This is going to sound somewhat self serving, but a good consultant can make a difference between success or failure.  You might be new to the industry or you have been in business for many years.  I have found 3 reasons why hiring someone to help can be valuable.

1. You are new to the industry or running a business. I speak to a lot of new entrepreneurs who start a business and waste a lot of time and money not knowing what the best use of their resources are.  Many times they spend thousands of dollars with nothing to show for it.  Rather then steering their business in a certain order they may do step 5 before they do step one.  Or they have a warehouse full of merchandise with no plan to sell it.When I started my consulting business I hired a consulting business expert to help me navigate the industry.  I know the fashion industry as I have 30+ years experience.  But, I didn’t know consulting.  It made a difference in how I structured my business so I was profitable from the first month.
2. Your business is stagnating.  It can be hard to figure out what to do.  You are so in the thick of it you can’t see the forest for the trees. An experienced advisor can look at your business from the outside without any preconceived bias.  They can be a fresh pair of eyes that can help you develop a strategy for growth.
3. Business is good but you’re not profitable. There can be many reasons for this.  I have come across companies who’s margins are too low, or production costs are unreasonably high, or they waste money on low value activities.  Whatever the reason a knowledgable expert can review your business and aid you in being a profitable and sustainable brand.