As the owner of a professional staffing company I regularly work with career professionals and executives who are looking for the next position in their career.  Finding the right match for these professionals depends on finding a business who needs their specific expertise and who has the resources to hire them. 

But what if your business has the need but not the resources for a full time hire?  What options are available to you?  The answer, surprisingly, is quite simple.  You can hire a part time senior business consultant. 

What is a Senior Business Consultant?

See, a number of those career professionals and executives are not looking for another full time job.  They may have retired, they may have a reliable second income, or they may not need to work.  Whatever the reason – they do want to work.  Their reasons for wanting to work also vary – they may need intellectual stimulation. If they are retired, they may benefit from new social and cultural connections within a business.  And, most importantly, they may also want to help lend their professional expertise to help a business grow and be more profitable.

Where Do They Come From?

Great question.  Think of a profession and an occupation and you can identify someone who could become one. Mostly, the senior business consultants that I work with in my program have considerable expertise in either sales, marketing, finance, technology, human resources, insurance, banking, or management.  They’ve worked for large corporations, small businesses, and in a variety of industries.  Here’s an example:

40+ years sales experience, sales management, training, mentoring, advertising and promotion, inventory control, cost analysis, customer service, purchasing, and strategic budget planning.

How Can I Work With One?

There’s a couple of steps here. First, identify what your growth need is: do you need an increase in sales, a better marketing program, or better financial controls? Do you need someone to mentor you or your staff with best practices?  If you want a humorous but excellent illustration, watch The Intern with Anne Hathaway and Robert DiNiro. 

Second, determine the level of effort (time) you need to accomplish your growth need.  Third, determine what financial resources you have available to invest in the effort.  Fourth, determine how you want to evaluate the success of the program over time (x% increase in sales, x% decrease in expenses).

How Do I Know He Will Help Me?

Here are a few observations.  If you hire a part time professional who has between 25 and 45 years’ experience, do you think he will want to know what your expectations are?  Do you think she will want to help you be more effective and efficient with your time (and theirs)?  Do you think he will content sitting around pushing papers? 

Every professional who has contacted me for work wants to produce, wants to mentor, and wants to continue to contribute to the growth and productivity of any company with which they are associated. 

How Can I Hire One?

I’ve developed the Senior Business Consultants Program as a temporary staffing service to match proven professionals with businesses that are eager to improve their productivity and profitability.  As a business owner myself it’s important for me to understand your specific needs and objectives.  I will then match you up with the correct professional and work with you weekly to make sure we are achieving your objectives.  It’s that simple.  I look forward to working with you to grow your business. You can visit our Senior Business Consultants Program for more information.