Do you really need a consultants report? Maybe...

A recent article from the Sydney Morning Herald discussed the pro's and con's of using a marketing professional to prepare a report to help with planning your business. The writer explains that a lot of information is available for free from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. And they are right.

The article goes on to say...

If many business people don't realise the wealth of useful information that's available from the bureau, rest assured that all the marketing consultants do.

Should you commission a consultant's report, many of its facts and figures will have come from the bureau - but the consultant's fee is likely to be a lot higher than the bureau's.

From my perspective, the writer misses a major point... that the data on its own is one thing... but the insight and experience to understand and interpret that data is another.

Not to mention the huge amount of time required for you to grapple with the ABS data if you are not familiar with the layout, catalogue structure and related information sources.

That is exactly why you pay a professional for assistance.

You could take the same approach with a lawyer... reading up on all the precedents, checking the latest statutes, and writing your own legal documents.

But most people don't. Because they understand the lawyer has expertise they don't.

Remember... professional marketers have expertise you don't. Expertise in assessing markets, in understanding what drives business opportunities, and insights into what is required to be successful.

Need more information? Read my How to Hire a Marketing Consultant report.