BUSINESS SUPPORT
FEATURE
can’t discuss with staff or with other well-meaning, often inexperienced, people but you do need to find a way to sense-check your thoughts and have someone to challenge your ideas. An SME may employ a business adviser to provide
support with ‘growing pains’ where perhaps you have the orders but are struggling to fund the growth, managing cash flow is essential at this time and periods of high growth can be quite challenging for small businesses. They may also need help in reducing costs and improving productivity or improving marketing effectiveness. The private sector has been slow to recognise the great
potential of Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) who can provide a wealth of knowledge and experience without costing the business huge sums of money. You can employ a NED, often a retired or semi-retired senior executive, or those with specialist skills and experience in your market to work in your business or to sit on your board. They will work typically two to three days a month, or perhaps employed to work full time for, say, three to six months on a specific project. There are many ways to seek the help and advice you
need. You can employ an adviser by the hour or day or for a fixed or variable, short or long-term assignment. However you should be clear about what help you are looking for, what outcomes you are expecting and don’t be afraid to ask the question ‘how much will this cost me?’ Every adviser/consultant will have their own fee structure and it will usually depend on the length and complexity of the assignments, while most will undertake a free introductory meeting to understand the needs of the client. Some help and advice will be relatively inexpensive, for
example by joining a Chamber of Commerce you open up opportunities to network with others who may be struggling with the same issues and with whom you can share experiences and solutions. It’s also worth checking with the Chamber what business support projects are currently running and for some businesses these may be subsidised or even free.
business network December 2016/January 2017 27
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