Whether you are in the market for a home repair company or a business consultant, it is important to do your research to make sure you are choosing a reputable company to work with. Once you decide who that will be, a business relationship starts to form and you are inviting that representative into your home or company. This is not a decision to take lightly.
Dateline NBC recently aired an episode in which NBC News' Jeff Rossen went undercover to investigate air conditioning repair contractors. Their point was to see if the contractors would do an honest job or pull some sort of scam. You may be very surprised at the results. Watch episode here.
As a small company that was formed by a husband and wife team a little over 10 years ago, we at English Management Solutions, Inc. realize the value of integrity and good customer service because our company was built one customer at a time. Whether you are currently using the QuickBooks software or want to implement it at your company, it is an investment. With all of the competition in the marketplace, how do you choose a reputable consultant to work with? Here are a few tips:
1. Ask around. Talk to friends, colleagues, or other business owners who you trust to find out who they have worked with and what their experience was like.
2. Go to the Intuit QuickBooks Find a ProAdvisor website. Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors are typically CPAs, accountants, and small business advisors who have been tested and certified on QuickBooks. ProAdvisors help businesses customize QuickBooks for their unique needs and help them get the most out of the software. Their network of approximately 20,000 Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors can address your QuickBooks needs, so you can get back to doing what you do best - managing your business.
You may want to choose an advisor in your area or if a company comes highly recommended that is out of your area, talk to them and find out how far their services span. They should be able to do remote work. At English Management Solutions, Inc., we assist clients across the United States including Hawaii.
3. Choose a company that specifically has experience with the QuickBooks software. It is more convenient to work with just one company for the purchase, installation, training, and ongoing customer support. If the consultant is not able to provide assistance in all of these areas, find out if they have reputable resources to introduce you to, or do you have to find someone to fill the void/s?
4. Ask for a company reference list. Call the businesses listed to learn more about their experience with the company you are considering working with.
5. Ask the consultant specific questions about the support your company requires. This will tell you if he/she has real experience in those areas or not.
6. Find out about the company and its representatives.
How long have they been in this industry? What does their experience include?
Does the consultant continue to learn and participate in training events, conferences, and online forum groups to collect and share best practices? You can also tell a lot about his or hers reputation by the comments and feedback the group participants give.
Do they have a professional online presence? Is their website up-to-date and informative?
Are their certifications current?
7. How personable is the representative?
Take notice of how the person speaks to you. Does he/she interrupt or allow you to finish before speaking?
Does he/she answer your questions or avoid them and get off topic?
Do you feel rushed through your consultation or does the consultant give you his/her undivided attention?
Do you find the person to be personable, knowledgeable, and thorough?
How responsive have the consultant and the company representatives been?
Even if you’re meeting with someone remotely, you can still get a good impression on how thorough, organized, and knowledgeable they are.
Do they offer a no charge product demonstration to show you the features and functionality of the software you’re considering for purchase?
Is there a charge for the initial consultation or is it complimentary?
Is an alternative solution discussed if the initial product is not feasible or is not the best solution for your company?
8. Be upfront and honest with the consultant and set accurate expectations. A few things that you should tell the consultant at the first meeting are:
- Give him/her a truthful budget range for how much you can and are willing to invest. Don’t be shy, and don’t give an amount that is way under what is feasible for you. That will save both of you time because the consultant will know whether or not their recommendations can be accomplished within your budget. If it can’t be, then the consultant can discuss ways to possibly scale back or an alternative solution. On the other hand, the consultant should be able to tell you a realistic ballpark estimate for the products and services that you are discussing.
- Give the consultant a realistic time frame for purchase and implementation. For example, if you are opening a new store or additional location, there is a forecasted opening date.
- Tell the consultant what products and services you foresee needing. You should have some idea of what you want and need to purchase (software, hardware, installation & training services, payroll service, merchant services, etc.) and what you need the program to be able to do for the daily operations of the business. You may not know all of the specifics but that’s ok. Most likely you are not the professional when it comes to these areas so at least let the consultant know so he/she can provide you with the most accurate and detailed information.
9. When you are ready to get a proposal. Find out when you can expect to receive it, and also make it clear if you need it by a certain date.
Verify the format in which you will receive the document/s. You should be given a contract outlining the consultant’s proposed work, items to purchase, the timeframe for the start and completion, how much of his/her time is included, etc. If you have additional information that you would like to have included, explain that to the consultant.
What happens after you purchase the product/s and the services have been rendered? Do you get a certain amount of time included for support after the go-live date?
Who will you contact with your future support questions and needs? If it’s the consultant, what is their charge, and is there a minimum?
10. After you receive the proposal and any additional documents. Plan a time to thoroughly review and discuss them with all of the decision makers at your company.
Then, contact the consultant for either a follow up phone call or meeting. During this time you should get your additional questions answered, receive clarification on the items included in the documentation, and discuss the ordering and implementation. Any considerations, hesitations, or deterrents you have should also be promptly addressed.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions, no matter how big or small they may seem. You are doing yourself a favor by being thorough, and the consultant should not mind this. By the same token, it isn’t reasonable to drag the consultant around either, so-to-speak.
These are some of the important things to consider when choosing a reputable consultant. This is your time to gather information in order to make an informed decision for what best suits your business needs. Both yours and the consultant’s time is valuable so use it wisely!
We appreciate you considering EMS for your business needs.
