Consulting Firms: One Size Does Not Fit All
by Sarah Beth Rutger

Every consulting firm is unique, and one important way in which they differ is size. Firms range from one consultant and a few support staff to large teams or divisions of professionals working together to reach the company’s goals. How do you determine how large your consulting firm should be? Does bigger always mean better in the world of consulting?

Some consulting firms have few team members. Barry Maher of Barry Maher and Associates is a soloist. He runs his successful business with him and his assistant alone. When asked if he would ever anticipate hiring more consultants in the future, he answered, “It’s possible. There are times when we generate more income than we should, so it gets pretty crazy.” On the other hand, Maher says, “Almost anything I might hire someone to do, I can do, so it may not be necessary.”

Lisa Nirell, author of the upcoming book EnergizeGrowth NOW: The Marketing Guide to a Wealthy Company and a Healthy Life and owner of EnergizeGrowth, (www.energizegrowth.com) had a different hiring philosophy. She currently has three consultants and a team of professionals working with her, including an assistant and a web designer.

When asked how her company evolved I size, Ms. Nirell said, “I am a big fan of collaboration. I know that I don’t have all of the answers, and working on my own can be very isolating and lonely, so having people that I can trust and bounce ideas off of is priceless. I am very clear that there are things that I am not good at, so I look for people that make up for all of my deficiencies.” She also indicated that she was always open to hiring more team members if they helped her compensate for her weaknesses and make her business stronger.

Sometimes a limited team approach works best for consulting firms. Brian Lipstein of Henry A. Davidsen works with just one other consultant, the co-founder of his company. Mr. Lipstein stated “we started the company and can handle it on our own right now. We both have the same entrepreneurial mindset.” When asked if he would hire again in the future, he stated that it was entirely possible, but “finding someone who is the right fit is important. That, and finding the right person when we have the time to invest to train them in our business style and practices.”

Of course, there are larger consulting firms out there as well. Dr. Ralph Parton of Business Information Group, Inc., runs a firm that currently has 16 professionals on staff, and that includes the two owners. When asked why he has that number working with him, Dr. Parton said, “We’ve grown over 10 years. As needs grow, we add employees.” Interestingly, the firm has downsized, but not due to a lack of business. “We had 24,” said Dr. Parton, “but we automated our business and don’t need more than 16 staff members now.”

When asked if he would hire more staff in the future, Dr. Parton indicated that it would depend on the sales level of their newest product, a digital pen that professionals can use to capture written words as electronic documents. “If that happened, we may possibly hire another engineer and another software programmer.”

So one size does not fit all when it comes to consulting firms. The size of the firm often depends on its focus as well as anticipated growth. One thing is clear. These professionals insist on hiring people who understand their business philosophy and share their vision for the future.

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