Running a business is never easy. Sometimes the only easy thing is seeing that something isn’t working. A business’ operating procedures can become engrained, making it hard to see where improvements can be made. To make it easier to make improvements, many organisations turn to business consulting services to gain an outside perspective.
At first glance, one might immediately turn to the “biggest and the best” consultants they can find. However, working with a boutique consulting firm can provide a unique set of advantages that big firms can’t offer. When it comes to finding a consulting firm to work with, or if a business is re-assessing its consulting choices, one question prospective clients should ask themselves is “is my consulting company too big to care?”
Here are 5 advantages that boutique consulting firms offer over larger firms.
Specialisation
Because they aren’t trying to generalise, boutique consulting firms can provide their clients with consultants who have experience and expertise in specific fields or industries. This means clients can get advice and business solutions that are tailored to their specific industry, instead of general advice which might not be relevant. Boutique consulting firms are small businesses that understand small businesses, that no two businesses are alike, and they can offer solutions that might not be apparent to consultants working at larger firms.
Efficiency
Boutique consulting firms are smaller and more flexible than their larger rivals. With a smaller team, boutique consulting firms can be more agile and get things done quickly. Simply put, a boutique consulting firm doesn’t have resources and time to waste. This means that they’ll work hard to find the best solution for their clients, as efficiently as possible. The benefit for their clients is that it will cost less, and with a faster response time from consultants. With a leaner team at a boutique consulting company, decisions can not only be made faster but put into practice faster. And if something doesn’t work out to plan, boutique consulting firms can quickly work with their clients to make changes to get back on track.
Innovation
The larger a consulting firm is, the more likely they are to be set in their ways. It’s important to consistently improve a businesses’ systems to increase efficiencies and productivity over time. But larger consulting firms can also struggle to improve their own efficiencies. Large firms with established operating procedures can take time to have new ideas filter through their organisation. Smaller boutique consulting firms on the other hand are more agile, and are not only more open to new ideas, but can also smoothly adopt new and innovative strategies and procedures. If your consultants aren’t agile, how can they help you be agile?
Attention
At larger consulting firms, clients sometimes find themselves as just one part of a consultant’s portfolio of clients. Large consulting firms can try and apply the same solution to each client, even if that solution doesn’t completely suit that individual client’s needs. Many large consulting companies also take the approach that clients will come to them. This makes them complacent. With a smaller client base, boutique consulting firms can offer tailored solutions for their customers.
When you work with a boutique consulting firm, you don’t need to worry about falling through the cracks, or just being yet another customer. Business owners work directly with experienced consultants, instead of having a junior consultant working as a go-between. Because each client is so important to a boutique consulting firm, they’ll go above and beyond for their clients to ensure their client’s success.
Communication
Another advantage of working with a boutique consulting firm is the ability to foster smoother communication and stronger interpersonal relationships between you and your consultants. With fewer clients, boutique consulting firms can devote more time to each client. Boutique consulting companies take time to know their client’s goals and objectives. The smaller workforce of boutique consulting companies means fewer layers of communication for clients. Instead of contacting an assistant, clients can communicate directly with the consultants working on their projects.
A strong relationship between clients and their consultants benefits both parties. The client can feel more comfortable working with their consultants, and the consultants can use what they learn about their client to tailor their services to create solutions specific to each client.
As you can see, boutique consulting firms bring a lot to the table that the big firms can’t touch. Boutique consulting firms provide industry-specific advice, unmatched efficiency, cutting-edge innovation, personalised attention, and rapid, clear communication with their clients.
So if you’re a business looking for a consulting company or a current client looking to re-evaluate your consultants, be sure to ask yourself, “is my consulting company too big to care?”
Learn about the benefits of engaging a smaller consulting firm for your next engagement by checking out this article!
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If you’d like to engage Fatimah as a coach/advisor for your organisation to help you make sense of the chaos, then you can reach out to her by email at Fatimah.a@agilemanagementoffice.com