Small Business Consultant, Strategist, or Coach: What’s the Difference?

Mar 5

If you’re looking to grow or improve your small business, you may have already done quite a bit of searching trying to find help to get from where you are to where you want to be.

Unfortunately, while there are various options for providing the kind of support that you need, it can be very confusing to figure out which kind of small business professional to hire.

And often, this may lead to either stopping the search altogether or to hiring the wrong person to support your small business.

As a small business strategist who started as a business consultant, but also refers to herself as a small business coach… I understand the confusion!

But I want to help you figure this out because hiring a professional- whether that is a small business strategist, consultant, or coach- can be one of the fastest and most supportive ways to achieve your small business goals.

This professional can come in and give you an objective overview of what is working in your small business and what isn't, and then advise you on how to make progress toward the goals you’ve set.

But with all the options available, who do you hire?

Does your business need:

a small business consultant,
a small business strategist, or
a small business coach?

Who are they? What exactly do they do?

And how do you determine which one your small business needs?

Consultant, Strategist, or Coach- What’s the Difference?

The difference matters.

These professionals provide different kinds of guidance and support for your small business at different points in your entrepreneurial journey.

Knowing the difference means you’ll have a better idea about which small business professional to look for.

The key thing to know about these small business professionals is that the terms or titles they use are not necessarily industry standard.

For instance, there are some certifications that exist for life, mindset, and business coaches, but that doesn’t mean all coaches operate the same way. Nor does it mean that a non-certified coach has any less experience than a certified one. And colloquially, we often refer to business mentors as “coaches,” when really they might operate more as consultants or strategists.

No matter what their title is, you are going to have to do your own due diligence to be sure that who they are and what they do is what you need in order to achieve your outcome objectives.

Here you can find 5 questions to ask yourself before hiring a small business coach, but it can apply to any small business professional.

WhAT dOEs a SMAlL bUSInESS CONsULTaNT DO?

A consultant is defined as a more specialized expert that provides help on a specific area within your small business, such as marketing, IT, etc.

Small business consultants are more likely to include the implementation of that specific part of your strategy.

When I started my practice in 2017 I felt that what I wanted to do was come in and look at people’s businesses, consult with them on the specific marketing piece of their goals, and then give them expert advice on the steps that they needed to take in order to get them more easily to their goals.

And over time I realized that what I was giving my business consulting clients was a growth strategy for their business.

So rather than calling myself a consultant who comes into their business, implements a solution, provides a report and then leaves, I began to call myself a small business strategist.

wHAt DoeS A SmALL BuSINeSS sTRAtEgIST DO?

A strategist comes into your business to provide a more macro, zoomed-out plan for your small business.

They develop a strategy alongside you to take you from your goals to the step-by-step plan to achieve those goals for your small business.

Wikipedia defines a strategist as “a person with responsibility for the formulation and implementation of a strategy.”

While they can be industry specific, or specialize in specific areas of business, strategists generally do not always implement the strategy/plan.

Instead, they detail “how” the goals will be achieved, using the resources your small business has available (team members, technologies, etc).

Keep in mind that while there absolutely are strategists that also provide the implementation piece, you will likely pay more for that.

Anytime you're paying someone to do a done-for-you service, it’s going to cost more.

So if I were to give you the plan and then also bring in a team of VAs (virtual assistants) or brand designers, that is definitely going to drive up the investment.

wHaT DOeS A sMAlL BUsiNEsS cOAcH DO?

We usually think of coaches as someone in sports or athletics, or someone who is training, teaching, or instructing in private coaching, like with dance, math, or music.

A small business coach often takes a different approach.

By working with you through professional and personal development strategies, they help uncover aspects of yourself as the business owners that will help improve and guide the goals and growth of your small business.
Small business coaches also come alongside you to provide accountability and even mindset work to help with the strategy and process.

As opposed to consultants and strategists, instead of giving you the answers, small business coaches help pull the answers out of you.

A pure coach will not necessarily give you answers, but is going to help you uncover the answers that are right for you by asking you open-ended questions that will lead you to come to the conclusion yourself.

How to Choose the Right Professional for Your Small Business

I want to put this all together for you because each of these experts can be great for your small business; it's just a matter of what you feel like you want and need at the moment.

First, it’s important to figure out what part of your small business needs help. You can ask yourself questions like:

Right now, which part of my business needs the most help?
Do I need a new strategy, or do I already have a solid strategic plan?
Do I need someone to implement part of my plan instead?
Is it likely a mindset issue that’s preventing me from doing what needs to get done?
What if I need someone who will work with me & my team, instead of just me?

Once you’ve figured out the answers to these questions and anything else that comes up, you’ll find yourself leaning towards looking for one expert over another.

Here’s a little extra help:

If you’re looking for someone to come into your business and give you expert guidance in a particular area, or to implement your strategy, then perhaps a small business consultant is right for you.

If you’re looking for someone to help you figure out an entire plan, or give you the step-by-step process for achieving your business goals, then maybe a small business strategist is right for you.

If you’re looking for someone to help you improve the way you do things within your business and let you discover parts of yourself along the way, then a small business coach may be right for you.

WHAt if YOU wANt A HyBRId aPpROAcH OR yOU’rE STIlL NoT sURe?

It is possible to find a professional that provides a hybrid of these services.

For example, you might find a strategist that also provides implementation. These people can not only create the plan but also get it executed for you. But just know in advance that will likely be a greater investment.

Also, even though somebody might say that they’re a coach, they might be comfortable with helping to give you strategic parts of that plan, and not just asking a bunch of open-ended questions to force you to come to the conclusion yourself.

As a small business strategist myself, most of my clients search for me and refer to me as a small business coach because I take a hybrid approach to my services, especially depending on which way you work with me.

Sometimes I’m going to create a custom strategic plan for you, and then you’ll take the plan and implement it.

And other times, If we work together more long-term, I’m going to give you parts of the plan, but I’m also going to help you uncover really important parts of yourself as a business owner that will make future decisions easier.

I know that it can be confusing to determine which is the right hire for you, especially because there aren’t necessarily industry standard definitions.

If you’re still not sure if a small business consultant, strategist, or coach is the right expert to hire for your business, or if you’re unsure about their definitions and want some more help, be sure to book a call with me and reach out. We can talk through it, especially if you’re curious about the kind of hybrid services that I offer.