Business consultants are masters at wrangling unruly strategy and nebulous goals and turning them into well thought out business and marketing plans.
We advise on everything from business plan and vision, to business naming and branding, to how to improve your marketing strategy and workflow, to the latest technology you can use to promote your business, and much more.
You can opt to hire a business consultant or a business coach, but the former is more rooted in marketing and strategy. A business coach, on the other hand, will provide moral support through the process—like a professional life coach. They’ll give you ideas, but most of the execution will be on you to figure out.
At Charm School, we’re a hodgepodge of the two. Our expertise is based in marketing and PR strategy, creative branding, and all the digital marketing content you need to sell your products and services. As a fellow woman-owned and operated business, we know the growing pains other women-owned businesses face. We’re here to help you navigate it all! So, if you find yourself saying yes to the following criteria, give us a shout! It may be high time to bring on a business consultant like us to help right the ship and set your brand up for success.

Signs It’s Time to Find and Hire a Business Consultant ASAP

1. You’re Starting a Business

This is our favorite time to step in and help a business with business consulting and coaching. Why? Because a new business provides a blank slate and the sky is the limit to build your business exactly the way you want.

If you’re launching a start-up or business, a business consultant can help you with your logistics, business plan, overall marketing strategy, brand name, and all of the nitty gritty details. We can even help consult on how you should set up and incorporate your business, register patents, etc. We’re here to bounce ideas off of and steer you in the right direction.

2. You Haven’t Nailed Down Branding or Brand Identity

Branding is hit or miss. It either nails your aesthetic and vibe on the head, or falls short. If you’re not happy with your business’s branding, a business consultant can help.

We will discuss mission and vision statements, brand style guide, editorial style guide, your demographic and target market, what you want to represent as a company, and all the other juicy little tidbits you need to iron out.

Maybe you paid for a logo and ended up disappointed. This could have happened because you didn’t know what to ask for. A business coach can help you determine your exact needs so you speak the same language as your graphic designer and get the end result you want.

3. You Need an Unbiased Opinion

Sometimes you’re just too close to something to make an objective decision. Or, there are too many cooks in the kitchen muddying the decision-making process. A business consultant will cut through this BS in a jiffy. Because a business consultant isn’t boots on the ground with you in your business every day, you’ll find it easier to make decisions. They can help you ideate and say yay or nay to ideas. Easy peasy.

4. You’ve Fallen Behind the Times

Do you have a company that’s starting to stagnate or lag behind competition? That could be from dated infrastructure, marketing, and/or technology. A business consultant for women-owned businesses will be up to date on the latest in marketing tech, social media marketing, etc. Hiring a business consultant will ensure your business gets brought back up to speed so you don’t get left in the dust.

5. You Haven’t Met Goals or Grown Your Business, or You Have Lost Business

Don’t freak out if you nod your head to this issue! Just know, that a business consultant can help turn this around. Failing to meet business goals can result from a number of variables: unreasonable goals to begin with, inability to track data and measure metrics correctly, etc.

Stagnation, plateauing, and losing business are all signs your business needs to evolve. Business coaches know how to help with that.

6. You’re In a Rush

It’s never a good idea to rush anything. However, life happens, loans need to be paid back, and sometimes you need to get something off the ground ASAP. Instead of running around like a chicken with its head cut off, hire a business consultant. They will tell you if your timeline is reasonable and possible to execute. If not, they’ll help you prioritize to get as much done as you can by deadline. They never put the cart before the horse, and will make sure you hold your horses so you don’t mess anything up and have to do it over.

7. You’re Out of Your Comfort Zone and Need New Expertise

No one is a Jill of all trades. Or if you are, no one can operate as a one woman band for eternity! It’s okay to need to bring on an expert to help you hone your business. A business consultant or business coach can help you determine where you need staff to help run the business. Or, the business consultant may fill a lot of those roles by him or herself.

8. You’re Doing Too Much on Top of Your Regular Job

Work on your business, not just in it! If you’re too busy to pick your head up and grow your business, you need to hire a business consultant. After all, you’re the brains behind the operation—the CEO. If you get bogged down in the day to day, you won’t be able to thrive.

9. You Don’t Have Budget for Salaried Employees

Hiring a freelancer or independent business consultant can help you save money in more ways than one. For starters, a business consultant won’t need benefits or a salary. Second, you can pay hourly or per project, controlling your budget.

10. Your Gut Tells You It’s Time to Get Help

You’re a business owner for a reason: you have great intuition, ideas, and leadership skills. Now heed your own inner voice and listen when it tells you you need help! Business consultants like Charm School help entrepreneurs like you every day. We’d love to welcome you to our team.

You. Can. Do. This! If you feel like you can’t, hire a business consultant like Charm School. We love helping fledgling companies—or those who are established but treading water—find the success you dream of. We’re only an email away.