Does your company need a consultant? RK Auto Group gives 9 signals (Part 1 of 2)

March 24, 2006

Does your business need a consultant?

By Tom Kline, Controller RK Auto Group (RK Buick, RK Chevrolet, RK Subaru, RK Scion, and RK Toyota)

In any small to medium-size business, there comes a time when you don’t know exactly what to do or how to do it. That’s when you need an outside appraisal of your business and the way it operates. Too many businesses fail as a result of insular thinking. Sometimes, you’re so close to the trees, it takes an outsider to see the forest. Don't let your business succumb to stuck-inside-the-box thinking. Read on to find out how to recognize the need for a consultant.

Hiring a consultant in the following situations can grow, or even save your company.

1. When you don’t know exactly what to do or how to do it.
2. When you need an outside appraisal of your business and the way
   it operates.
3. When you need a special talent or desire an exceptionally high-level of competence in some field.
4. When you want to review some special issue in your business.
5. When you need help in long-range planning.
6. When you want to project or predict the effects of possible expansion or diversification.
7. When you are looking for new ideas or a fresh approach.
8. When you need help preparing a proposal.
9. When anonymous representation of your company by an outside party is advantageous for negotiations, mergers and acquisitions.
10. When a short-term project requires special expertise that no one on your staff possesses; but you do not want to hire another full-time employee.

Consultants offer other hidden advantages for your company.

Consider some of the other advantages that consultants offer: Often times, consultants see situations that have gone unnoticed by regular staff. They can also upgrade the education and experience of your staff. A consultant is specifically oriented toward producing results; and you only pay them for the time you use them.

How can a consulting service benefit your company?

Don’t miss Part 2 of this RK Auto Group series: Using a consultant to help your business grow.

Tom Kline is Controller of RK Auto Group (RK Buick, RK Chevrolet, RK Subaru, RK Scion, and RK Toyota). RK Chevrolet is the recipient of Chevrolet Motor Division’s coveted Service Supremacy Award four years in a row. This is an award which less than 400 of the nation's 5,000 Chevrolet dealers have won. RK Auto Group has been included in the Ward’s Auto list of top 500 U.S. car dealers, and has received the prestigious "Genuine Leaders Award" for excellence in sales, service, and customer satisfaction. The dedication of each employee at RK Chevrolet, RK Buick, RK Subaru, RK Scion and RK Toyota made these awards possible.