Are you looking for a bit more direction for your ice cream business? Do you find comparing consulting services to be a stressful situation? If so, then you need to learn how to choose a business consulting service that’s perfect for your needs.
Doing so will help you in many different ways. They can help you build a proactive business model that helps you avoid certain setbacks in your operations. More importantly, they’ll help you gain more profits with ways to market your business as well as cut overhead costs.
See below for an in-depth guide on how to choose a business consulting service for your ice cream company.
1. Search for References and Reviews
As helpful as finding a business consultant can be for your business, you need to be wary of the service you hire. The consultant industry is very diluted. In other words: anyone can call themselves a business consultant.
That’s why you should perform a bit of research on the business consultant service you’re considering for your ice cream company. Doing so will help you ensure that they have the experience you require.
One of the best ways to do that is by either requesting a few client references that you can call or going online to read through their reviews. These are your chance to put yourself into their previous client’s shoes and determine whether they’re the right fit for your business.
Do the clients that left reviews to seem satisfied with the service they received? What are some examples of how the consultant helped the client’s company excel? Were there any weaknesses the consultant was able to address? How quickly was the turnaround after they hired the consultant?
Most importantly, does the business consulting service have experience with ice cream companies? If not, then you might want to cut them from your list.
2. A Proven Plan of Attack
One of the biggest struggles that ice cream company owners face (or any business owner, for that matter) is creating a concrete business plan with a focus on projections.
The moment you say “projections” to most people, they start to feel a wave of stress. However, solid projections can be a huge difference-maker for your company.
We believe in helping you find your ice cream store’s profit potential. We have a proven calculator on our site (in the link attached) to help you figure out your profit potential and identify areas where you might need to improve.
We combine things such as your customers per month, monthly revenue, average ticket sales, labor costs, and food costs to determine your gross profit potential.
As you well know, prime ice cream season extends from May to November in most areas, so the name of the game is balancing your costs to maximize your revenues.
An experienced business consultant can take their proven plan of attack, such as our profit potential chart, and implement it into your business model. Regardless of your company’s size and menu variety, they’ll give you the feedback you need.
3. Consider the Chemistry – Business Consulting Service
You and your business consultant will be working closely during the duration of their stay. That’s why it’s important to make sure that you build chemistry with them.
Business consultants should be personable, yet honest. After all, you’re hiring them to give your company direction, not become your best friend. However, there’s a fine line between presenting honest feedback and spitting out too many instructions/suggestions at once.
For that reason, we recommend setting up a call with any consultant service you’re considering. Create a setlist of questions you can ask each of them so that you can compare their responses.
This will help you cross off the ones you don’t see eye to eye with, as well as zero in on the consultants that you thoroughly enjoyed talking to. Even after their stint is done, you can reach back out to them for tidbits of advice.
4. Know Their Philosophy
It’s important to set realistic expectations. Odds are that the consultant you hire isn’t going to come in and introduce you to a groundbreaking business philosophy. They’re going to go with a tried-and-true approach. Why? Because it’s proven to work!
Take the time to ask any business consultant service you’re considering about their business philosophy. Where do they feel that most ice cream companies fail? What factors do they look for when they first step foot in a company’s door?
The best business consultants are flexible. They’re able to blend their philosophy with yours and create a solution that fits your business model.
5. Get a Feel for Their Ideas
No business consultant will reveal their tricks until you hire them. However, they are willing to give you a sneak peek into what it’s like to work with them.
Start by telling them a bit about your ice cream company. What are your weaknesses? What are your strengths? What aspects of running the company do you feel you need help with? What’s your five-year plan? Your ten-year plan?
Based on everything you tell them, the consultant you’re considering can make a few suggestions on ideas they might try to incorporate when you hire them.
Find the Perfect Business Consulting Service for Your Needs
Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on what to look for as you hire a business consulting service, be sure to use this information to your advantage.
Take the time to read this article for a few vegan ice cream recipes that you can bring to your store to appeal to a different demographic.
For more inquiries, please feel free to reach out to us by calling us at 877-386-2718 and we will be happy to assist you further.
