space, and how the employees started freaking out. Someone is bound to lose their job! (ps.. If you haven’t seen that movie in a while - you should!)
The reason consultant are vital to any business is simple - outside influence. Oftentimes, management in a company get affected by group think and can’t see what a normal person sees. For instance, a marketing department will know all about what they are trying to sell, but they forget they need to pitch the product to normal people! Or an executive will know the production process inside and out - and not realize that the process can be cut in half because of redundant work being done…
There are basically two different ways you can take this little braindump of mine.
- If you are knowledgeable in any one or two areas, use it to your advantage and consult for someone. Granted, sewing wicker baskets might not be in high demand, but who knows!
- If your company is in need of a NEW viewpoint, find a consultant that comes highly recommended for your line of work. Line up some clear cut objectives, and benefit from someone outside the loop.
Who knows - a consultant might cut $50,000 off your bottom line, or you might be able to make a couple grand consulting someone else. Either way, both sides seem worth a shot..