Why do I need to Hire a Consultant?

Many people are hesitant to hire a consultant, and, when they do decide to hire one, aren't sure how to go about finding a 'good' consultant. Here are five of the questions people often ask.

1. Why should I pay a consultant for something I can do myself? - First, are you sure you can do the job? And, if you're sure you can do it, can you afford to take the time? Think of it like working on your car: many people prefer to change their own oil, but very few people want to rebuild a transmission.
    
2. Consultants are so expensive. It may take longer to do it myself, but won't I save money that way? - Possibly. Then again, a professional can usually do a better job in a much shorter time. A project that might take the majority of your time for two months could take the professional only one month. And, during that month, you're still free to concentrate on other aspects of your business. If you are honest in valuing your time, you'll usually find that the total cost of hiring a consultant is considerably lower than doing the job yourself.
    
3. The consultant I'm talking to has never done this exact kind of work before. Why should I pay him to learn how it's done? - As someone once said, choreographers hire dancers because they can dance, not because the dancer will know the dance they want performed. A professional consultant may not know the details of your business, but that's (usually) not what you're hiring them for. You're hiring them for their ability to solve problems, and an essential part of that problem solving is learning just what the problem is.
    
4. My consultant is talking about sub-contracting portions of the project. Why should I pay him for 'doing nothing'? - If you hire a contractor to build a house, do you expect the contractor to do the plumbing and the wiring? In this case, you should expect the consultant, like the contractor, to co-ordinate the work and take responsibility for the final results of any sub-contractors they engage. In many such cases, you will have little or no contact with the sub-contractor, and, in others, the original consultant will point out the portions of the project they feel could be better handled by someone else, possibly with some recommendations of other consultants they feel could handle the task.
    
5. Where can I find a 'good' consultant? - Assuming that by 'good' you mean a consultant who will do a professional job in a professional manner, you're best bet is to look for a consultant the same way you would look for a banker, lawyer, or accountant: ask other business owners and check with any local professional organizations. Many organizations offer a free referral service and make copies of their membership directories freely available. While membership in a professional organization does not guarantee a professional consultant, most organizations keep a fairly close eye on their members and require them to adhere to a code of conduct and ethics.