21 Jun The Benefits of Working with a Digital Strategy Coach and Technology Consultant

Is your business strategy as flexible as the changing technologies we all have to stay on top of?

Entrepreneurs, startups, and existing small businesses want to stay ahead of the curve. Yet most also need help navigating the digital landscape. So choosing to work with a technology consultant or digital strategy coach, is one of the most strategic-savvy moves they can make. It’s not that business professionals can’t do it on their own if they tried, it’s just that they may be trying to do too many things at once and lose focus on doing anything well. The importance of integrating technology in our modern business world can’t be overstated, so trying to manage too many efforts, can at times create mistakes that can cost exponentially in both potential customers and missed revenue. The practical choice is to hire an expert or team that specializes in technology consulting and digital strategies to assist with overarching efforts and mission-critical priorities.

How Hard Can It Be?

There is a sentiment among many entrepreneurs and managers that developing a digital strategy or hiring a technology consultant isn’t worth outsourcing, or it may be too costly. Like any marketplace there are choices. Social media has created this culture that just by having a bunch of accounts that will drive conversions, because anyone can use Facebook, right? This over-simplification of the DIY (do it yourself) concept is similar to the analogy that one may think it’s easier to ‘fix it themselves’, but instead they lack the foresight to go to a mechanic for a much needed vehicle repair ‘just to save money’. Also, just because you read a ‘how-to book’ doesn’t necessarily replace years of hands-on experience. Is it impossible? No. Would it shorten the learning curve to get outside help? Absolutely.

Just as with anything business related, hiring a subject matter expert for strategic focus to learn a new approach, get help for a one-time initiative or new product implementation, may be the best way to go. If you’re running a business, time is really the ultimate commodity; and most serious business professionals don’t have months or years to spend learning everything they may need to know. Not only that, but the digital landscape is one of the fastest-changing areas of business. Success requires constant attention, consistently sifting through relevant information and learning to keep abreast of technological changes.

Business Benefits

Yes, we’ve heard numerous stories about mismanagement in outsourcing due to lack of experience of the buyer; from hiring resources that just showed a nice portfolio, but lacked the right skill-set to get the job done or because an entrepreneur decided to go the DIY route without clearly understanding their investment of time and monetary commitment of what they were getting into. Products with poorly written or clunky code, non-technical people managing technical resources, or lack of knowing when to apply industry best practices. Yume Consults understands these headaches. That’s why we partner with entrepreneurs and businesses by offering the much needed benefit of our subject matter expertise, without the need to have extended contracts with expensive retainer fees. Sometimes booking for just an hour can be the difference in seeing light at the end of the tunnel. For example, building a website or mobile app needs clear product definition, follow through, consistency, and ultimately a successful delivery; but you can’t know the true cost of inexperience, how it will impact the business until you’ve already been burned. Scrambling to get last minute help also costs more to un-do what’s been executed poorly or previously mis-managed.

Here are a few benefits businesses can get from hiring a digital strategy coach or technology consultant:

• Boosting marketability by ensuring your ideas are viable before you pitch to investors, donors and consumers
• Identifying technical bottlenecks and mitigate risks before they become real problems
• Roadmap planning to identify the best resources, and navigate the digital landscape
• Improving ROI (return on investment) to increase revenue streams and maintain budget
• Give your customers the best user experience with your web or mobile app product
• Virtual project management to bring the right mix of skills through cost-conscious outsourcing, without sacrificing communication and coordination

Sometimes the success of your next initiative comes down to being open to a different approach; by weighing out risk/reward and the perception of cost savings versus the reality of what’s required for success. In the end, hiring an experienced technology consultant and digital strategist is typically the right choice to move business forward.