Consultant - what are they called?

[Joop]

I'd like to employ a consultant to come in a give our business an overhaul - to look at what we're selling, in terms of the strategy for the future, where we should be branding ourselves, which lines we should drop etc..

What type of person is this? What would they be called so i can go out and find one.

thanks

[peewhy]

It sounds like you are looking for a 'Jack of all trades, and master of none!'.

A business consultant will look at ...your business.
A Management consultant will look at ...your management.
A Marketing consultant will look at ... your marketing.

I would be cautious of someone who can do all.

Have you joined your local Chamber of Commerce?

[robjones2]

A consultant will charge you lots of money, and at the end of day, tell you common sense solutions.

if you've got the time and you can make a bit of effort, do it yourself, its not difficult.

Start by looking at your sales figures, break them down by product/category for the last 12 months (say), and look at quantities sold, revenue generated, and profit-margin for each product/category.

Obviously, the products not generating a profit or little profit should either be dropped, or you should seek to revise your selling price, and try to buy it at a lower price from your supplier (or reduce your production costs).

Then look at your customer base. Look at sales by customer-type or business-type and also by geographic region. produce a chart to show where your customers are coming from - by type of customer, and by their location. this will tell you where you should focus more, or which customer-types/locations you should develop further.

If you carry stock, look at the how long the stock items have been sat on your shelves. Which ones sit around longer, which ones move faster.

If you're web-based, take a look at your competitors websites - have a look at what they're selling and promoting. Compare your prices.

If you sell stock, go to the manufacturers websites, and have a look which lines they've discontinued, which lines they're developing, and the latest range of products they're marketing.

If you buy from distributors, find alternative distributors and compare buy prices and payment terms.