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Advisors vs Consultants

October 08, 2020

Wade into the world of consultancy, advisers, coaches, mentors & interims you will likely find yourself a little confused. Fear not, it’s not you, it’s the confusing state of the independent industry.

You’ll hear talk of the “Big 4”, Transformation, Fintech, Turnaround, Pivoting, Resilience, Talent Strategy to name but a few. 

Advisors and consultants are talked about in the same breath, painted as the same to so many, yet are really very different. Greatly misunderstood by employees alike, but let’s get some clarity.

What is the difference?

The biggest difference between advisors and consultants is that advisors help you think about and plan your future needs (e.g. guide you to see the need for a new business structure or business system) whilst consultants will analyse and help you implement changes you have likely already identified (e.g. work out which business system suits you best and implement it) . 

Consultants tend to be specific in functional areas and great in the detail (e.g. sales or operations) and advisors more general across multiple disciplines, perhaps less so involved with the nitty gritty specifics.

A consultant tends to focus on changes in the business, advisors operate at a more strategic leadership level and changes to the business.

Consultants tend to be short term and project based, advisors tend to form a longer term partnership with the business and the leadership team.

Do I need an advisor or consultant?

Both are valuable, both have their place, and both are different.

Let us not confuse advisors and consultants with coaches, who are different again. Coaches can work with individuals and teams without having any understanding of your business, whereas both advisors and consultants will require either an understanding of your business or your needs. Advisors will have a breadth of experience that will help guide you on your journey in business and can act as leaders within your business when needed. Consultants will provide expertise to make specific changes to your business.

So, if you are looking at your business and wondering what changes you need to make, you will benefit from an advisor.

If you already know the changes you wish to make, and need an expert to make the changes, you likely need a consultant. If you are wrestling with your own motivation and pathway in life, you likely need a coach.

At Creative in TiME, we are business advisors with a twist of coaching. TiME is your most precious resource, we help you make the most of it. We will work with you at a senior level to look at your future plans and advise and support you in identifying the changes you need to make and how you can make them. We love helping you reach your goals and work in partnership with you to achieve this.

Click here to book a discovery call now and see how we can help you and your business.

By Fred Warner

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