The Business Development Consultant

There is more than just business when consulting.

Working as a Business Development Consultant, who specializes in assisting small businesses, requires a mix of business coaching and personal therapist. Often included in the development plan, I must address issues of employee-employer relations. This dynamic is important because small businesses generally employ family and friends, as management attempts to limit employment expenditures initially. What a friend or family member would accept in a familiar setting is NOT appropriate and appreciated in the workplace.

In addition, often the most intelligent entrepreneurs (genius-level individuals typically) do not have adequate interpersonal and communication skills. I just recently had to remind a client of this issue.

Many business development specialists will have expertise in a few particular industries. In large firms, management will have individuals within a division representing differing industries. Regardless of the industry, a good consultant’s skill set must be diverse. Recently, I was asked to design a newsletter to encourage brand awareness as well as its promotional announcement video. While my background is primarily in the academics of business, I have had to educate myself on graphic design, video production, and of course the emergence of social media. 

What do I love about my job? With each client, I learn something new... about an industry, a demographic, and ultimately about myself. Gotta love business development!