I’ve seen firsthand the many benefits that using on-demand teams can provide. But differently-sized organizations have different needs and budgets, and while large organizations may have the luxury of approaching their projects all at once, for smaller businesses it may make more sense to bring on expertise in smaller, more manageable increments.
Like large companies, small businesses need the right talent, but they often don’t have the time to find it. Nor do they have the resources to invest in an expert, whether it’s a consultant or a fully-burdened FTE. Though they are clear on their needs and have a strong desire to grow their business, they need more flexible options.
A good example of this can be found in Adam (pseudonym), the CEO of an outsourced CFO advisory services company. Adam’s organization helps business owners improve their cash flow and profitability by providing them with the financial expertise they need. When his own company grew to 19 employees, Adam realized he needed to hire a marketing director, but he had neither the budget nor the volume of work for this role to be full-time. What he needed was an expert to help his company on a project-by-project basis.
Adam recognized that he didn’t have the expertise he needed to find talent that fit his requirements on his own. He also knew that his budget required someone that could be accessed as needed. He wanted to find someone who could implement a menu of marketing projects his company needed, including a comprehensive marketing plan, updating his website, and creating a point-of-sale document for sales calls – but not all at once.
That’s when he turned to us.
Discussing his experience with us, Adam told me,
“We’ve used Simplicity multiple times and your expertise is a significant advantage. Because you match your experts to what I need for different projects, I know that whoever you send is going to be a good fit.”
After interviewing and selecting an expert for a pre-defined project, Adam’s onboarding process involves spending a couple of weeks educating the person about his company. That way each consultant is confident in telling the firm’s story. He makes sure that his staff knows what the consultant will be working on as well as the benefits that person will bring to the company. “There’s a lot of communication about why we’re doing these things, why we’re spending money on it, who this person is–and why they need to interact with them so they can do a good job.”
Adam stresses that working with a specialized talent solutions company provides “flexibility in terms of effort and flexibility in terms of cost and known expertise.” He also made a telling point when he noted that “a small-to-medium business has similar needs to a larger business, but they need them in small slices.”
For Adam, Simplicity’s on-demand talent solution solves both the cost and flexibility issues that he faces. By giving him immediate access to a diverse talent pool, we eliminate the headaches of recruiting and screening while freeing him to dial up his growth goals faster.