By Bonnie Kreitler Hiring outside consultants gives small businesses access to expert help on an as-needed basis.
Consultants can temporarily expand available staff when a business lands a major project.
Whether the consultant creates an office computer network, develops a software program to run new machinery, or writes an employee handbook, carefully defining the company's expectations is key to a successful relationship. Too often companies end a relationship with a consultant feeling they got less than they bargained for. The scope of the job, its scheduling and the terms for accepting the final work all have great potential for misunderstanding, he says. Misunderstandings about job specifications can occur if the company does not define them clearly to the consultant, or if the company does not fully understand what they should be in the first place. Mary Jo Leahy, of Leahy Resources in Tolland, says one of the consultant's jobs is to make sure the client really is asking for the right thing.