Burning Resources & Playing in Traffic
Each year, businesses spend approximately $329 billion on consultants… but along the way, business leaders often waste precious time and money on consultants who are not a good fit.
How much money have you wasted on failed consulting engagements?
Will Johnson owns an engineering firm in McDonough, GA, and has lost over $500,000 on failed consulting engagements. Will’s financial losses occurred over a period of 25 years, which eases some of the financial strain, but he still recalls each unsuccessful partnership like it was yesterday.
If you’ve tried engaging consultants on your own, you can probably relate to Will’s experiences.
When he first began utilizing consultants, Will moved forward with someone based on a referral. One of Will’s connections “knew a guy,” so Will reached out and recruited the consultant. At Sobo, we refer to this as “playing in traffic” and it’s a good way to be hit by a bus.
Unfortunately, Will was. His consultant didn’t have the experience to solve his problem.
Sound familiar?
Sometimes, You Need a Business Coach, But Other Times, You Need a Fractional Consultant
After this initial failure, Will took a different approach. He partnered with a business coach who had over 30 years of corporate experience. This coach was a seasoned executive, had a knack for making quick decisions, and possessed a wealth of sound business advice. It seemed like a great situation, but 10 months into their consulting engagement, Will recognized that this consultant was more interested in coaching him, than rolling up her sleeves and putting in the work to implement her strategies.
Will needed a fractional manager who was a talented team player, but he had acquired a coach.
The Third Time's The Charm?
Next, Will signed a three-month contract… which turned into a 16-month fractional consulting engagement. Everything seemed to be going well. After all, the project was completed on time and under-budget.
Will finally had someone he wasn’t wasting resources on.
Or, so he thought.
The consultant was excellent at sales, but ultimately created opportunities that didn’t exist. Their engagement should have ended sooner, but it resulted in more headaches, more stress, more burned resources, and more wasted time.
Sobo Will Save Owners Money
Now, after 25 years of DIY-ing consulting engagements, Will is excited to utilize Sobo as he engages consultants.
With Sobo, business owners like Will won’t waste any more money on consultants who aren’t a good fit. Instead, they will be able to pay a flat fee and get connected with verified consultants who have the experience, hustle, and drive to level up their businesses. The Advisors in our network are in the top 1% of fractional consultants. Plus, with Sobo, business leaders will have a Dedicated Engagement Manager, who will ensure that they and the Advisor they are working with are on the same page and have the support they need.
This is going to be a huge win for small businesses!
