1. Because of his or her expertise. This is where



it pays to not only be really good in the field

you have chosen to consult in, but to have some

type of track record that speaks for itself. For

example, if I had become an expert as a fund-

raising consultant, I knew that every client who

hired me was doing so partly on the basis of my

track record alone. After all, if you are a

nonprofit organization that needs to raise $1

million, it makes sense to hire someone who has

already raised millions for other organizations.

2. To identify problems. Sometimes employees are

too close to a problem inside an organization to

identify it. That's when a consultant rides in on

his or her white horse to save the day.

3. To supplement the staff. Sometimes a business

discovers that it can save thousands of dollars a

week by hiring consultants when they are needed,

rather than hiring full-time employees.

Businesses realize they save additional money by

not having to pay benefits for consultants they

hire. Even though a consultant's fees are

generally higher than an employee's salary, over

the long haul, it simply makes good economic

sense to hire a consultant.

4. To act as a catalyst. Let's face it. No one

likes change. But sometimes change is needed, and

a consultant may be brought in to "get the ball

rolling." In other words, the consultant can do

things without worrying about the corporate

culture, employee morale or other issues that get

in the way when an organization is trying to

institute change.

5. To provide much-needed objectivity. Who else

is more qualified to identify a problem than a

consultant? A good consultant provides an

objective, fresh viewpoint--without worrying

about what people in the organization might think

about the results and how they were achieved.