Should You Hire a Consultant? How to Know When It’s Time to Get Professional Help for Your Business

And Why Waiting Too Long Could Cost You Everything

Every small business owner wears a dozen hats—salesperson, bookkeeper, marketer, HR rep, operations lead, customer service agent, therapist (to yourself), and probably janitor, too.

Bootstrapping is part of the hustle. You roll up your sleeves, figure things out, and take pride in doing it all on your own. That’s the entrepreneurial spirit—and it’s what gets you started.

But it’s not what gets you to the next level.

At some point, DIY becomes D-I-Why-the-hell-am-I-doing-this-alone?That’s when it’s time to call in professional help. Not because you’re failing—but because you’re ready to grow smart.

Here’s how to recognize the signs that it’s time to bring in outside expertise—and what can happen if you wait too long.

1. You’re Working 70+ Hours a Week... and Still Falling Behind

There’s a difference between working hard and working smart.

If you find yourself constantly overwhelmed—missing deadlines, skipping meals, or snapping at clients—your business isn’t just demanding. It’s unsustainable.

Hiring a consultant doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re self-aware enough to know that hustle doesn’t scale.  Even the largest, most successful and well-known companies in the country hire, and even retain, consulting help to map out and even manage portions of their business.

Bringing in help can:

• Identify where your time is being wasted

• Streamline your operations

• Create systems that reduce chaos

• Reclaim your nights, weekends, and sanity

Red flag: If your business would fall apart tomorrow if you took a day off, you don’t have a business—you have a burnout machine.

2. You Don’t Know What’s Working (or What’s Not)

You launched with a clear vision. But now? You’re running on autopilot, reacting instead of leading.

If you don’t know:

• Which marketing channels are generating ROI

• Which products or services are your actual profit drivers

• What your customer retention rate looks like

...then you’re flying blind.

A good business consultant helps you make data-driven decisions. They analyze what’s working, diagnose what’s not, and help you stop wasting time on what doesn’t move the needle.

Here’s a truth bomb: Gut instinct is great for starting. But growth requires clarity, not guesswork.

3. You’ve Hit a Plateau—And You’re Not Sure Why

This one’s tricky.

Your business isn’t failing. You’re making sales. You’re getting by. But you’ve stopped growing. The energy is flat. Your team (if you have one) is going through the motions. You’ve lost the spark.

That’s a classic sign that you’ve outgrown your original model—and you need a new playbook.

Maybe it’s time to:

• Rebrand or reposition yourself in the market

• Revamp your pricing strategy

• Expand or narrow your offerings

• Improve the customer journey

You won’t know which lever to pull without perspective. That’s where a professional comes in. Someone who’s not in the weeds and can see the 30,000-foot view.

4. You’re Great at What You Do—But Business Isn’t One of Those Things

Let’s say you’re a master baker. Or a brilliant fitness coach. Or an incredible artisan. You’ve got the talent. The passion. The product.

But running the actual business? The books, the marketing, the systems, the growth strategy?

That’s another skillset entirely.

Too many entrepreneurs believe they should be able to do it all. But knowing your zone of genius—and hiring for everything else—is a power move.

There’s no shame in saying: “I know my craft. I need someone who knows business.”

In fact, that’s how real businesses are built.

5. Your Team is Confused, Burned Out, or Checking Out

If you’ve hired help and they seem like they’re drowning—take it seriously.

• Are roles unclear?

• Is your onboarding process nonexistent?

• Are people duplicating efforts or missing key responsibilities?

You can’t grow with chaos. And if your team doesn’t have clear leadership, processes, and goals, they won’t stick around.

A consultant can help you:

• Define job roles

• Create standard operating procedures (SOPs)

• Develop systems that scale

• Improve team culture and communication

A great business isn’t built on your hustle. It’s built on clarity and structure.

6. You’re Facing a Big Transition (and Don’t Want to Screw It Up)

You might be on the edge of something major:

• Opening a second location

• Launching an e-commerce store

• Expanding your service offerings

• Pitching investors

• Moving from solo-preneur to employer

These are exciting milestones—but they’re also risky as hell if you don’t plan them strategically.

Don’t make your first big leap without a safety net. A consultant helps you map the move, avoid landmines, and execute with confidence.

You wouldn’t build a house without an architect. So why build your business’s next chapter without guidance?

7. You Keep Hiring (and Firing) the Wrong People

Bad hires aren’t just frustrating—they’re expensive. Time, money, morale, training… it all adds up.

If your team turnover is high, or you constantly feel like “nobody gets it,” the problem might not be the people. It might be your hiring strategy—or lack thereof.

A business pro can help you:

• Define who you actually need

• Write job descriptions that attract the right talent

• Create hiring processes that filter out bad fits

• Set new hires up for success with training and onboarding

Stop hiring out of desperation. Start hiring with intention.

8. You Want More Than Just Survival—You Want to Scale

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay small. But if you’ve got big dreams—impact, income, legacy—then doing it all yourself will only get you so far.

A consultant can help you:

• Identify scalable revenue streams

• Design systems that run without you

• Position your business for funding, partnerships, or acquisition

• Build a brand that’s bigger than any one person

This is about working on your business, not just in it.

So… When Should You Actually Hire a Consultant?

Short answer: before things break.

Don’t wait until you’re underwater. Don’t wait until customers are leaving, team morale is tanking, or your health is suffering.

Professional help isn’t an expense—it’s an investment.

It’s the thing that takes your business from surviving to thriving. From reactive to proactive. From duct tape to done right.

Need Help? Let’s Talk.

Our consulting arm, Bowdel Consulting, works with small business owners who are ready to stop winging it and start building something sustainable and scalable.

If you’re ready to:

• Get strategic about growth

• Solve the root causes of your business struggles

• Build systems that actually work

…then let’s have a conversation. Because getting help isn’t a weakness—it’s how smart businesses win.