Business Management

Getting people into your business does presuppose that you'll take their advice!
I've only ever found two companies who didn't want to grow their business! And a recommendation I made to one of the companies would have doubled their turnover, with practically no work on their part!
You don't need to let hidden opportunities or threats stunt your company growth. It's simply a matter of having the courage to employ someone who can stand outside your business, whilst understanding its principles and give you an unbiased report.
Who Should You Employ To Act As The External Observer? To get the best from your consultant you need someone who:
Is willing to investigate the company and do the necessary analysis
Has been into at least 5-10 different companies
Has worked for at least one blue chip company as a permanent employee at some stage
Is not a specialist, such as an accountant, lawyer or banker
Not a "friend" The reasons you need these criteria to help you choose a consultant are:
Consultants can come with the "one size fits all" approach and their strategy is a very rapid visit followed by a boiler plate report. In which little that will help the company is detailed. leaving the company exactly where it was before. The positive side to this is that it doesn't cost much. The downside? It's a waste of time.
Another consultant's approach is to flood the company with bodies (so called "leveraging").
The resulting report is more likely to be tailored to the client. However, the downside is the enormous cost and as the consultancy is likely to want further work in the company the worst areas may not be highlighted as they should. Or the consultant may push their own solution, involving their resources, when there's an easier, cheaper approach.
If the consultant hasn't worked in at least 5 other companies they're unlikely to have seen how other operations run and to understand that whilst every company is different there are some common lessons that can be drawn.
Working at a blue chip means the consultant has had great training. Their approach should reflect this training. From the initial meetings right through to the final report.
Avoid specialists as often they're blinkered by what they see at a company. Yes they're likely to see at least some of the problem areas for the company. However, their relationship may hold them back from being candid. In addition they are unlikely to see the opportunities that a company is missing.
Lastly don't use a friend. Because friends may be too hard on you and your staff, demotivating you. Or they may be too soft and ignoring problems that need to be resolved.