Few people possess all the knowledge needed to run a business – this is where professional advisors come in handy. Nowadays, there’s a professional advisor out there for pretty much every business-related subject that you can think of from leadership training to personal organisation skills. Here are just 5 of the main types of professional advice worth looking into.
Legal advice
There are so many business laws to keep track of and so many conditions when it comes to your rights that it’s often handy to have a solicitor on call. A solicitor can firstly help you to ensure that you’re running your business legally and that you’ve got all the right licenses and permits. A solicitor can also help defend you if you run into legal trouble or help you make a claim against someone else. Different branches of business come with their own complex laws so it may be worth hiring a specialist solicitor in some cases (there are law firms out there that specialise in construction and others that specialise in the medical sector).
Accounting advice
It’s important that you file your taxes correctly as a business owner. It’s worthwhile looking into accounting advice if your plan to do this yourself. Some people prefer to outsource an accountant to do the maths for them both to free up time and ensure that it is done correctly. General financial advice could also be useful when managing business debt, looking into expenses or simply trying to make cuts to your business. Consider chartered firms – you’ll pay more for a chartered service but you can guarantee that these professionals are credible as they will have been screened and tested.
IT support
IT support can also be handy for helping you with the digital side of your business. A commercial IT expert may be able to help recommend ways to better organise information as well as ways to secure your business. They may even be able to recommend specific software for your needs. Some advisors can also provide cloud storage and security services as well as helping you to deal with bugs and cyberattacks.
Marketing advice
Helping to promote your business and attract new customers could also require advice. Whilst you can hire a marketing company to do this for you, many marketing methods can be DIYed and you may simply need a consultant to guide you in the right direction, whether it’s helping you to develop social media strategies or giving you advice on hosting a marketing event. Marketing is such a vast field and you may want to hire specialise advice for specialist areas rather than approaching a general marketing company.
HR advice
If you’re planning on taking on employees, you’ll also need to develop a thorough understanding of employment law. HR advisors can help you deal with recruitment, dismissing employees and introducing new employment changes. HR support can work both ways and could be something that you also provide your employees with if they have work-related issues to discuss.
