Do you need a business consultant?

A recent survey conducted by Vince Ungate, UK Sales Director for leading Salon Software Company Salon IQ, found that 70% of Salon Owners didn't know where to turn to for help with their business. Salon management consultant, Ryan Fox sheds some light on why this might be and cuts through the confusion to answer a simple question. Do you need an external business consultant or not? People sometimes ask me what do you actually do Ryan? Well as a business advisor, I actually help salon owners to move their businesses forward and develop their skills and those of their teams. As most consultants will tell you, it’s quite a hard thing to define what we actually do which is one of the reasons why I think salon owners often don’t know where to turn. With that in mind, these are the 10 key questions that I ask a salon owner who is thinking of using a consultant:

1. Do you have gaps in your appointment book?
2. Would you like your team to produce more income?
3. Would you like more clients to return more often?
4. Could you sell more retail products?
5. Would you like to make more profit on your services?
6. Would you like a marketing strategy that works?
7. Would you like your accountant to save you money and give you the time and advice you need?
8. Would you like more time to develop your business?
9. Do you want your salon computer to deliver on its promise?
10. Would you like a website that generates more new clients for you?

Answering yes to these questions doesn’t necessarily mean you need to pay for a consultant to help you achieve greater success in these areas, but it does mean you might want to work on them, start doing things differently and/or change the behaviours and communication methods of you and your team. You don't know what you don't know Bear in mind though, that we don’t always know that there is a better way of doing something, let alone know what it is we need to do. This concept is called unknown unknowns and is one of the four categories from the Conscious Competence Learning Matrix which is all about how much people are aware of how much they know. As Lizzie Velasquez, motivational speaker and author says: "Sometimes we need someone to turn the flashlight on for us. Other times we need to turn it on for others." Do you need a Consultant? There are many ways of achieving greater success in these 10 key areas so choose the ones that are right for you. Are you a DIYer when it comes to management, can you learn things and do it yourself by reading, Googling it, asking your peers or going on a course, or do you need someone to do some of it for you? Do you have time to focus on the business side or would you rather be spending your time with clients? Are you self-motivated or does it work better for you to have someone to hold you to account and bounce ideas off. Are you self-disciplined and consistent in your approach or do you need someone to either “kick you up the backside” or be there to support and mentor you? Be honest with yourself By answering these questions honestly about what you need or don’t need you can decide if you need help or not. If you can do it yourself, then do it. If you feel you can’t, then get some help. Once you know this, you then need to choose the best solution for you. An Investment, not a cost A phrase that I always use when talking to a potential new client is that I need to be an investment to your business, I cannot be a cost. Therefore, I need to deliver more value than it costs to cover my fees so that you get a return on your investment. Choosing a consultant – questions to ask  So if you feel you need some help, how do you go about choosing the right consultant for you?

•  Start with the end in mind first - define what it is that you are trying to achieve and set a goal first. Once you know that, ask is this service going deliver what I want?
• What are you actually buying? - time, expertise, an actual defined service? Check that the services are clearly defined and discuss the expected outcome from each
• Have a Consultation - just like when you do a consultation with a client and ask good open questions to identify the clients issues and then provide the solutions, see if your consultant does the same with you
• Personality - do you connect with the person and can you work with them? You are unlikely to perform if they rub you up the wrong way or don’t inspire you
• Are they the right size for your business? Do they have the size and scale to match your business
• Who will actually deliver the service? - is it expert him/herself or will it be passed on to someone you have never met?

First ask yourself do you want to improve or are you happy as you are? If you decide you want to progress, then consider if you need help or not.  If you do then think about what you want to achieve and then see if it’s cost effective. Finally, choose the consultant that’s right for you and your business. There are quite a few of us out there, so shop around. Ryan Fox is a hair and beauty salon consultant who improves salon performance through training and innovation. For further details visit www.umbrellaconsulting.co.uk