You know your business could grow, but you're too busy. You're just too stretched for time.

We should know. Before building arguably Australia's best warehousing and logistics software packages that saves time, money and more importantly, headaches, we ran our own distribution company in Sydney.

And you know what? It was always a challenge to find extra time. The business did well, but we were burnt out.

Today we're very much in touch with the industry and have noted a common trend among the more successful enterprises. That is - they hire consultants to help grow the business.

We're not talking about 'weekend warrior' consultants, but those who know the industry well.

So if you're too busy to improve your business, we would recommend that you hire a consultant. And in today's post, we'll tell you why.

When consultants earn their keep

Often we think of consultants like accountants. Well dressed, smart and live in air-conditioned offices. These are the last people we'd imagine hiring into our distribution business.

However, the right consultant can certainly earn their keep.

On the ground, they could spot bottlenecks and areas for improvement that have been existing for years. With an aging workforce, things that could've been improved long ago might have been swept under the carpet.

In the air, things can get even better. They'll help you in better planning for the future - 1, 3 and 5 years in advance. They'll also analyze your operation from a top-down approach. While you might not like their feedback and recommendations for improvement, at least you'll know they're brutally honest.

In our experience, hiring the right warehouse or transport industry consultant can save you a lot of time and money. But then again - are they all the same?

Not quite.

Let's look at how to spot the real deals from the pretenders.

Hiring the right business consultant

If you've spent any length of time on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram, you've no doubt seen an ad from a 'business consultant' ready to sky-rocket your profits. Immediately you call 'BS' and for the most part - we'd agree!

Most business consultants or coaches have little to know real experience. That is - they haven't run their own warehouse or transport business before. They might have taken a short course or have a business degree, but lack actual experience in the field.

This is why we'd recommend that:

• Don't sign with the 1st business consultant that you find.
• When you do find someone that seems good, check their references
• Once they're going for the sales pitch, hit 'em with a ton of good questions

You'll quickly see who has genuine experience, and who doesn't know the difference between a Chep and a Loscam. In Australia, there are very few business consultants specifically for the warehousing, transport and logistics industries.

But when you do find one - and they do work out - then they can certainly be worth their weight in gold.

Next steps

Businesses that do best are those which are open to change. While we know the industry is slow to adapt, those that do are positioned for greater growth in our rapidly changing times.

If you're too busy in the day-to-day paper trail of building your business, then a call to a business consultant could be just the ticket you need.

And if that paper trail is frustrating you, then CartonCloud could eliminate that pretty quickly. Get in touch with our team today.