Apr 11, 2024
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5 Important Tools for Business Consultants in 2024
Whether you're considering starting a business consultancy for the first time or are already an experienced consultant, you have to be on the cutting edge when it comes to the advice you offer your clients.
In 2024, the expectations for consultants to be organized and efficient are extremely high, as data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the industry is growing at a rate of 11% per year in the United States.
Giving perfectly customized advice requires meticulous organization, and what better way to stay organized than with tailored software? Let's take a look at which tools will maximize your impact.
What Tools Does a Business Consultant Need?
Think of your tech tools as a crew — a group of background operators who reduce the error-prone, manual work you do on administrative tasks and maximize the time you can spend solving problems for clients.
Here are some of the categories of software that can help you offer consistent, high-quality work and keep up with 2024 consulting trends.
- Time-tracking tools
- Reporting software
- Integrated CRM
- Project management software
- Survey tools
Time-tracking tools
Time is money. For business consultants, this statement couldn't be truer. Time-tracking tools are no longer just digital stopwatches; they offer analytics to help you ensure that every minute allocated to client work gets billed accurately. Analyzing time data gives you the power to pinpoint inefficiencies in your workflows and continuously increase your team efficiency.
An automated time-tracking solution gives you the confidence to provide transparency to your clients and make smart decisions about resource allocation.
Reporting software
Data-driven insights are the backbone of an effective consultancy. Reporting software has evolved to display data in easily digestible ways that can support you in predicting trends and making profitable moves. Having dashboards and auto-generated is especially influential for presenting to stakeholders or making strategic shifts as a team.
Your consulting firm will be best equipped with meaningful data if you use a platform that can provide real-time updates rather than historical reports only.
Integrated CRM
Maintaining and nurturing client relationships is non-negotiable in consulting. CRMs have been around for a while, but their capabilities and applications have become more sophisticated. The right CRM will give you a holistic view of client interactions, preferences and histories. It will also seamlessly integrate with your other tools to create an intuitive flow through each stage of client work.
Explore an integrated CRM to take full advantage of the visibility and automation that's possible — and expected — in service industries today.
Project management software
As a consultant, you're juggling multiple projects at any given time. Project management software is an essential when you need to keep track of so many moving parts. Your team can easily allocate tasks, monitor milestones and deadlines, collaborate in one place and ensure that deliverables align with client expectations.
Dig into your options for project management software, keeping in mind your business's unique needs and current workflows.
Survey tools
Feedback is invaluable in the context of a service organization. Targeted insights can help you gauge the success of a new marketing strategy, understand the impact of a project or develop new services to meet the rising demand for specialized consulting. A modern survey tool can act as a direct line to the people who will impact the future of your business the most: your clients.
Learn how to use survey tools to turn your clients into brand evangelists.
Want more advice for keeping pace with your competitors and growing your consulting business? Discover how to hold onto top talent with our retention guide.
About the Author
Chelsea Williams is Senior Copywriter at Accelo, where she shares unique insights with service professionals and tells user stories via blogs, eBooks, industry reports and more. She has over 15 years of B2B and B2C writing experience — primarily in tech, sales, education and healthcare. Chelsea is an AWAI-certified Master Copywriter trained in brand storytelling and microcopy.