This month I have decided to be a little self-indulgent and comment on the space I work in since this area is frequently misunderstood.
Unfortunately, the barriers to entry to becoming a business adviser, coach or consultant are very low and this has enabled a lot of unqualified people operate in the domain and give the profession a bad name.
Not surprising then that few businesses are keen to engage one.
Most business owners start businesses because they are good at what they do (accountants, electricians, cabinet-makers etc), not because they are necessarily good at business.
Invariably the owner tends to focus primarily on their area of skill (working “in” the business) as opposed to thinking more broadly about the business itself (working “on” the business) and this is where a business adviser can help.
Assuming they are experienced enough, business advisers can bring an external perspective and insights to issues that the owner is dealing with enabling them to get results faster and more effectively.
If you have ever owned or run a business, you will know how lonely this role can be since there is typically no one in the business that you can bounce ideas off and many CEOs/MDs would not want to share issues internally anyway because they fear this might undermine their position.
A good business adviser or coach can be a useful sounding-board able to offer impartial advice based on experience and knowledge of what has worked in the past since most issues are not new.
Ian Ash is the managing director for OrgMent Business Solutions.
