Business consultancy from Agenda – keeping businesses healthy inside and out
Some people don’t think they need business consultancy services from Agenda – they know their business best, and they’re not having someone else tell them how to run things. I think differently…
One of the key obstacles I encounter in my role as a business consultant is an over-protectiveness on the part of business owners. Deep down, they know that external business consultancy services like mine can make a huge difference to their organisation, but they think admitting this would be a sign of failure, so they daren’t let go of the reins. Instead, they hold on tighter and tighter, even if they know this is prolonging or even deepening the challenges they face, whereas getting an external perspective is often what they need the most.
This approach to business consultancy has enabled my clients to flourish. Take Steve Danson, director of Banks Wealth Management, who wanted his already-successful business to grow and take on new clients. I worked with him to challenge his preconceptions about his business, looking at things from a new angle and making him reflect on decisions that, previously, he’d had to make alone and without anyone to bounce ideas off.
Another great benefit for business owners when they use business consultancy from Agenda is the fact that they’re accountable – not just to themselves, because that’s part and parcel of being in business… but they’re accountable to me! I acted as a manager of sorts to Steve, making sure he remained focused on bringing the plans we made to fruition.
Knowing what to hand over to other people, and when, is a vital skill for any business owner, and one that my business consultancy services will teach you. Do the CEOs of multi-million-pound corporate behemoths spend their time agonising over the contents of the stationery cupboard? No, of course not; they have people in place to do that, while they focus on the bigger issues. This rings true in a company of any size – as a leader, you have to know when someone else is better placed to do something than you are.
When it comes to helping your business grow, Agenda is perfectly placed. As an outside force, I have a more objective perspective on your position in the marketplace, and how you can capitalise on the opportunities around you. (I might even be able to identify things you’ve missed, because you’ve got your nose to the grindstone!) On the flipside, I’ll be working closely with you, so I’ll understand how your business works and what you want to achieve – the perfect combination of insider knowledge and outsider objectivity.
As Steve Danson found out, using my business consultancy services also compels you to look at the areas of the business you might not have given much heed before. When we started working together, Steve didn’t have much of a marketing strategy; he was busy, and a planned marketing strategy wasn’t high on the priority list. However, over the long term I could see that marketing was crucial to the growth of his business, so we developed a clear marketing structure that worked effectively but didn’t require him to become a marketing guru overnight. Again, that’s where other people come in!
Time and again my clients tell me that the perspective they’ve gained from using Agenda’s business consultancy services has been an essential part of their business growth. Isn’t it time you experienced the Agenda magic yourself?
Leave a Reply