Setting up a consultancy business? looking to find out what is involved in becoming a consultant? or looking for ways to reduce consultancy costs and more, then please take the time and visit me at http://bit.ly/ym3YLX - it is well worth making the effort to do so.

1. ==== ====
Consultants - This is a great place to find out more:
http://bit.ly/ym3YLX
==== ====
There are almost as many opinions about using technical consultants as there are consultants,
and there are almost as many consultants as there are possibilities for using them. Virtually every
professional discipline has consultants in one form or another. In this day of downsizing, right-
sizing, lean manufacturing and lean organizations, there is more and more pressure on employers
to do more with less, and more pressure on employees to do more in less time. While there can be
multiple reasons for this situation, the most common one is The Bottom Line. Gone are the days
when companies hired people, who stayed for 30 years, working their way up through the
organization and mentoring those that followed, building an internal talent and knowledge pool that
stayed with the company. Today both employees and employers see things differently than before.
Technology changes rapidly, and big organizations can't always respond as quickly as they would
like to, especially when everyone's plate is already overflowing. Plus, employers add and drop
employees as needed to meet overall business objectives, and employees move on quickly to new
opportunities. The result is that much of the internal experience base that sustained companies
before no longer exits.
Enter the consultant. Gone are the days when a consultant was "someone who borrows your
watch so he can tell you what time it is". Consultants today are mostly experienced industry
professionals, and are more like true professional hired hands. In many instances, they bring with
them the experience and talents that a company lacks, or has lost. As one example, a consultant
can be brought in on short notice to handle a special project or need (in far less time than trying to
hire someone with the skillet you need). They get up to speed quickly, they focus on the project at
hand, and then they leave when the project is completed. The company gets the results they want
without sacrificing existing projects or payroll; there are no benefits to worry about, and little or no
impact to existing work space or routines. As another example, a company may be lacking a
particular talent, say, packaging development, and they do not have the workload or the budget to
justify bringing on a full-time professional to do the job. Or perhaps there's a new product or a new
package needed quickly, and is one that the existing department people are unfamiliar with. Hiring
a consultant, either on an hourly or retained contract basis, could be the ideal solution. You only
hire the consultant for the job that needs to be done. It's the same concept as leasing a car - you
pay for what you use, then part ways when you're done with it. Plus, consultants usually hit a
different spot in the company books than employees do, so their costs are virtual write-offs, and as
stated earlier, the company does not have to provide any perquisites or benefits. The consultant is
happy working for him/herself, and a good one will have his own insurance and equipment.
Everyone wins.
In addition to the solo specialized consultant, there are also formal and informal consultant
alliances, as well as search firms and consulting companies, that have been formed to bring
consultants of varying talents together. (In addition, there are websites where individuals and
companies on both sides can sign up and post or reply to opportunities. These will be discussed

2. further in Part 2.) These alliances can be very beneficial, especially for larger companies that plan
to use consultants on a regular basis. There are consulting groups that focus on one area of
expertise (architecture, packaging, etc.), and there are others who have a much larger scope and
who maintain a large roster of talented individuals that can be tapped as required for almost any
need. The disadvantage of this kind of organization is that the fees a company is charged will
likely be much higher than for an individual consultant or small alliance, but the advantage is that
their larger roster of talent gives the hiring company access to a much wider array of talent.
There's a lot to be said for either approach, but the end result is the same: the company gets their
needs fulfilled quickly and efficiently.
Mr. Erni Lindlar is the President and Founder of E-L-Consulting Associates, LLC, a packaging
development and project management consulting firm. He holds a BachelorÂ’s degree from New
Jersey Institute of Technology, and is a packaging development veteran with extensive experience
in consumer product packaging, project management, and product development. Mr. Lindlar has
worked as both a user and supplier of packaging materials and products, and it is this experience
that he brings to every client challenge. He founded the packaging consulting firm of E-L-
Consulting Associates, LLC in 2002, where he and his associates continue to help companies
both large and small meet their packaging needs. You can request more information at : info@E-
L-Consulting.com, and learn more at: http://www.E-L-Consulting.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ernest_Lindlar
==== ====
Consultants - This is a great place to find out more:
http://bit.ly/ym3YLX
==== ====