In our fast-paced, ever-changing economy where thousands of new businesses launch every day, it’s important to make sure you have the right resources and network to ensure success. It seems that a lot of small to mid-sized companies get to the point where they know they need brand and marketing strategy support, but they aren’t sure where to turn or who to go to for help.  In my experience, the decision to hire a freelance consultant really comes down to 4 major questions:

1. Do you have a solid business and brand strategy? If the honest answer is ‘NO’ or you aren’t quite sure, it may be the right time to hire an outside expert to help.
2. Do you have major resource gaps causing you to try and do it all yourself? A consultant will help you focus on a few KEY objectives to achieve your goals AND s/he can help take some of the heavy lifting off your plate.
3. Are you lacking focus in your business? A good consultant acts as a partner or an extension of your in-house team and is someone you can trust. S/he holds you accountable to your defined plans, metrics and timelines, forcing you to focus on the things that really matter to the success of your business.
4. Are you unclear as to what a solid marketing plan can do for your business? If your business is experiencing lack-luster marketing performance with your current team, OR you do not yet have an in-house marketing expert, it might be a good time to seek out an outside marketing strategist to evaluate your business situation.  This way, you don’t have to commit to an expensive, executive level head count but you can still get all the benefits of executive level thinking and experience.  A good marketing consultant will come in, evaluate your situation and provide all the recommendations needed to get your brand and marketing strategy pointed in the right direction.

So, if you aren’t quite ready mentally or financially to hire a full-time Marketing lead; but, you think your business could benefit from brand and marketing support, a freelance consultant is the way to go.  You determine the scope of work, whether it’s a small, one-time project or a longer, partnership contract.  You can even have your consultant work with your internal team to improve their knowledge and performance.  The sky is the limit really.  And from a marketing consultant’s perspective, it’s my goal to make sure I deliver a sound, actionable and measurable strategy so that you can succeed long after our contract ends.  Just be sure you are clear on the reason you are hiring a consultant and the problem you would like him/her to fix.  Make sure you can identify where you are now versus where you want to go and I guarantee, the right marketing consultant will illuminate the path to get you there!