Who needs an Expert?
By Adam Fennelow, Head of Services, Design Business Association
The DBA set up the Experts Register to specifically combat that “where do I find someone I can trust” feeling. It is that little black book of contacts who are quietly making a big difference to a lot of businesses in our membership.
Whether you own a small design agency or manage a larger one, or are involved in the production or management of design in a large business, there are times when you need support from an expert in a particular field. You need someone who has a breadth of experience across the sector and has the advantage of an external perspective. Someone who can identify and ask the awkward questions that have previously been skimmed over.
Do you dare type into LinkedIn “can anyone recommend….” knowing your inbox could be pinging constantly over the next few weeks with dubious people from around the globe declaring themselves to be the answer to all your problems?
But equally, time – or more specifically, lack of time – is always a factor. Just how long can you spend looking for the right person when in some cases you might not even realise that that type of consultant even exists? Searches can quickly get bogged down and you lose impetus.
The DBA Experts Register was set up to save you that most valuable of resources – time. All DBA Experts are experienced in their fields of expertise, understand the design sector and come reference-checked and recommended having already worked for DBA members.
I often get calls about business issues DBA members are facing and am able to direct them to Experts on our Register. These are the types of issues that crop up time again, that our Experts are helping to solve:
- Repositioning a business to enable growth. The ‘plumber with the leaky tap’ syndrome is no longer acceptable.
- Legal consultation on issues such as Intellectual Property, trade-marks, mergers and acquisitions and general agency/client relationships.
- New business – setting the systems in place to ensure a consistent pipeline rather than the peaks and troughs that develop when you are too busy to develop new business.
- People – structures and management systems. Getting the backbone of the business set up correctly to allow your staff to flourish.
- One-to-one coaching for leaders within the business looking to develop themselves and the way they think and make decisions.
- Financial advice – not simply “doing the books” (any accountant can do that) but offering sector specific financial advice on the future development of the business.
- An external perspective as a guiding hand in the form of a non-executive director.
- Taking the business to the next level. There has been a period of stagnation (or ‘re-grouping’ at best) and there is a desire to kick on.
DBA Experts are your quick and trusted source of expertise when it comes to investing in your business. Why not add them to your little black book too?
