Ask what training your prospective advisor has received to become a consultant of business. Have they been trained in coaching techniques? Are they a part of an organisation that provides ongoing training? How often does this occur? What is their personal commitment to ongoing learning – do they read books, articles, or take part in webinars or formal education?

Consultants and advisors are generalists... not specialists and the support network they have access to can be a determining factor for whether they can provide the help and support you are looking for. How often do they meet and network with other business owners and the clients of other business advisors? What companies or organisations is the advisor linked directly into, and how will this directly benefit you and your company?

Business advisors that are part of an umbrella organisation will generally have a huge knowledge resource and have access to proven systems and processes that can help you grow or consolidate your business. Ask the business advisor if he/she works to a structured modulated system or if it is a fluid system that can be individually tailored to meet your personal needs. Is the system proven to get results? What are the steps in the business advising process that will identify your milestones and progress in the journey? Has the advisor won any awards proving his or her expertise in giving business advice or coaching business owners? Ask for client success stories to get an impression of achieved results by some of their clients.

The aim of business advising is to consolidate and grow business, achieve business goals and get results. This may occur in terms of business growth, diversification, better managed time and resources, improved productivity, more profit, or getting the business ready to exit it profitably. What is the result YOU want!

Ask the advisor how long has his or her organisation been in the market place? What formal market recognition have they had? Is the advisor or organisation solely business focused or do they also provide marketing and personal development? What results has the business advisor reached with his previous clients? What was his/her biggest achievement? Ask for business case study experience to judge his/her expertise.

Are you client number 1 or number 156? How many business owners has your company helped? How many are they currently contracted to work with? This makes a difference if the advisor has little or no support network! An impressive quantity doesn’t always mean a quality service so ask how long, on average, a business owner stays engaged with the service. 20 clients who stay for just a month may be a good indication of the service quality.

The programmes and methods used by business consultants and advisors differs between organisations. It is important for you to know the content of the offered programmes, how the sessions are organized, and what frequency they will occur in. Being part of a business advice programme should also recommend that you read, and listen to, a wide range of useful books, CDs and DVDs that will help you grow your knowledge.

Also find out the limits to the advisory service. Should you expect one-on-one or group or team support? Can you contact your consultant outside of the agreed consulting sessions? Are there any added value services being offered as part of the programme - networking, education, introductions?

It is a reasonable request to ask for a summary of the programme resources and tools.

Successful business start-ups are generally determined by two main factors:

• Deciding on a good and personally meaningful business idea
And
• Being determined to make it work.

Rise Advisory understands these ‘must have fundamentals’- you’ll gain specialist business advice to ensure your success.

Being part of a bigger organisation linked to other associations, means interconnectedness. In business an extensive network gives access to new resources, new ideas, up-to-date knowledge and product development on regular basis which is important in a fast paced market place as resources, developments and opportunities are exchanged and shared. As a client you will stand to benefit greatly as this source is made indirectly available to you through your advisor.

To be able to judge the expertise of a business advisor it is recommended you ask about his/her professional experience. What is his/her career background? How many years has he/she been a business advisor? Has she or he owned or run a business and what are the details of that business?

The more you know about the advisor’s experience and professional knowledge in business, the better you will be able to judge whether they are the right person to help you in your business.

It is acceptable for you to ask an advisor about his or her background.

Ask what training your prospective advisor has received to become a consultant of business. Have they been trained in coaching techniques? Are they a part of an organisation that provides ongoing training? How often does this occur? What is their personal commitment to ongoing learning – do they read books, articles, or take part in webinars or formal education?

Why should you work specifically with this person? What is unique about them or their organisation? What benefits will you get from working with them? What sets them apart from all the others? What lifts them out of the "sea of sameness" and makes him/her rise above others in the field? Finally make sure you feel comfortable with the person, he or she will shortly be a big part of your life.