Prepare an advisory brief before hiring a business consultant
A clear advisory brief helps a founder buy relevant expertise and evaluate proposals. Without one, conversations can become broad discussions of growth with little agreement on the first problem to solve.
Describe the decision you need help making
Explain the business stage, customer, current challenge and available evidence. Share relevant constraints, desired outputs and internal ownership. Distinguish known facts from assumptions. Avoid sending unnecessary sensitive information before appropriate access and confidentiality arrangements are established.
A worked example
A founder seeking operational help prepares a process map, delay baseline and decision questions. Consultants can propose a scoped diagnostic rather than guessing at an undefined transformation project.
Illustrative scenario; this is not a claim about an actual Conxn client or guaranteed results.
Your action checklist
- State the problem and desired output
- List constraints and available data
- Define internal ownership for implementation
Do I need to know the solution beforehand?
No. The brief should clarify the problem and decision. A useful adviser may help refine scope rather than simply execute a predetermined answer.
AI-assisted editorial guide for practical business planning. Adapt the framework to your context and seek qualified advice for material financial, legal, employment or contractual decisions.