Who Is a Startup Consultant and Why Do You Need One?

According to current US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, approximately 20% of startups fail within the first two years, 45% fail within the first five years, and 65% fail within the first ten years. Furthermore, only 25% of new businesses survive for 15 years or more. Surprisingly, these figures have remained consistent since the 1990s.

While this is a positive sign for entrepreneurs in the United States, it is important to remember that other businesses close every year. These startups, however, can thrive and succeed in the market with better planning, funding, adaptability, and consulting.

We will break down every aspect of startup consulting to ensure your new venture's long-term financial growth. So, let's get this party started!

What is a Startup Consultant?

A business start-up consultant is a third-party consultant who provides sector and market expert knowledge to startup developments.

Startup consulting can be critical in keeping a company afloat during its formative stages.

Startup consultants evaluate financials, hiring, company procedures, marketing efforts, and other factors to ensure a visible brand presence, a promising brand reputation, and the ability to scale.

Many young businesses can avoid initial roadblocks that slow or stifle their growth with the assistance of a consultant.

Business startup consultants can help a startup gain market insight, identify and remove financial roadblocks, provide specific marketing direction, and assist with a variety of other business aspects that can ultimately make or break a fledgling company.

Key Areas Where Startup Consultant Is A Help

Although a consultant's expertise typically extends to a wide range of business areas, hiring an expert to evaluate your company may be the most beneficial in these few key areas.

mes to startups, the most important step is strategy development. A startup consultant can assist you in developing a detailed roadmap and clear objectives if you've established a business with no detailed roadmap or clear objectives.

A startup business consultant will evaluate your current plans (if you have any), make recommendations, and provide you with a blueprint for a new business model.

Assume your startup business consultant recommends that you post more Facebook ads in the evening. In that case, it's because they've determined that's where the majority of your target audience is and when they're most active.

A startup marketing consultant also recommends the correct tone of voice that connects you with your customers based on your target audience's likes, dislikes, most-used terms, and activity schedule.

It's always a good idea to go with a professional and experienced service. This is due to previous job experience and knowledge. A startup business consultant establishes a proper strategy for overall management. This is an absolute necessity for any small venture.

Clients always prefer professional consultants to carry out their business strategies.

Not every start-up is owned by a large entrepreneur; the majority of start-ups are founded by new and emerging entrepreneurs. The value of startup business consultants rises as a result of this factor.

Market research entails analysing your target audience and competitors — it's the critical first step in any business venture because it lays the groundwork for strategic decision-making.

Business startup consultants thoroughly research the market segment in which you intend to expand your company.

To gain a thorough understanding of your market, they research industry trends, your competitors' strengths and weaknesses, and your prospects' pain points and expectations.

A consultant can provide you with a detailed strategy for your marketing campaigns and other critical business efforts after analysing your market, ensuring you stand out from the competition by increasing brand awareness and offering a distinct business model. 

A startup consultant can act as a coach and mentor, guiding and educating you and your team through the complexities of starting a new business.

Consulting experts can provide success stories and insightful strategies, as well as full-fledged training and mentoring sessions, to teach you and your employees the intricacies of running a profitable business.

These courses can cover everything from finances and sales to branding and marketing, as well as communication strategies and key leadership skills.

Even if this isn't your first startup, having a coach and guide by your side can give you the confidence you need to get started.

It is extremely difficult for startups to win and successfully execute a project. A startup consultant evaluates all project requirements and develops an effective management strategy. This could include enhancing a startup's lead generation, marketing, and branding.

Similarly, a startup consultant can help with new business financial modelling. A financial crisis in the early stages of a startup accounts for approximately 82% of its failure.

A startup business consultant delves deeper into your budget and available resources to identify better investment opportunities. This ensures that your money is invested in the right areas of marketing, sales, and recruitment, increasing profitability and lowering the likelihood of failure due to the financial crisis.

A robust management system supports your business and helps it to recover from a crisis. A startup consultant ensures that your business processes are aligned with your objectives, reducing the likelihood of setbacks and errors.

When your operations are properly managed, you can make better use of your existing resources.

A startup business consultant, for example, can assist you in determining which business processes to outsource and which to keep in-house. This professional assesses your employees' potential as well as your company's financial capacity and advises you accordingly.

Indeed, the global annual average revenue growth of management consultancies in 2020 is expected to be around 8.8% higher than in 2019. So it's only going to get worse!

Management is another important aspect of your business that a business startup consultant can help you improve.

An expert can assess your processes and ensure that they are as efficient as possible to avoid potential setbacks and blunders. They can also assist you in expanding your existing resources to maximise efficiency.

A consultant, for example, can assist you in determining which operations should be kept in-house and which should be outsourced. They could also perform a staff assessment and make suggestions on hiring, coaching, and hiring.

A startup consultant's experience with company management can help ensure that your team is top-notch across the board and can identify areas for improvement in every department.

Final Thoughts

Business consultancy is the practice of providing professional, prudent third-party advice, expertise, and support to business executives to improve the company's performance. A business consultant can assist your company in increasing its presence, reputation, and revenue by conducting a thorough investigation of your targeted markets, competitors with comparable business models, and their marketing tactics, and delivering a concise report that will be critical to your eCommerce business. 

A professional with expertise in a specific industry, or a consultant with a proven track record, can usually be hired hourly or contractually to address a business challenge. Consultants are typically brought in to solve an immediate crisis that is looming large in the business, looking deeper into the symptoms plaguing the business and assisting the client in diagnosing the business's path to recovery.